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Apostille and Regular Certifications

Apostille: If your document is used in countries that are members of the Hague Convention, you need an Apostille.

Apostille and Legalizations: At Tramites Consulares we offer immediate Apostille and Legalization services for documents inside and outside the United States for international use.

We efficiently assist you in the process of obtaining apostilles in any state of the American Union, to be effective abroad, within the member countries of the Hague Convention.

Our goal is to assist you in the legalization process of any document that needs to be recognized internationally. How? By identifying the requirements of the country in which your documents need to be recognized.

In the case of countries that are not part of the Hague Convention, these legalization processes at the consulates can be long and complicated. Based on our experience we can complete all requirements shortly and efficiently.

Just contact us and we will be pleased to assist you in your corresponding processes.

Documents that often require to be legalized with "Apostille" or through the "Regular Certificates" required by the Consulates, for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention:

  • Birth Certificates
  • Marriage Certificates
  • Death Certificates
  • Divorce Decrees
  • University Degrees
  • Academic Records
  • Letters of Unmarriage
  • Travel Permits
  • General or Special Powers of Attorney
  • Contracts
  • Bids to be submitted in bidding processes
  • Letters of Commercial Representation
  • Affidavits

Tramites Consulares will provide you with your "Apostille" or "Regular Certificate of the Secretary of State" within 24 hours, only and exclusively for public documents originated by authorities of the State of Texas. For Apostilles originating in other states of the union the delivery time may vary. Contact us and we will gladly assist you.

Hague Convention: The purpose of this convention is to abolish the requirement of Diplomatic or Consular Legalization of foreign public documents.

This international treaty abolished the requirement for public documents originating in one of the countries belonging to the Convention to be used in another member country of the Convention.

Documents issued by a Convention country, which have been certified by an Apostille of the Convention, have the right of recognition in any other Convention country without any further authentication.

Such recognition is an obligation on the part of all Convention countries, and Federal Courts and State Authorities have been instructed of this obligation. Consular officials and Convention countries are prohibited from placing a certification on the Apostille of the Convention.

Apostilles: The “Apostille” is a certification issued by designated authorities in the member countries of the "Hague Convention"

What does it consist of? The Apostille consists of certifying that the signature and seal of a public document has been affixed by a competent authority. This procedure, like authentication (legalization), only certifies that the signature or seal shown on the document was issued by a public official in the exercise of his or her functions, but does not certify the validity of the content of the document.

Content of the "Apostille" Certificate: Article 7 of the Hague Convention provides for the use of the standardized authentication certificate called "Apostille". Physically it consists of a certificate that is added to the documents that the competent authority stamps on a public document and consists of the following:

  • Name of the country from which the document originates.
  • Name of the person signing the document.
  • The capacity in which the person signing the document is acting.
  • In case of unsigned documents, the name of the authority which has affixed the seal or stamp.
  • Place of certification.
  • Date of certification.
  • The authority issuing the certificate.
  • A number of the certificates.
  • Seal or stamp of the authority issuing the certificate.
  • Signature of the authority issuing the certificate.

What are Public Documents? For the purposes of this Convention, public documents include:

Documents issued by an authority or by an official connected with the courts or tribunals of the State, including those issued by a public prosecutor, clerk of court or administrative employee.

Administrative Documents: Official Certificates are placed on documents signed by persons in their private capacity, such as official certificates stating the record of a document or the fact that it existed on a certain date, and Official and Notarial authentications of signatures.

Procedure: Because the authorities designated by the United States to affix the Apostille can only attest to the validity of certain stamps, it may be necessary for you to obtain other intermediate stamps on your document, depending on the origin of the document, before the Apostille can be affixed.

There is no unique competent authority in the United States that issues the Convention Apostille. There are different authorities for documents originating in state and local jurisdictions, Federal courts, and Federal government agencies.

Contact the local competent authority who will affix the certification (Apostille) to your document. If it is necessary for you to obtain some other intermediate seal on your document, before obtaining the Apostille of the Convention, consult with the State or Federal authority registered. We at Tramites Consulares can guide you through this process and/or arrange such certification for you.

