How long does an apostille take in Texas?

Mail-in requests to the Texas Secretary of State typically take two to four weeks round trip from El Paso, depending on the Authentications Unit's current workload. Walk-in service at the Austin office is faster but requires travel. We give you a realistic estimate on the day you come in and update you if processing times change. Plan ahead if the document has a deadline in Mexico.

How much does an apostille cost in El Paso?

The Texas Secretary of State charges a $15 state fee per apostille. On top of that we charge a flat service fee per document that covers the attorney check, notarization, form preparation, mailing and tracking. Certified copies of vital records carry their own county or state fee. We quote the full amount before starting so there are no surprises. Call (915) 526-0787 for pricing.

Can a birth certificate from El Paso be apostilled?

Yes, but it must be a certified copy issued by the Texas Vital Statistics Section or a local registrar such as the El Paso City-County Health Department, signed by the current official. Hospital souvenir certificates and photocopies are rejected. If your copy is old or was issued by a registrar no longer in office, we order a fresh certified copy first. We handle this step for you.

Do I need a translation for documents going to Mexico?

Often, yes. Most Mexican government offices, notarios and courts require a Spanish translation of an English document, sometimes by a perito traductor recognized in the receiving state. The apostille itself does not need translation. We tell you whether the receiving office is likely to require one, prepare bilingual documents when we draft them, and tell you what qualifications the translator will need to have.

Is a Texas notary the same as a notario público in Mexico?

No. A Texas notary public only verifies identity and witnesses signatures under Government Code Chapter 406 and cannot give legal advice unless also a licensed attorney. A Mexican notario público is an attorney with much broader powers. That is why a Texas power of attorney for use in Mexico should be drafted by a lawyer who understands what the Mexican notario will expect, then notarized and apostilled.

Notary & Apostille Services El Paso

Notary and Apostille Services in El Paso: Documents Ready for Mexico and Anywhere Abroad

Same-day notarizations at our El Paso office and full apostille handling through the Texas Secretary of State so your power of attorney, birth certificate, diploma or business record is accepted in Mexico and other Hague Convention countries.

Last reviewed by Robert Andrew Navar, Esq. · State Bar of Texas

Living on the border means paperwork crosses it constantly. El Paso families send powers of attorney to a relative handling property in Chihuahua, register a child born here with the Mexican Registro Civil, prove a U.S. degree to an employer or university in Mexico, or ship company documents to a partner abroad. For any of those to be accepted, the document usually needs two things: a valid Texas notarization and an apostille, the certificate issued by the Texas Secretary of State that authenticates the notary or official signature for use in the countries that signed the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Mexico is one of them, which is why apostilles are among the most requested documents at our El Paso office.

Texas notaries are commissioned and regulated under Texas Government Code Chapter 406, which sets the rules for identifying the signer, keeping a notary record book, and the exact wording of acknowledgments and jurats. Apostilles are issued only by the Texas Secretary of State Authentications Unit in Austin, which certifies notarized documents and certified copies of Texas vital records, court records and business filings. Documents from other states must be apostilled by that state; federal documents such as FBI background checks go through the U.S. Department of State. Getting the sequence right matters, because a notarization done incorrectly, a photocopy submitted where a certified copy was required, or a birth certificate from the wrong issuing office will be rejected and the whole process starts over.

At our El Paso office we notarize documents the same day by appointment, confirm that the document is the correct type for an apostille, obtain certified copies from the El Paso County Clerk or Texas Vital Statistics when needed, prepare the Secretary of State request form and fee, and track the request until the apostilled document is back in your hands. Because an attorney is involved, we also catch the problems a walk-in notary will not: a power of attorney that lacks the language a Mexican notario público will expect, a document that needs a certified Spanish translation attached, or a signer who needs a different document entirely. No court appearance is ever involved. Related services include durable powers of attorney, affidavits and sworn statements, and deed preparation.

Documents we commonly apostille for use in Mexico

Powers of attorney (poder notarial) so a relative can sell, buy or manage property, handle a bank account, or represent you in a Mexican proceeding. Texas birth, marriage and death certificates for Registro Civil registration, dual nationality, inheritance or pension matters. High school diplomas, college degrees and transcripts for study or professional licensing in Mexico. Single-status affidavits for marriage in Mexico. Corporate documents such as certificates of formation and bylaws for doing business abroad. Authorization letters for a minor traveling with one parent or a relative.

Notary vs. notario público: an important difference

In Texas, a notary public verifies identity and witnesses signatures; a notary cannot give legal advice or draft documents unless they are also a licensed attorney. In Mexico, a notario público is a highly trained attorney with broad legal authority. Texas law specifically prohibits non-attorney notaries from advertising as a notario in Spanish because of the confusion it causes, and misuse of the term has cost El Paso families money and time.

Because Robert Navar is a Texas-licensed attorney, our office can do both parts: draft or review the document so it actually accomplishes what you need on the Mexican side, and then notarize and apostille it properly. That is the difference between a stamp and a document that works.

What's included

Attorney check that the document is the right type and wording for its destination country
Notarization under Texas Government Code Chapter 406 with the proper acknowledgment or jurat
Ordering certified copies of Texas vital records or El Paso County records when required
Preparation of the Texas Secretary of State apostille request form and payment of the state fee
Trackable mailing to and from Austin, with status updates
Guidance on whether the receiving office will require a certified Spanish translation

How it works

Tell us where the document is going

Call or visit our El Paso office with the document and the country and office that will receive it. We confirm whether it needs a notarization, an apostille, a certified copy or a translation, and quote a flat fee.

Sign and notarize

Bring valid government photo identification. We notarize the document the same day, or obtain the certified copy from the county or state if the document is a birth, marriage or death record that cannot be notarized.

Apostille and return

We submit the request to the Texas Secretary of State in Austin, track it, and call you the day the apostilled document arrives back in El Paso so you can pick it up or have it shipped.