How to Get an Apostille in Virginia

Educational information, not legal advice. Fees, addresses and processing times reflect the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth and can change. Confirm current details on the official commonwealth.virginia.gov page before you mail anything.

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Virginia apostille cost and time calculator

Enter how many documents you have and whether they share the same official, date and country; the tool applies Virginia's tiered fee and shows the route.

How much does a Virginia apostille cost?

A Virginia apostille costs $10 for the first document and $5 for each additional document, but that discount applies only when the extra documents are signed by the same public official, on the same date, for the same destination country. If your documents were notarized by different notaries or are going to different countries, each one is charged the full $10. The fee is per document, not per page, so a multi-page document counts once. Overpayments of $5 or less may not be refunded, so calculate carefully before you write the check. Checks and money orders are payable to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. As always, the state fee is separate from any private service charge, and you should confirm the current amounts before submitting.

How do you book a Virginia apostille appointment?

You book a Virginia apostille appointment online only, and the timing is strict: appointment slots open on Fridays at 10:00 a.m. for the following week, and they can fill quickly. In-person appointment times run Monday through Thursday at the Richmond office, where documents are authenticated while you wait. The office cannot book the appointment for you, and you are limited to ten documents per appointment or family, with no more than two people accompanying you and a valid government-issued ID required for every adult entering the building. If you cannot get an appointment in time, the mail route is always open, which for many people out of state is the more practical path anyway.

What address do you use for a Virginia apostille?

Virginia uses two different addresses depending on how you ship, and sending to the wrong one is a common misstep. For U.S. Postal Service mail, the Authentication Division is at 1111 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. For FedEx, UPS, or DHL, send instead to 400 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219, because those carriers do not deliver to the Broad Street mailing address the same way. Include your completed cover letter generated on the Secretary of the Commonwealth website, your payment, and a return envelope that lists the same person as both sender and recipient, which is a specific Virginia requirement.

Who issues apostilles in Virginia?

Apostilles in Virginia are issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, through the Authentication Division in Richmond, which is worth noting because Virginia has a Secretary of the Commonwealth rather than the Secretary of State most other states use. The division verifies the signature and seal of a Virginia notary, a clerk of court, or a deputy state registrar, issuing an apostille for Hague Convention countries and a certification for the rest. It authenticates Virginia documents only, so a record from another state goes to that state. A private document such as a power of attorney must be notarized by a Virginia notary first, and all signatures must be original rather than photocopies.

Can Virginia apostille an FBI background check?

No, Virginia cannot apostille an FBI background check, because it is a federal document authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Sending a federal report to Richmond means it comes back unprocessed. The Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth authenticates documents issued in Virginia or notarized by a Virginia notary, such as a Virginia birth certificate from the Department of Health's Division of Vital Records or a power of attorney notarized by a Virginia notary. Federal records and out-of-state documents follow their own separate path.

By the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentications (commonwealth.virginia.gov). Double-check the current figures with the issuing office before you rely on them.