Exceptions: However, the Convention does not apply to documents issued by:

Diplomatic or Consular Officers or Administrative Documents that refer directly to customs or mercantile transactions.

For example Certificates of analysis, free sale (issued by the Department of Health), quality, human consumption, original-for-export, purity, radioactive, and animal health (issued by the United States Department of Agriculture).

Members of the Hague Convention

There are currently 92 members of the Hague Convention.

Venezuela and the Hague Convention: Venezuela ratified its participation as a member country of the Hague Convention as stated in Official Gazette No. 36.446 dated May 5, 1998.

Notarial Services and Licensing

In Trámites Consulares, we offer the different services that notaries in the States of Texas and Florida can offer in accordance with local laws and regulations: Acknowledgments, depositions, affidavits, certified copies, etc.

We offer the service of transferring our notaries to your company headquarters, home, and/or medical center. We understand the urgency of the steps normally involved in the legalization processes required by our clients, and in this sense we try to facilitate and expedite the process by enabling and transferring our notaries to the required location. For further information, please contact us and we will be pleased to attend to your request.

Drafting of Documents

At Trámites Consulares we have professionals with vast experience in drafting and reviewing documents in accordance with the laws in force in the United States and Latin American countries, among which we can highlight Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Argentina, Chile, etc. Our lawyers are able and available to draft and review any kind of document that you and/or your company may need, among which we can highlight the most frequent ones:

  • General Power of Attorney
  • Special Power of Attorney
  • Affidavits.
  • Incorporation of Companies and Corporate Acts.
  • Wills.

General Power of Attorney: By means of this type of mandate, the designated "attorney-in-fact" will have the power to act in your name and representation in absolutely all the legal acts that you need to execute.

Special Power of Attorney: By means of this type of mandate, the designated "attorney-in-fact" will have the power to act in your name and representation in absolutely all the legal acts that you need to execute.

Affidavits: A solemn or responsible affidavit is a document in which the declarant swears, promises, or affirms under his/her responsibility that the data or facts stated in the text are true. This type of legal tool is used to attest before a Notary Public of situations corresponding to the civil status of an individual (Letter of Single Status; Place of Residence - Proof of Domicile; Unemployment Situation - Proof of No Income, etc.)

Once the "Affidavit" is duly signed by the signatory(s), it is notarized and apostilled or certified, as applicable, to be valid before the corresponding foreign authorities.

For further information please contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.

Company Incorporation and Corporate Records: We guarantee a high level of professional and efficient service.

Wills: Unlike most Latin American countries, in the United States it is indispensable to have a will and other documents of vital importance when making decisions in unexpected situations in our lives. We guarantee a professional and confidential service.

Process:

  • The drafting of the document is carried out in accordance with the laws in force in the country where the document is to have legal effect. To proceed with the drafting of the document, the interested party must send us via e-mail the personal data of the signatory and the attorney-in-fact, or contact us by telephone to make an appointment.
  • In case the interested party has the document already drafted, he/she can bring the power of attorney already drafted by his/her lawyer to our office to proceed with the corresponding authentication and legalization.
  • If the interested party has the digitized document, they can send it to our email address: ludmila@tramitesconsulares.com to proceed with the review and printing of the document, thus speeding up the process by the time the grantor(s) come to sign at the office.
  • Once the power of attorney is signed before our notary, we take care of apostilling or certifying, as the case may be, the document. In the case of member countries of the Hague Convention. They do not require consular legalization according to the Convention.

