Apostille San Francisco
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Apostille for Australia · from California documents
Australia.
Australia.
Hague since 1995.
No consulate step.
Australia has been a Hague party since 1995. DFAT states that the government in each country can only legalise documents issued in that country, and that the receiving authority decides what it wants. For a California record that means the Secretary of State’s apostille. We confirm the form, then check the certified copy underneath before the fee.
At a glance
RouteHague apostille · California Secretary of State
ConsulateAustralian missions do not legalise U.S. documents; DFAT: only the issuing country can
DocumentsBirth, marriage, death certificates · degrees and transcripts · FBI background checks (federal route) · powers of attorney · corporate documents
TranslationDocuments are in English; none needed. For a document in another language, the Australian Embassy in Washington requires a translator certified by the ATA in the U.S. or accredited by NAATI in Australia, with the original attached.
Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3
Before you send anything
What the counter accepts for Australia.
Each line is a real rejection we screen for in the $45 Document Check.
01Certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH, not a hospital or informational copy.
02Current signing official. The Secretary of State authenticates only signatures it has on file.
03Notarized first if it is a power of attorney, affidavit or copy certification.
04Ask the receiving authority which certificate it wants. DFAT’s own guidance is that it cannot advise which certificate a document needs and that you must ask the receiving authority overseas. We do that for you: the department, employer, court or registry names the form, and FBI records go by the federal route rather than Sacramento.
$6503 documents · one emergency trip · filed together
Visa and employment sets
Birth certificates, degrees and background checks for visas, registration and work, filed together in one Sacramento trip.
Returned tracked, with status updates, to Australia or wherever you are. Price confirmed before any work begins.
Asked on nearly every Australia call.
01Does the Australian consulate in San Francisco need to legalize it?
No. Australia has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 16 March 1995. DFAT states that the government in each country can only legalise documents issued in their country, so a California record is authenticated by the California Secretary of State, not by an Australian mission.
02Do I need a NAATI translation?
Not for a California certificate, which is in English. The Australian Embassy in Washington states that any document not in English must be accompanied by an approved translation: in the United States by a translator certified by the American Translators Association, in Australia by a NAATI-accredited translator, with the original foreign-language document provided as well. Translation is Quoted per document by page and language before anything starts; delivered certified with a signed certificate of authenticity.
03My FBI background check is in the same file. Does it go to Sacramento too?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal record, so its apostille comes from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, not the California Secretary of State. We run both routes in parallel and assemble the finished set for Australia, so one shipment leaves with everything in it.
04I live in Australia already. Can you do the whole thing without me?
Yes. Order the certified copy from the county or the state and have it shipped to our office at 416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, or mail us what you already hold. We check it, file it, and ship the finished apostille tracked to your address in Australia. International delivery is quoted per destination before we start, and we can keep you updated by WhatsApp if you prefer.