Business & Export Apostilles: FDA Certificates, Certificates of Free Sale & Corporate Documents

Federal Apostille & Authentication Services

Apostilles aren't just for individuals moving abroad. A steady and growing share of the documents we authenticate are commercial — companies proving their products can be legally sold, registering a subsidiary overseas, or certifying U.S. tax residency to claim treaty benefits. If your business sells or operates internationally, these are the documents you'll eventually need authenticated.

The export documents that need authentication

FDA Certificate to Foreign Government (CFG)

For regulated products — medical devices, pharmaceuticals, foods, cosmetics — foreign regulators often require an FDA Certificate to Foreign Government confirming the product may be legally marketed and exported from the U.S. Because it's issued by a federal agency, it's authenticated federally by the U.S. Department of State.

Certificate of Free Sale (CFS)

A Certificate of Free Sale certifies that a product is freely sold in the U.S. market. Here's the nuance that trips companies up: a CFS can be federal (FDA-issued) or state/chamber-issued or notarized, depending on how it was produced — and that determines whether it's apostilled federally or at the state level. Confirm the issuer before you file.

USDA export certificates

Agricultural and animal-related exports — including USDA/APHIS export health certificates (for example, for live animals or certain commodities) — are federal documents and require federal authentication. For animal exports, see USDA APHIS.

Corporate and tax documents

• IRS Form 6166 — U.S. residency certification used to claim tax-treaty benefits abroad (federal track). See the IRS residency certification page.
• EIN / Form 147C letters — to verify your business's tax ID for foreign banking and registration.
• Articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, bylaws, corporate resolutions — typically state documents, apostilled by the state of formation.
• Powers of attorney and board authorizations — notarized, usually state track.

Why businesses outsource this

Commercial authentications are higher-stakes and more deadline-driven than personal ones: a shipment, a product registration, or a treaty filing may be waiting on them. The two most common pain points we solve are (1) determining whether a Certificate of Free Sale is federal or state, and (2) coordinating multi-document corporate packages — often with certified translations — so everything is accepted together on arrival.

Let us handle the commercial stack

We authenticate FDA, USDA, and IRS documents federally, route Certificates of Free Sale and corporate records to the correct authority, add certified translations, and deliver worldwide. Explore our business & export apostille service, or contact us with your document list and destination.