Certificate of Life or Survival Certificates

Please send digital scanned copies of the following documents:

  • Copy of your ID and passport.
  • Copy of your Texas ID.
  • Name of the institution to whom the Certificate of Life should be addressed.
  • Please indicate if the annual Living Certificate will be submitted for Pension Disbursements or Retirement Proceedings.
  • If you do not have a Texas ID, then indicate at what address you are residing in the United States.
  • If the person is in transit in the U.S., indicate in which city and state of Venezuela you are domiciled.
  • The processing time for the Living Certificate is 3 to 5 business days and has a special cost of $85 with Apostille and $55 without Apostille.
  • Shipping and courier costs are not included.
  • Send the information to the following email: Ludmila@tramitesconsulares.com

Single Status Letter (Letter of spinsterhood)

It is a document by means of which two witnesses declare before a Notary Public that they know sufficiently the future contracting party(ies) and that they are unmarried and free of impediments to contract marriage. Those interested in obtaining this certificate should contact us to make an appointment and appear with the witnesses in our offices for the corresponding authentication with the following information:

  • The names and last names of the two (2) witnesses who will sign the record. These persons must have known the contracting party(ies) for over six (6) months.
  • The signer(s) must present the original of the Driver's License of the State where he/she resides and the original of the identity card or passport at the moment of signing the document.
  • The identification data of the future contracting party(ies), place and date of birth, and full name(s) of the parents.

Procedure: Once the "Carta de Soltería" is duly signed by the signatory(s); it is notarized and apostilled to be valid before the corresponding Venezuelan authorities, in accordance with the "APPROBATORY LAW OF THE CONVENTION TO SUPPRESS THE LEGALIZATION REQUIREMENT FOR FOREIGN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, DONE AT THE HAGUE CONVENTION, ON OCTOBER 5, 1961", published in the "GACETA OFICIAL DE LA REPUBLICA DE VENEZUELA" № 36. 446 dated May 5, 1988".
We offer a complete service in obtaining your "Single Status Letter": drafting, notarization, and apostille. For more information please contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.

Observation: It is important that the person planning to get married in Venezuela, also process a “Proof of Residency” and travel prepared with his/her birth certificate, translated into the Spanish language, if applicable.
Trámites Consulares can provide the necessary information for anyone interested in getting married in another country. For more information and assistance in this process, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Underage Travel Permits

Requirements of New Travel Permits for Minors. Please send digital scanned copy of the following documents:

  • ID and Passport of the father and mother of the minor.
  • Identification Card and Passport of the minor.
  • Birth Certificate of the minor.
  • Identity Card and Passport of the third party or guardian traveling with the minor in case it is not one of the legal parents.
  • Visa stamped in the passport of the destination country.
  • Airline ticket and ground itinerary, if any.
  • Complete address of the parents and the minor both in Venezuela (or country of origin and/or permanent residence) and abroad.
  • Telephone number and e-mail of both parents.
  • Telephone number and e-mail of the third party traveling with the minor.
  • Address of the minor destination in the destination country being visited.
  • Updated color passport-type photo with white background of the minor.
  • Current passport type photo, with white and color background of the third party traveling with the minor.

The Travel Permit has a fee of $100 and will be processed in 8 working days. The permit can also be processed in 3 working days at a fee of $150.

Legalization of Academic Documents

If you graduated from a U.S. college or university and need to legalize your professional degree and academic transcripts, either to present them in your country of origin to apply for a work visa, or to apply for specialization studies outside the U.S., do not hesitate to contact us. We have the knowledge and experience to assist you in the legalization process of your academic documents. Our services cover all countries, whether or not they are members of the Hague Convention. Once you send us the original document or certified copy of your University Diploma Certificate and Academic Transcripts, we process your Apostille or Regular Certification and translate its content into the language of the destination country. If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, we assist you step by step in the process before the corresponding Consulate. For more information please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be pleased to assist you. The costs and time of these services vary according to different circumstances, so we cannot indicate a flat price.

Civil Document Legalization

Birth Certificates: We can assist you in the legalization process of the documents required to perform the submission or registration of your children's birth in your country of origin. Our asistance covers all countries, whether they are members of the Hague Convention or not. Once we receive the original Birth Certificate, we process its Apostille or Regular Certification and translate its content into the language of the destination country. If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, we assist you step by step in the process before the Consulate of your Nationality. For more information do not hesitate to contact us, we will be pleased to assist you. The fees and time of the process vary according to the different circumstances, so we cannot indicate a flat price.

