Handing over a notarized document for international use might feel official—but without an apostille, it’s often just a dead end. If you’ve ever had paperwork rejected abroad, you’ve likely bumped into the apostille vs. notarization confusion. These two aren’t interchangeable, even though both make documents “official” in different ways. Find out more!

Here’s the simple breakdown. Notarization is domestic. It confirms that you signed a document willingly and that your identity was verified—usually by a licensed notary public. This process gives legal weight to documents like affidavits, leases, and contracts—within your state or the U.S. It’s useful for plenty of situations, just not international ones.

Apostille, on the other hand, is your international backstage pass. It’s issued by your state’s Secretary of State or a similar government body and verifies that the signature, stamp, or seal on your public document is legit. It only applies to documents being sent to countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, but for those places, it’s essential.

Think of notarization as the first checkpoint. It might be required before you can even get the apostille, especially for documents like powers of attorney or sworn statements. But other documents—like birth certificates or marriage licenses issued by the state—can go straight to apostille without notarization at all.

Trying to send notarized-only documents overseas is like bringing your library card to a passport check. You’re close, but not quite there. Apostilles give your documents the international authority they need to be accepted without question.

So remember: notarization is for local approval. Apostilles are for global recognition. Knowing the difference is what saves you from delays, rejections, and starting over from scratch.