# Apostille in Virginia - **Source:** https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/virginia/ - **Title:** Apostille in Virginia — United States | Andrii Co. - **Language:** en · also published as Markdown at /{lang}/handbook/apostille/us/virginia/index.md for: en > Apostille guide for Virginia, United States: the competent authority is Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Authentication Division. Verified 2026-08-09. 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 is marked "(unverified)" — 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. - **Jurisdiction:** Virginia, United States - **Verified as of:** August 9, 2026 ## Who issues the apostille 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 No dedicated form — the office asks for a cover letter. Download: https://authentications.solutions.virginia.gov/ Cover letter created via the online generator ## Requesting online The online tool only prepares the request or cover letter — the documents themselves are still submitted physically. Portal: https://authentications.solutions.virginia.gov/ 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 Visits are by appointment. Hours: not published for this office. Same-day service is offered. Limit: 10 documents. 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 - **$10.00 USD** per document — "$10.00 per document (not per page)" - **$5.00 USD** per document — Applies to: 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. - 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 - Drop box: processed and returned in provided return mailer within 5–7 business days ## Checking status and verifying an 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. ## Remote online notarization - 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:** 2012-07-01 - **Registration:** 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 - **Remote act cap:** $25.00 USD - **Standard notarial act cap:** $10.00 USD - **From the source:** Max RON fee: $25 — "A notary may...charge a fee not to exceed $25" for electronic documents/remote notarizations (Va. Code § 47.1-19). Max standard fee: $10 per act — "A notary may...charge a fee up to $10" (Va. Code § 47.1-19); travel: actual and reasonable expenses if agreed with client in advance. Electronic notary registration covers both in-person electronic and remote online acts ## Other things the source says E-register: none found on official site > **RCW 42.45.230(5):** I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in this state. I am not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters, including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities. ## Other United States jurisdictions (Markdown) - [Apostille in Federal](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/federal/index.md) - [Apostille in Federal courts](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/federal-courts/index.md) - [Apostille in Consular records (CRBA)](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/consular-records/index.md) - [Apostille in Alabama](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/alabama/index.md) - [Apostille in Alaska](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/alaska/index.md) - [Apostille in American Samoa](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/american-samoa/index.md) - [Apostille in Arizona](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/arizona/index.md) - [Apostille in Arkansas](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/arkansas/index.md) - [Apostille in California](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/california/index.md) - [Apostille in Colorado](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/colorado/index.md) - [Apostille in Connecticut](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/connecticut/index.md) - [Apostille in Delaware](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/delaware/index.md) - [Apostille in District of Columbia](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/district-of-columbia/index.md) - [Apostille in Florida](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/florida/index.md) - [Apostille in Georgia](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/georgia/index.md) - [Apostille in Guam](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/guam/index.md) - [Apostille in Hawaii](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/hawaii/index.md) - [Apostille in Idaho](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/idaho/index.md) - [Apostille in Illinois](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/illinois/index.md) - [Apostille in Indiana](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/indiana/index.md) - [Apostille in Iowa](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/iowa/index.md) - [Apostille in Kansas](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/kansas/index.md) - [Apostille in Kentucky](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/kentucky/index.md) - [Apostille in Louisiana](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/louisiana/index.md) - [Apostille in Maine](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/maine/index.md) - [Apostille in Maryland](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/maryland/index.md) - [Apostille in Massachusetts](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/massachusetts/index.md) - [Apostille in Michigan](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/michigan/index.md) - [Apostille in Minnesota](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/minnesota/index.md) - [Apostille in Mississippi](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/mississippi/index.md) - [Apostille in Missouri](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/missouri/index.md) - [Apostille in Montana](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/montana/index.md) - [Apostille in Nebraska](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/nebraska/index.md) - [Apostille in Nevada](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/nevada/index.md) - [Apostille in New Hampshire](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-hampshire/index.md) - [Apostille in New Jersey](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-jersey/index.md) - [Apostille in New Mexico](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-mexico/index.md) - [Apostille in New York](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/new-york/index.md) - [Apostille in North Carolina](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/north-carolina/index.md) - [Apostille in North Dakota](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/north-dakota/index.md) - [Apostille in Northern Mariana Islands](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/northern-mariana-islands/index.md) - [Apostille in Ohio](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/ohio/index.md) - [Apostille in Oklahoma](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/oklahoma/index.md) - [Apostille in Oregon](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/oregon/index.md) - [Apostille in Pennsylvania](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/pennsylvania/index.md) - [Apostille in Puerto Rico](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/puerto-rico/index.md) - [Apostille in Rhode Island](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/rhode-island/index.md) - [Apostille in South Carolina](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/south-carolina/index.md) - [Apostille in South Dakota](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/south-dakota/index.md) - [Apostille in Tennessee](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/tennessee/index.md) - [Apostille in Texas](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/texas/index.md) - [Apostille in U.S. Virgin Islands](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/us-virgin-islands/index.md) - [Apostille in Utah](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/utah/index.md) - [Apostille in Vermont](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/vermont/index.md) - [Apostille in Washington](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/washington/index.md) - [Apostille in West Virginia](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/west-virginia/index.md) - [Apostille in Wisconsin](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/wisconsin/index.md) - [Apostille in Wyoming](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/wyoming/index.md) ## All jurisdictions (Markdown) - [Apostille requirements, jurisdiction by jurisdiction](https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/index.md) ## Other pages on this site (Markdown) - [All international document services. One stop location in Washington state.](https://andrii.co/en/index.md) - [Mobile notary and expedited apostille for Greater Seattle](https://andrii.co/en/notary/index.md) - [Book a notary or apostille appointment](https://andrii.co/en/notary/booking/index.md) - [Form I-9 verification, done in person and on time](https://andrii.co/en/notary/i9/index.md) - [Washington State apostille](https://andrii.co/en/apostille/index.md) - [Service of process, served right and proven on paper.](https://andrii.co/en/service-of-process/index.md) - [We chase the record so you don't have to.](https://andrii.co/en/vital-records/index.md) - [A real address that answers your mail and tells you about it.](https://andrii.co/en/registered-agent/index.md) - [A local face in Washington](https://andrii.co/en/commercial-representation/index.md) - [Privacy notice](https://andrii.co/en/privacy/index.md) - [Terms of Service](https://andrii.co/en/terms/index.md) --- Andrii Co. · notary@andrii.co · (206) 319-3543 · 11826 NE 167th St, Bothell, WA 98011 HTML version of this page: https://andrii.co/en/handbook/apostille/us/virginia/ · AI index: https://andrii.co/llms.txt · Full site text: https://andrii.co/llms-full.txt