Death Certificates: In difficult times of handling legal processes, we are available and ready to advise you and assist you in the complete process of legalization of the necessary documents to carry out the repatriation of your relative's body or transporting his or her remains or ashes. We can assist you in the legalization process as well as in the registration of the death of your family member in his or her country of origin. Our service covers all countries, whether they are members of the Hague Convention or not. Once we receive the original document of the Death Certificate, we process its Apostille or Regular Certification and translate its content into the language of the destination country. If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, we will assist you step-by-step to carry out the process before the Consulate of your Nationality. For more information do not hesitate to contact us, we will be pleased to assist you. The fees and time of the process vary according to the different circumstances, so we cannot indicate a flat price.

Marriage Certificates: Regarding the legalization processes of Marriage Certificates, we can assist you in the legalization process as well as the submission or registration of the marriage in your country of origin. Our service covers all countries, whether or not they are members of the Hague Convention. Once we receive the original document of the Marriage Certificate, we process its Apostille or Regular Certification and translate its content into the language of the destination country. If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, we assist you step-by-step in the process before the Consulate of your nationality. For more information please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be pleased to assist you. The fees and time of the process vary according to the different circumstances, so we cannot indicate a flat price.

Divorce Judgments: Regarding the legalization processes of Divorce Decrees or Judgments, we are qualified to assist you in your legalization process, which constitutes a step prior to obtaining the revalidation, judicial recognition, or exequatur (Exequatur) of the judgment or court order. Our service covers all countries, whether they are members of the Hague Convention. Once we receive the original document or certified copy of the Divorce Judgment, we process its Apostille or Regular Certification and translate its content into the language of the destination country. If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, we assist you step-by-step before the Consulate of your nationality. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be pleased to assist you. The fees and time of the process vary according to the different circumstances, so we cannot indicate a flat price.

Divorce Legalization

Trámites Consulares offers an integral service in all the services inherent to the process of legalization of Divorces of Venezuelan citizens or foreigners sentenced abroad. We take care of the Apostille of your Divorce Judgment before the corresponding Secretary of State, as well as the translation with Certified Public Interpreters. For the Civil Registration of Divorce Judgments of Natural Persons from other Latin American countries, please contact us in order to complete the information of the necessary tasks.

Requirements:

Certified copy of the Final Decree of Divorce signed and sealed by the court.

This document has absolute validity in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela when acquired Apostilled and translated by an Official Public Interpreter. It is not necessary for its legalization before the Venezuelan Consulate.

We will be pleased in the process of legalization of the document by means of the apostille and its corresponding certified translation. For further information please contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.

Company Registration Service

Incorporation of Companies and Corporate Acts:

We guarantee a high level of professional and efficient service.

Comprehensive Assistance for Immigrants

At Trámites Consulares, we strive to offer a comprehensive service to the immigrant, our advice has been evaluated as one of the most effective in our community due to several reasons. First, we have a highly trained and committed team to provide personalized and efficient attention to each and every immigrant who require guidance upon arrival to U.S. territory, and to establish strategies that facilitate the different processes they must carry out as foreigners and future residents. In addition, we offer fast and secure procedures, which facilitate the client's experience, confidence and success. Finally, we offer a wide range of services, from document drafting to business advice, which makes us the complete and reliable solution for immigrants.

We are a team of immigrants just like you and we always wonder how different it would have been to have an integral orientation tailored to our needs. That is why our goal is to offer and share the experiences, up-to-date knowledge, and effective solutions.

Business development consulting

The Business Development Consulting is a service aimed at entrepreneurs and businesspeople seeking to improve their business strategies and achieve success in the market. Our service encompasses a wide scope of ideas, activities, and initiatives that a business owner implements with the goal of making the business a successful venture. The establishment of this business goals can include many objectives, such as sales growth, business expansion, the formation of strategic partnerships, and increased profitability.

Through a team of experts in different areas, assistance is provided for the identification of opportunities and the preparation of business plans, identification of new market opportunities, possibilities for expansion, competitor developments, and the current sources of the business' revenue among other key aspects. With this service, users will be able to optimize their resources, minimize risks and maximize their potential for growth and profitability.