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Apostille Services for Dual Citizenship
Applying for citizenship by descent or seeking naturalization abroad?
Nationwide apostille assistance for FBI background checks, naturalization certificates, vital records, and citizenship-by-descent documents.
Depending on the country and application pathway, dual-citizenship applicants may be required to submit an apostilled FBI background check, naturalization-related records, vital records, or other supporting documents. We personally deliver your documents to the Department of State, with a turnaround of 7 to 10 business days. Start your order today!
$175
First Document
7-10
Business Days
Nationwide
Service Area
5 Star Rated
Estimated turnaround: Upload your FBI background check before 6:30 AM EST today, it is estimated to be ready for pickup in 10 business days. When it is completed and in our hands. You get a scan of the apostille page the moment it is done, and we include 2-day shipping to you, unless you select upgraded shipping. Mailing your document instead? Your timeline starts when it reaches us.
WHY IS AN APOSTILLE IMPORTANT
Why Do Dual Citizenship Documents Need an Apostille?
WHY DO YOU NEED AN APOSTILLE
When applying for dual citizenship or citizenship by descent, a foreign consulate, embassy, civil registry, or citizenship authority may require proof that your United States documents are authentic.
An apostille is issued by an authorized government office and allows an eligible United States public document to be recognized in another country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention.
Dual citizenship applicants are often asked to provide apostilled birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce records, adoption records, name-change orders, naturalization-related records, or other documents showing their family connection to the foreign country.
BE AWARE, BE PREPARED
Every country and citizenship application has different requirements.
Applicants should confirm the exact documents, record format, translation requirements, and expiration rules with the applicable consulate, embassy, citizenship authority, attorney, or application agency before ordering.
Nationwide apostille assistance for birth certificates, marriage records, death certificates, and other documents required for citizenship by descent.
THE DIFFERENCE
Manage it Yourself or
Let Us Handle The Details
You can absolutely do that. The US Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington D.C. accepts mail-in requests. Here is what that experience looks like compared to using our service.
Mail It Yourself | Legendary Notary & Apostille Services | |
|---|---|---|
Turnaround | 5-12+ weeks | 7-10 business days |
Paperwork | You will fill out every form | We handle everything |
Cost | $20 Apostille Fee + your shipping | $175 all in (shipping included) |
Tracking | None | Status updates throughout |
Risk of Rejection | High (Incorrect forms, missing items) | We catch issues before submission |
Return Shipping | Extra Cost, you arrange | 2-day shipping included |
Documents Commonly Apostilled for Dual Citizenship
May be required to show criminal history status as part of certain citizenship, residency, or registration applications.
May support identity, residence, family history, or other background information requested by a foreign authority.
May be required to verify an applicant’s professional qualifications, credentials, or authorization to work in a regulated field as part of a citizenship, residency, or overseas employment application.
Often required to prove identity, parentage, birthplace, and eligibility through a parent or grandparent.
Used to document marital relationships, surname changes, and connections between generations in a citizenship application.
May be required to verify the death of an ancestor and complete the documented family line.
May be used to verify an applicant’s employment history, occupation, income, or professional connection when requested as part of a citizenship or residency application.
Allow a trusted person to act on your behalf for document requests, legal filings, or citizenship-related matters.
Used to clarify missing information, name variations, family relationships, or facts not fully shown in official records.
Help establish prior marriages, legal name changes, custody history, or changes in family relationships.
Document requirements depend on the destination country, issuing authority, family relationship, application type, and age of the record. We can review your documents and explain the general apostille processing path.
CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT
Applying for Citizenship Through Your Family?
Citizenship by descent applications often require applicants to prove a direct family relationship through several generations. This may involve collecting birth, marriage, divorce, death, adoption, and name-change records for parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.
Because these records may have been issued in different states, each document may need to be submitted to the government authority responsible for authenticating records from that state.
Documents From
Multiple States
We assist customers who have family records issued in different states and need help organizing the apostille process.
Older Family Records
Historic records may have different certification requirements. We can review the document before you mail an irreplaceable original or certified copy.
Multiple Family Members
We assist individuals and families who need several documents processed as part of one citizenship application.
TWO DOCUMENTS, ONE SERVICE
FBI Background Checks and Naturalization Certificates
Many dual citizenship applicants are aware that an apostilled FBI background check is required. However, they often discover late in the process that their U.S. Naturalization Certificate also needs to be apostilled. Both documents are federal and can be apostilled at the U.S. Department of State using the same process.
