Virginia Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Virginia
What Virginia requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentications
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $10.00 per document, and $5.00 for each additional document signed by the same public official on the same date for the same country
- Typical time
- About seven days by mail; in person is by appointment only
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Virginia requires of the document
- In-person service is by appointment booked through the Secretary of the Commonwealth website.
Where to send it
By post: Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentications, 1111 East Broad Street, 1st Floor, Richmond, VA 23219
Timing: About seven days by mail; in person is by appointment only
Virginia Secretary of State: apostilles and authentications
Checked against the state's own page on 8 September 2026.
After the state
If the destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state apostille ends the chain. If it is not, the document then needs U.S. Department of State authentication and legalisation by that country’s mission.
Questions people actually ask
Does Virginia require a county clerk certification first?
No. Virginia is not among the seven states that insert a county-level step, so a properly notarised document goes directly to the Secretary of State.
I live elsewhere but my document is from Virginia. Where does it go?
To Virginia. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Virginia authenticate my FBI background check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and no state can certify a federal signature. It goes straight to the U.S. Department of State.
What does Virginia charge?
$10.00 per document, and $5.00 for each additional document signed by the same public official on the same date for the same country This was checked against the official page for that state on 8 September 2026. Fees change without notice, so confirm before filing.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
