Articles of Incorporation Apostille in Delaware
People in Delaware who need a Articles of Incorporation apostilled must submit it to the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover. The Delaware Secretary of State charges $30 per document. Select your city below for localized instructions.
Delaware Apostille Requirements
- Authority: Delaware Secretary of State
- Office Location: Dover
- State Fee: $30
- Important Rule: Expedited service available for an additional fee.
Select your city to view local apostille processing options and courier times.
What Is a Articles of Incorporation Apostille?
An important point is that the apostille does not translate your document. Most foreign authorities require a notarized translation in addition to the apostille. Most EU countries and many Middle Eastern authorities routinely ask for the apostille plus a sworn translation. Ask us about comprehensive apostille-plus-translation packages.
The Hague Apostille Convention replaced the cumbersome embassy-by-embassy authentication process that existed before 1961. Before apostilles, getting a US document recognized abroad required multiple rounds of authentication at different government levels followed by embassy stamps. The apostille replaced this with a single certificate from the appropriate government office. In Delaware, that authority is the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover.
Articles of Incorporations are regularly among the highest-volume apostille requests. The reason Articles of Incorporations are routinely required for immigration, employment, international education, and cross-border legal matters. For residents of Delaware, the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover is the correct office for Articles of Incorporation apostilles.
Delaware: State vs Federal Authority
The most commonly misunderstood thing to know about getting a Articles of Incorporation apostilled is knowing which government authority processes your specific document type. In the United States, there are two completely separate authentication tracks: state-level and federal. State-issued documents — like birth certificates, marriage certificates, and Articles of Incorporations go to the state apostille office. Documents from US federal agencies, such as FBI Background Checks, must go to the federal authentication office in DC.
For documents issued by Delaware government agencies, the apostille must come from the Delaware Secretary of State's office. Before submission, the document must carry an original official seal or notarization. The Delaware Secretary of State reviews the document's seals and signatures and attaches the apostille within 1 to 4 weeks depending on current volume.
The most common apostille mistake is sending your Articles of Incorporation to the wrong office. For example, if you mail a Articles of Incorporation issued in Delaware to the US Department of State in DC, it will be rejected and returned. In reverse, mailing a federal document to a state Secretary of State office will also come back unprocessed. In both cases, the wasted transit time adds 2 to 4 weeks to your timeline.
Why Local Offices Cannot Help
If you are working under a tight deadline, mail-in self-processing is rarely the right option. A courier-assisted submission cuts the timeline from 3 to 6 weeks down to 2 to 5 business days. Our courier service serves all cities in Delaware with full FedEx tracking and insurance on every submission.
First-time applicants in Delaware often expect they can obtain Hague legalization through any notary in DE. This assumption is wrong. A local notary is authorized only to witness signatures and administer oaths. They have no authority to issue an apostille certificate — only the Delaware Secretary of State can do this.
Another reason local options fail is that foreign authorities check whether the apostille was issued by the proper office. If your Articles of Incorporation is apostilled by the wrong authority, the foreign embassy or government office will reject it. This may result in an outright rejection from the foreign authority even if everything else in your application is correct.
The Delaware Apostille Authority
The Delaware Secretary of State in Dover is typically open Monday through Friday. Processing times without expedited service typically run 1 to 3 weeks depending on submission backlog. For Delaware residents who need faster turnaround, a physical courier can reduce processing time to 2 to 5 business days.
Before your document can be submitted to the Delaware Secretary of State: some documents require prior notarization. Educational records and private documents often must be notarized before the Delaware Secretary of State will apostille them. We identifies whether any notarization is needed before submitting to the Delaware Secretary of State so you are not surprised by a rejection.
For Articles of Incorporations issued in Delaware, the correct office is the Delaware Secretary of State. The Delaware Secretary of State is the sole office in DE to grant Hague Apostille certificates on records from Delaware government agencies. The Delaware Secretary of State holds the official seals of Delaware government officials and is consequently the only entity capable of certifying their authenticity.
How to Get Your Articles of Incorporation Apostilled in Delaware
Something many applicants miss is ensuring the document is not expired. FBI Background Checks, for example, have a shelf life of six months or less at the time of consulate or visa submission. If your Articles of Incorporation is outdated, a new document must be requested before submission to the Delaware Secretary of State. We check document dates as a standard step to avoid submitting documents that will be refused.
Some document types must be notarized before they can be apostilled. When your document is not a government-issued record, a notarization is usually required by a licensed notary prior to the Delaware Secretary of State will accept it. We handles this coordination so there are no surprises at the Delaware Secretary of State.
