United States

Apostille in Virginia

Verified as of August 9, 2026

Everything below is transcribed from this office's own published sources and printed in its words. A value we could not confirm against an official page carries an unverified marker — but the absence of that marker is not a guarantee that a fact was checked, and the source's own doubts stay inside the notes reproduced here verbatim. Confirm fees, addresses and deadlines with the office before you send documents or money.

Who issues the apostille

Competent authority: Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Authentication Division

Which documents this office will accept

From the source: No county-level pre-certification of notary signatures — the office verifies that "the Virginia Notary, Virginia Clerk of Court or Virginia Deputy State Registrar is listed in our system, and they have notarized or issued your document correctly"; documents must be notarized by a Virginia notary or certified/issued by a Virginia Clerk of Court or Deputy State Registrar (vital records)

Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

The request form

Form: No dedicated form — the office asks for a cover letter.
Where to get it: https://authentications.solutions.virginia.gov/
From the source: Cover letter created via the online generator

Requesting online

Online route: The online tool only prepares the request or cover letter — the documents themselves are still submitted physically.
Where: https://authentications.solutions.virginia.gov/
From the source: No full online submission — online cover-letter generator plus appointment scheduler at https://authschelduler.solutions.virginia.gov/ (documents still submitted physically)

Where to go in person

Richmond

400 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219

Access: Visits are by appointment.
Hours: Not published for this office.
Same-day service: Available.
Document limit: 10 documents
From the source: Appointment required, Monday–Thursday ("If you do not have an appointment, you will not be seen"); appointments bookable online ONLY on Fridays at 10:00 a.m. for the following week; max 10 documents per appointment; same-day processing at appointment. Same address also serves as drop-off (drop box; 5–7 business day return)

What it costs

Fee	Applies to	Details
$10.00 USD per document	All documents	"$10.00 per document (not per page)"
$5.00 USD per document	additional documents signed by the same official on the same date for the same country	"$10.00 for the first document and $5.00 for each additional document"

How to pay

By mail

Check or money order.

Make it payable to

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Check or money order payable to "Secretary of the Commonwealth"; cards/cash not mentioned on official page

Where to send your documents

By U.S. Mail: Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentication Division, 1111 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219
By courier: Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentication Division, 400 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219
From the source: Courier address is for FedEx/UPS/DHL

How long it takes

By mail: Mail: 7–10 business days from when documents are sent
In person: In person (by appointment): most authentications processed same day as the appointment
From the source: Drop box: processed and returned in provided return mailer within 5–7 business days

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille: No public verification register is published for this office. That is not the same as an apostille being unverifiable — ask the office how it confirms one.
Check a request's status: No status-tracking page is published for this office.

Remote online notarization

Status

Remote online notarization is permitted here.

Legal basis

Virginia Notary Act, Va. Code Title 47.1; first US state to authorize remote (video) notarization, amendments effective July 1, 2012; electronic notarization framework per VENAS (Virginia Electronic Notarization Assurance Standard)

In force since

July 1, 2012

What the notary must register

Yes — commissioned notaries must register electronic/remote notarization capability with the Secretary of the Commonwealth (VENAS 1.1(a)), including the means for completing online notarizations; $45 total ($35 commission issuance + $10 technology fee, Va. Code § 2.2-409, per NNA). New education course requirement effective July 1, 2027: 4-hour course for initial commission, 2-hour for reappointment (Va. Code § 47.1-5.2)

How the signer is identified

Va. Code § 47.1-2 options: personal knowledge; credible witness under oath; KBA (questions with at least five possible answer choices, 80% passing); credential analysis of unexpired government-issued photo ID; antecedent in-person identity proofing (prior verification by employer, law firm, or bank); valid digital certificate accessed by biometric data per NIST standards

Fee caps

Remote act: $25.00 USD

Standard notarial act: $10.00 USD