# Apostille software that checks the route and tracks the document at every hop

> An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document, confirming the signature, the capacity of the signer and the seal so it can be accepted abroad without further legalisation. It comes from the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which now has more than 120 contracting parties, and US federal documents are authenticated under 22 CFR part 131 with fees set at 22 CFR 22.1. Neurobird checks prerequisites at intake and tracks the physical document through every hop.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/apostille/
- Product: Neurobird Apostille Service Client Portal
- Niche: apostille service
- Buyer: apostille and document authentication agencies
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird Apostille Service does

- Check prerequisites at intake so a document is not rejected 3 weeks later
- Route each document to the correct authority: county, state or federal
- Track the physical document through every hop with courier references attached
- Answer client status questions from the record rather than from memory

## How it works

1. **Check prerequisites at intake** Document type, issuing authority and destination country decide the route, and the missing certified copy is caught on day 1 rather than day 21.
2. **Route to the right authority** County, state secretary of state, federal authentications office or consular legalisation, with the current fee and form attached to each.
3. **Track the paper, not the ticket** Every hop carries a courier reference and a date, so a client status question is answered from the record.

## From the source material

> As a result, an e-Apostille is just as valid as a paper Apostille and must be accepted by all Contracting Parties to the Apostille Convention.

Source: HCCH, Apostille Section, https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille

## Industry context

- **1961** The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, concluded on 5 October 1961, created the apostille and replaced the older consular chain between its parties. (source: HCCH, Apostille Section, https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille)
- **120+** The convention now binds well over 120 contracting parties, and whether the destination is one of them decides the entire route a document takes. (source: HCCH, Apostille Convention status table, https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41)
- **22 CFR 131** The federal regulation governing authentication of documents by the US Department of State, including what the certificate covers and what it does not. (source: eCFR, 22 CFR part 131, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-J/part-131)
- **22 CFR 22.1** The State Department schedule of fees sets the charge for authentication services, so the cost side of a federal route is published rather than negotiated. (source: eCFR, 22 CFR 22.1, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-22/section-22.1)
- **50 offices** State level apostilles are issued by each state's secretary of state, which is why fee, form and turnaround differ across the country. (source: National Association of Secretaries of State, https://www.nass.org/)

## Pricing

- Solo agent: $55 per user, per month
- Agency: $130 per user, per month
- High volume: $240 per user, per month

## Questions

### What is an apostille?

An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document, confirming the signature, the capacity of the signer and the seal, so the document can be accepted in another country without further legalisation. It comes from the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which now has more than 120 contracting parties.

### What is the difference between an apostille and legalisation?

If the destination country is a party to the 1961 Convention, an apostille is sufficient. If it is not, the document has to go through the longer consular legalisation chain: state authentication, then federal authentication, then the destination country's embassy or consulate. Getting this wrong at intake costs weeks.

### Who issues an apostille in the United States?

It depends on the document. State issued and notarised documents are apostilled by the secretary of state of the issuing state. Federal documents such as FBI background checks and documents signed by federal officials go to the US Department of State authentications office, whose fee is set in the schedule at 22 CFR 22.1.

### Why do documents get rejected?

Almost always a prerequisite. A photocopy where a certified copy was required, a notarisation without the county clerk certification some states demand first, an expired official signature on file, or a document sent to the wrong level of government. These are all checkable at intake.

### Does this replace the courier or the state portal?

No. The states and the federal office keep their own processes. This is the order file: prerequisites, routing, fees, courier references and status, so nothing sits in a drawer between hops.

## Sources

- [HCCH, Apostille Section](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille)
- [HCCH, Apostille Convention status table](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41)
- [eCFR, 22 CFR part 131 authentication of documents](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-J/part-131)
- [eCFR, 22 CFR 22.1 schedule of fees](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-22/section-22.1)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/