FDA Certificate Apostille
We hand deliver FDA certificates, including Certificates to Foreign Government and Certificates of Free Sale, to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, DC, so they come back apostilled or authenticated and ready to use abroad.
We are a private document service and are not affiliated with any government agency. The federal filing fee is included in our price.
How it works
A simple, tracked path from your mailbox to the Department of State and back.
Request the FDA certificate you need, such as a Certificate to Foreign Government, a Certificate of Free Sale, or a Certificate of Exportability, or use an original you already have on hand.
Mail us the original FDA certificate. We confirm it has the signature and formatting the Department of State requires, then hand deliver it in Washington, DC.
We ship your apostilled or authenticated FDA certificate back to you with tracking, ready for the foreign regulator, distributor, or customs office that requested it.
What you need to know
A few plain notes that help your document move through the process without delay.
- FDA certificates are issued by a federal agency, so they must be apostilled or authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, not by a state office.
- The document should be an original FDA certificate with a signature, such as a Certificate to Foreign Government, a Certificate of Free Sale, or a Certificate of Exportability, rather than a photocopy.
- Do not have your FDA certificate notarized before sending it to us. Notarizing a federal document is not required and does not speed up the process.
- If your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your FDA certificate receives an apostille. If not, it goes through the authentication and embassy legalization chain instead.
- FDA certificates are commonly needed to export food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, or other FDA regulated products to a foreign market.
- Turnaround is typically a matter of days after we receive your original certificate, since we hand deliver it instead of mailing it in.
Frequently asked questions
Which FDA certificates can be apostilled
The most common examples are the Certificate to Foreign Government, the Certificate of Free Sale, and the Certificate of Exportability. If you are not sure whether your specific certificate qualifies, contact us and we will check it before you ship anything.
Can I apostille a copy of my FDA certificate
Generally no. The Department of State needs an original document with an actual signature from the FDA, not a photocopy or a scanned printout. If you only have a copy, you may need to request an original certificate from the FDA first.
Is an apostille the same as an authentication for FDA certificates
They confirm the same thing but apply to different countries. If your destination country is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, you receive an apostille. If it is not a member, the Department of State issues an authentication instead, and the certificate may need an added embassy legalization step.
Do I need to notarize my FDA certificate first
No. FDA certificates are already issued by a federal agency, so notarization is not required for the Department of State to apostille or authenticate them.
How long does it take to apostille an FDA certificate
Because we hand deliver documents to the Department of State in Washington, DC, most FDA certificate orders are completed in about 7 to 10 business days rather than the 5 to 6 weeks it can take to mail a request in yourself.
Is the federal filing fee included in the price
Yes. Our price includes the federal filing fee charged by the Department of State, along with hand delivery and return shipping of your certificate.
Related resources
Ready to get your document apostilled?
Start your order in a few minutes. We will walk you through exactly what to send and when to expect it back.