We take care of both for you. Simply submit your FBI background check and naturalization certificate together, the first federal document is $175, and each additional document submitted in the same order is $95 and we will deliver them both to the Department of State in one trip. The turnaround time is the same: 7 to 10 business days.
For those applying for Italian citizenship, the 2025 Tajani Decree has introduced new and shorter timelines for many jure sanguinis cases. In time-sensitive situations, waiting 5 to 12 weeks for an apostille is not feasible. Our expedited service is designed specifically for these cases.
CITIZENSHIP PATHWAYS
Apostille Assistance for Citizenship
Applications Worldwide
Spain
People born to a Spanish mother or father are generally Spanish citizens by origin, while other applicants may qualify through an option or residence-based process. Eligibility, deadlines, and rules for retaining another nationality depend on the applicant’s circumstances.
France
A child is generally French from birth when at least one parent is French, even when the child is born outside France. Other pathways may include marriage, certain family relationships, or naturalization after qualifying residence.
Germany
German citizenship may be available through a German parent, qualifying naturalization, or restitution for certain descendants of people deprived of citizenship under Nazi persecution. Germany now generally permits people to retain their existing nationality when becoming German citizens.
Portugal
Portuguese citizenship may be available through a Portuguese parent or grandparent, as well as through marriage or qualifying legal residence. Foreign birth and family records commonly require apostilles and certified translations.
Ireland
People with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland may commonly apply through the Foreign Births Register. Once registered, the applicant becomes an Irish citizen and may apply for an Irish passport.
Argentina
People born outside Argentina may apply for Argentine citizenship when at least one parent is a native Argentine citizen. Argentina generally allows applicants to retain their existing nationality, but this citizenship-by-descent pathway does not usually extend directly through grandparents.
Italy
Italian citizenship may be available through an Italian parent or, in certain cases, a grandparent. Major changes introduced in 2025 now limit eligibility for many applicants born abroad, so each family line must be reviewed carefully.
Mexico
People born outside Mexico may qualify for Mexican citizenship when at least one parent is a Mexican national. Applicants commonly register their foreign birth with a Mexican consulate using birth records and proof of the parent’s Mexican nationality.
Other Hague Countries
More than 120 countries recognize apostilles as per the Hague Convention. Notable destinations include Japan, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica. If your destination country is a member of the Hague Convention, it's likely that you'll need an Apostille.
South Korea
South Korean citizenship may be acquired through a Korean parent, restoration, or qualifying naturalization. Dual nationality is permitted only in limited circumstances, and nationality-selection requirements may apply.
Brazil
Children born abroad to a Brazilian parent may obtain Brazilian citizenship through consular birth registration. Other applicants may qualify through naturalization after meeting Brazil’s residence and eligibility requirements.
Country requirements can change and may vary by consulate or application location. Our role is to assist with the United States apostille and authentication process. Applicants remain responsible for confirming the foreign country’s citizenship requirements.
A SIMPLER FEDERAL PROCESS
Get Your Apostille in 4 Easy Steps
You should not have to decode government instructions or wonder whether your document is going to the right office. We review the details, prepare the submission, and keep you informed.
01
Submit Your Document Information
Upload clear copies of your documents or complete the document-review form. Include the state where each record was issued and the country where it will be used.
02
Receive Processing Instructions
We review the document type and issuing authority and explain whether an original, certified copy, notarization, county certification, or other preparation is required..
03
We Coordinate the Apostille Submission
After receiving the appropriate documents, we prepare and submit them to the correct state or federal government authority for apostille processing.
04
Receive Your Completed Document
Your completed documents are returned using the selected shipping method. Tracking information is provided when available.
WHY CHOOSE US
One Flat Rate
All Included Pricing
There is only one way to get an expedited apostille from the Department of State, and this is to walk it in personally. We do exactly that.
Frequently asked questions
How Long Does It Take to Get an Apostille?
Standard mail-in processing through the U.S. Department of State takes 5–6 weeks from the date your package arrives at their Sterling, VA facility. Legendary Notary & Apostille Services hand-delivers documents in person every business day and returns your apostilled FBI background check in approximately 7-10 business days. Emergency expedited processing is also available.
What Documents Do I Need for an FBI Background Check Apostille?
You need your electronic FBI Identity History Summary (background check) in its original PDF format. Do not notarize or alter it. No additional stamps or certifications are required before submission. Legendary Notary & Apostille Services handles all federal forms (DS-4194), in-person submission to the U.S. Department of State, and return delivery.