Legalization
In order for a translated document to be valid in Bulgaria (or other country), it needs first to be Apostilled at the office of the Secretary of State or Department of State and then legalized at the Bulgarian Consulate or Embassy in Washington DC.
- Apostille: An “apostille” is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. An Apostille is issued as an attachment and will validate the authenticity of your document to the foreign entity you are required to present your document to.
- Marriage certificates
- Death certificates
- Birth certificates
- Divorce decrees
- Wills
- Car titles
- Adoption dossier
- FBI records
- Criminal history reports etc.
- Consulate legalization: After a document is Apostilled and translated, it needs to be legalized at a Bulgarian Consulate or Embassy. There is a fee per document (not per page).
*Legalization: Once a document is authenticated, it must be certified by the foreign jurisdiction to be valid there. This process, called legalization, usually occurs at the country's embassy or consulate, and can be considered the final step in the authentication process.