After we receive your Articles of Incorporation, we inspect each document for compliance with the Delaware Secretary of State's submission requirements. This intake review catches common problems like missing seals, uncertified copies, outdated notarizations, or incorrect fees. Catching these before submission prevents the most common cause of apostille delays — rejection from the Delaware Secretary of State that restarts the whole process.
How Long Does a Articles of Incorporation Apostille Take in Delaware?
Turnaround for a Articles of Incorporation apostille vary depending on the submission method and current government backlog. Documents sent by postal mail from Delaware to the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover typically take 3 to 6 weeks round trip — including transit time, government processing, and return. At busy times, particularly during visa application seasons, backlogs can push timelines to 8 to 12 weeks.
For Delaware residents in a rush, the fastest path is a runner that hand-delivers to the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover. The Delaware Secretary of State in Dover can complete apostilles same-day for in-person deliveries. Our courier capitalizes on this to return apostilled documents to Delaware faster than any postal alternative.
The US Department of State operates on a separate schedule for federal documents. Regular postal submissions to the Office of Authentications often takes 8 to 12 weeks due to the national volume of federal authentication requests. A physical courier in Washington D.C. gets the federal authentication done in 2 to 5 business days by physically submitting at the federal office.
What to Include With Your Submission
One detail that matters: if your Articles of Incorporation was issued in a language other than English, some Delaware Secretary of State offices may require a certified English translation before apostilling. Alternatively, the apostille is issued without requiring a translation and the destination country receives a translated copy alongside the apostille. Our team clarifies document-specific requirements when you place your order.
Before sending your document to the Delaware Secretary of State, make sure you include: your original Articles of Incorporation or an official certified copy, any required notarization, a completed submission form if required, correct fee payment for the state apostille, and a prepaid return envelope or shipping label. Missing any of these will result in your documents being returned unprocessed.
Some Delaware residents ask whether they should include a cover letter with their apostille submission. For mail-in submissions, a brief cover letter is recommended with your contact information and document details. The Delaware Secretary of State processes high volumes of requests and a clear cover letter reduces processing errors.
Common Apostille Mistakes to Avoid
Sending a scanned printout instead of the original document is a common rejection reason. The Delaware Secretary of State in Dover requires the original document or a properly certified copy. Submitting a scan or uncertified copy will be rejected without processing. Request a new certified copy before starting the apostille process.
Forgetting to include return shipping is an easily preventable error that delays apostille returns. The Delaware Secretary of State in Dover does not automatically return documents. Without a prepaid return envelope, your completed apostille could wait weeks to reach you. We handle return shipping as part of our flat-rate fee — no separate arrangements needed.
The number one mistake is sending your document to the wrong government authority. Delaware residents sometimes send federal records to their state Secretary of State. In both cases, the documents come back with a rejection notice. This adds 2 to 4 weeks — the time lost in transit to and from the wrong authority — before you are even back to square one.
Get Your Articles of Incorporation Apostilled in Delaware
Our courier network covers the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover, typically returning your apostilled document in 2 to 5 business days. No need to visit any government office.
Order NowFrequently Asked Questions — Articles of Incorporation Apostille in Delaware
Who issues apostilles for Articles of Incorporations in Delaware?
Corporate documents like Articles of Incorporations are apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state where the company was formed or the document was originally filed. In Delaware, that is the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover. If your company was incorporated in a different state, the apostille must come from that state's authority — not Delaware.
How quickly can I get a corporate Articles of Incorporation apostilled from Delaware?
Standard processing at the Delaware Secretary of State can take 1 to 4 weeks depending on volume. For international contracts, M&A due diligence, and foreign regulatory filings with hard deadlines, our courier service can deliver apostilled Articles of Incorporations in 2 to 5 business days from Delaware.
Does my company need a new apostille for each foreign jurisdiction where we use the Articles of Incorporation?
Typically yes. An apostille issued by the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover is recognized in all 124 Hague Convention member countries, so you do not need a separate apostille per country. However, if you need the document in a non-Hague country, embassy legalization is required instead. For multiple simultaneous submissions, we recommend obtaining apostilled copies of each document.
Can I apostille multiple copies of the same Articles of Incorporation at once?
Yes. You can submit multiple certified copies of the same Articles of Incorporation together, and the Delaware Secretary of State in Dover will apostille each copy separately — each receiving its own apostille certificate. Each copy incurs its own state fee of $30. We handle bulk corporate apostille orders and can coordinate submission and return of multiple documents simultaneously.