Two countries
Apostille from Mexico to United States
At a glance
Can a document from Mexico be used in the United States?
| Result | Apostille applies. |
|---|---|
| Mexico | Uses apostilles member since 1 |
| United States | Uses apostilles member since 1 |
| Apostille issued by | Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB), Directorate for Political Coordination with the Federal Powers (Dirección de Coordinación Política con los Poderes de la Unión)2 Secretariat of Government of each state (Secretaría de Gobierno de cada entidad federativa)3 |
| Fee in Mexico | Not published by the office (all documents)2 |
| Processing time in Mexico | Not published by the office2 |
| Last checked |
Step by step
How to get a document from Mexico ready for the United States
- Work out whether the document was issued by a federal authority or a state authority.2
- For a federal document, apply to the SEGOB directorate, which the Ministry says handles apostilles without an appointment and without a power of attorney, so a relative or acquaintance can go for you.3
- For a state document, apply to the Secretariat of Government of the state concerned.2
- For federal documents the online procedure on the SEGOB apostille portal starts by checking the payment concept and generating the payment reference (línea de captura).2
- Give the document, with its apostille or legalisation, to the office in the United States that asked for it.
Situations
When the answer changes
- Private documents.A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public, and the apostille then goes on the notary’s certificate. A copy of a public document from another country is first certified by a notary public, then apostilled.
- The other direction. For a document from the United States used in Mexico, the apostille or legalisation starts in the United States. Check United States to Mexico
Note: What the apostille confirms
An apostille only confirms the signature, the role of the person who signed and any seal or stamp on the document. It does not confirm what the document says. The office that receives the document decides what it accepts.
Questions
Questions about documents from Mexico for the United States
Is an apostille from Mexico accepted in the United States?
Yes. An apostille from Mexico is enough for the United States: both are members of the Apostille Convention (Mexico since 14 August 1995, the United States since 15 October 1981). The apostille is issued in Mexico by Ministry of the Interior, Directorate for Political Coordination with the Federal Powers and 1 other office. The office in the United States that receives the document decides what else it needs. Last checked 18 October 2026 against the HCCH status table.
Who issues the apostille for a document from Mexico?
Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB), Directorate for Political Coordination with the Federal Powers (Dirección de Coordinación Política con los Poderes de la Unión) and Secretariat of Government of each state (Secretaría de Gobierno de cada entidad federativa). The apostille is always issued in the country the document comes from, not in the United States.
Do I need to notarise a private document first?
Yes. A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public in Mexico. The apostille then goes on the notary's certificate.
Does the United States also need a translation?
The office in the United States that receives the document decides. Ask it before you start whether it needs a translation, and whether the translation needs its own certification.
Sources and verification
Sources
- HCCH status table: Apostille Convention (1961)
- Apostilla
- Apostilla de documentos públicos mexicanos
- United States of America - Competent Authority (Art. 6)
- Requesting Authentication Services
- Request for Authentications Service (DS-4194)
- Status
- Last verified: (18 October 2026)
- How it was checked
- Checked by our team against the sources above
- Next review
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