Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is the document people most often need apostilled on a deadline, because something overseas is waiting on it: a property closing, a bank account, an inheritance, a court date. It’s also the document type with the most steps before the apostille itself. Here’s the chain, and how we run it fast.
Unlike a birth certificate, a power of attorney is a private document. No state will apostille it raw. It has to be notarized first, and then, in many states including New York, the notary’s signature has to be certified by the county clerk before the state will touch it. So the real chain is: sign before a notary, county clerk certifies the notary, state apostilles the county-certified document. Miss the middle step and the state mails everything back weeks later with a rejection slip.
If your POA isn’t signed yet, get it notarized where you are and send it to us. If you’re in Manhattan, our office at 165 Broadway can point you to a notary the same morning.
Many POAs headed abroad are drafted bilingual or in the destination country’s language. That’s fine for the apostille: the notarization is what gets certified, not the content. But the receiving country may require a certified translation of the apostille itself once it’s attached. We offer certified translation and can bundle it so everything arrives ready to use.
Selling or buying property abroad, managing a parent’s affairs overseas, authorizing a lawyer for an inheritance case, opening or closing foreign bank accounts, and representing a company at a foreign registry. If your situation has a hard date attached, tell us the date first and we’ll work backwards from it honestly.
New York POAs with same-day county clerk and state runs can move very fast: often same-day, sometimes a day or two, when documents arrive before the morning cutoff. Other states run one to three weeks depending on the state (call us and we’ll tell you where yours currently stands). The service costs $200; see the rates page for everything.
Does a power of attorney need to be notarized before apostille?
Yes, always. And in many states the notary’s signature then needs county clerk certification before the state apostille. We handle both steps.
Can you apostille a POA written in Spanish or another language?
Yes. The apostille certifies the notarization, not the language. Confirm whether the receiving country also wants a certified translation attached.
My POA is for a property sale next week. Is that possible?
Often yes for New York documents, if we get the original before the daily cutoff. Call (212) 245-9690 with your deadline before assuming it’s too late.
Does the person granting the POA have to come in person?
No. Sign before any notary where you are and courier us the original.
Start your order at /order/ or call (212) 245-9690.
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