Need an apostille for a U.S. document, such as a power of attorney? I’m Sergei Crawford. I help with the required certifications, submission, collection, and agreed return delivery. Work with me directly in English or Russian, with Manhattan handover or nationwide mail-in service by arrangement.
Standard service: $250 for the first document. Eligible rush Manhattan service: $350 for the first document. Government fees are included. Any necessary notarial acts are charged separately at the rates on the pricing page. If you need me to visit you in Manhattan for notarization, the separate $50 mobile appointment and travel fee also applies. I confirm the route, full cost, and estimated timing before you order.
Calls: 10 a.m.–10 p.m. New York time. Tell me the document type, issuing state or agency, destination country, and deadline. You can start with these details without sending a document.
Ready to share a copy? Use Secure Document Upload, not email or SMS. Please wait for mailing instructions before sending originals. See service details and delivery terms.
Independent assistance; Crawford Notary is not a government agency. Rush availability is confirmed after document review.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate issued by an authorized government office for use of a public document abroad. It authenticates the signature, the signer’s official capacity, and the seal or stamp where applicable. It does not certify the truth of the document’s contents or decide its legal effect.
When the Apostille Convention applies between the country of origin and the destination, an apostille replaces the conventional chain of diplomatic or consular legalization for covered documents. A recipient may still require a translation, a recently issued record, or a particular document format. Confirm those requirements before paying for processing.
Which countries use apostilles?
Examples of Convention destinations include Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Israel, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, and Canada. This is a practical starting list, not an acceptance guarantee. I check the destination against the official HCCH status table, including effective dates and relevant objections.
For Russian-speaking clients, I can explain the U.S. process in Russian. The receiving authority abroad determines requirements for translations, names, and the underlying document. I do not offer consular legalization. Foreign-issued records generally need the competent authority in their country of origin; notarizing a photocopy in New York does not convert the original into a U.S.-issued record.
The route depends on the document
- New York documents: the New York Department of State issues the apostille after any required issuer or County Clerk certification. Some records can go directly to the state; others need preliminary steps.
- Documents from another state: the appropriate authority in that state handles the apostille. Sending a California birth certificate to me in Manhattan does not make New York the issuing authority.
- Federal documents: eligible FBI and other federal records follow the federal route through the U.S. Department of State. They are not eligible for my Manhattan same-day service.
I handle administrative submission and document transport. Any necessary notarial act is a separate service performed under the applicable New York rules. I do not issue apostilles, retrieve replacement civil records, draft legal documents, or provide translations or legal advice.
Choose your document guide
- Birth certificates — NYC long forms, exemplification letters, and other-state records.
- Marriage certificates — foreign-use copies and issuer signatures.
- Divorce judgments — court-certified records and access requirements.
- Death certificates — certified records for use abroad.
- Diplomas and transcripts — school certification before the apostille.
- Powers of attorney — signing, witnesses, and the destination’s instructions.
- Power of attorney for use abroad — a Manhattan notary visit and apostille assistance for property, vehicle, or other matters through a representative; your professional in the destination country prepares the document.
- Affidavits and consent letters — sworn statements, single-status statements, and travel consent.
- FBI and federal documents — the separate federal route and timing.
- Corporate documents — official company records versus privately signed documents.
Standard and rush service
Standard apostille — $250 for the first document
Each additional document submitted together with the first document through the same processing route is +$50. The price includes government certification and apostille fees, necessary postal shipments for the agreed route, and return delivery within the United States through USPS Priority Mail. Necessary notarization, including an acknowledgment or jurat, is charged separately. Translations and other additional services are outside the package; I do not provide translation services.
For eligible routes, the planning estimate is 2–4 weeks from receipt of the complete document package, including return delivery. It is not a guaranteed deadline. Other-state and federal processing may take longer; I confirm a document-specific estimate before you proceed. Federal mail processing alone can exceed this window. Government processing and postal transit determine the actual completion date.
Rush Manhattan apostille — $350 for the first document
Each additional document submitted together with the first document through the same processing route is +$50. This option includes government fees, personal submission and collection, and hand-delivery of the completed documents to you in Manhattan. Necessary notarial acts and other additional services remain separate.
A visit to you in Manhattan for notarization carries the separate $50 mobile appointment and travel fee, plus any necessary notarial acts at the rates on the pricing page. Hand-delivery of the completed apostille documents in Manhattan is included in the rush service.
Same-day or next-business-day completion may be available only when the entire required government-office route can be completed in Manhattan and the documents are ready. I confirm availability after review, taking account of handover time, office hours, capacity, and required certifications. An office closure, rejected certification, or missing document may change the timing. Mailing time is not a same-day service, and documents requiring other-state or federal processing do not qualify.
For both paid options, the same processing route means the same government offices and required certification steps as the first document. Documents requiring a different route are priced separately, with the cost agreed before work begins; submitting them together does not by itself qualify them for the +$50 rate.
International return delivery is available by arrangement at an additional charge, subject to carrier service to the destination. The document count, included expenses, any separate notarial fees, and delivery method are confirmed before work begins. A scan upload alone does not place an order or reserve rush service.
Free Community Notary: help without a service fee
I organize apostilles without charging for my work when the document relates to immigration, asylum, refugee resettlement, naturalization, or citizenship, regardless of the participant’s citizenship or immigration status, or when financial hardship makes Crawford Notary fees a barrier. No proof of income, citizenship, or immigration status is requested; the program works on trust.
You pay only government fees and actual postage, including USPS Priority Mail return delivery, agreed in advance. Necessary notarial acts are free under the Free Community Notary program. This assistance follows the standard route: plan on 2–4 weeks for eligible documents, including delivery, with a separate estimate when the issuing authority or postal route requires longer. Rush hand-delivery is not part of the standard program service described here.
Prefer to do it yourself? Eligible participants can receive free procedural guidance: which official certifications to obtain, where to submit, how to pay government fees, and how to arrange return delivery. You handle the submission and pay the organizations directly. This guidance does not choose legal documents or advise on immigration eligibility.
From review to return delivery
- Share the basics and a secure copy. Include the issuing authority, intended country, recipient’s instructions, and deadline. Do not upload identification unless requested.
- Confirm the route and cost. I explain the practical steps and confirm which originals or official certified copies are needed. You obtain any replacement records yourself.
- Arrange handover or mailing. We coordinate any necessary signing and the agreed preliminary certifications before submission for the apostille. Preserve seals, staples, and attachments.
- Submission and collection. I arrange the agreed certifications and submit to the competent authority. That office decides whether an apostille can be issued.
- Receive the completed documents. I return them by the agreed method. For covered Convention documents, the apostille normally completes the U.S. authentication stage; the foreign recipient decides whether the document satisfies its requirements.
Start with the document, not a guess
If you are unsure whether you have the right version, send a clear copy through Secure Document Upload and mention “apostille,” the destination country, and your deadline. I review practical submission requirements; I cannot determine a document’s legal sufficiency or guarantee acceptance abroad. For an apostille request, contact me directly; the existing notary booking options do not reserve apostille processing.
Official references: New York apostille requirements, federal requests and processing times, and the Apostille Convention. Reviewed September 10, 2026.
Crawford Notary is an independent service and is not affiliated with a government agency. I provide administrative apostille assistance and notarial services, without legal or immigration advice, document preparation, or a guarantee of a government decision or foreign acceptance.