How to Notarize and Authenticate Documents for the State of Virginia, USA? 518-956-5673 Supports Remote Video Notarization

Self-Service Guide for Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth Authentication

There are two types of authentication by the Secretary of the Commonwealth: Apostille and Certificate of Authentication. Apostille, also known as "Hague Authentication," can only be used within member countries of the Hague Convention. Since Chinese consulates are currently not part of the "Hague Convention member states," only "Certificate of Authentication" is accepted when submitting documents to Chinese consulates across the United States.

If you don’t have time to handle it yourself, you can also contact CHV for agency services. Reach out via our Contact Us page or WeChat LINE, or call our customer service at 518-956-5673 (US). We provide notarization and authentication services for personal or corporate documents from all 50 U.S. states, including consular three-level authentication or Hague Authentication, with expedited processing available—fastest completion in 3 business days.

In-office or Mail-in Processing:

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth
Attn: Authentication Request
1111 East Broad Street, 1st Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 692-0114

Fee: $10 per document for Hague Authentication payable to the "Secretary of the Commonwealth."
Processing Time: Same-day for counter service or 7 days for mail-in orders.
Website: https://commonwealth.virginia.gov/official-documents/authentications/

Virginia Authentication Processing Reminders

To obtain an Apostille or Authentication from the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth in Richmond, please refer to the following guidelines:

Note on Vital Records: Birth, marriage, and death certificates must have been issued within the past year (12 months) by the State Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records.

• Please note that the Circuit Court may also issue marriage certificates with a "triple seal," stamped by both the Circuit Court Clerk and the Judge.
• Please note that if the death occurred less than four weeks before the application date for the Apostille, the death certificate (black and white copy) issued by the Department of Health can be apostilled or authenticated.
• If a new copy of the vital record is needed, please contact the Virginia Department of Vital Records at (804) 662-6200.

Notarized Documents: Ensure that the notary seal, date, and signature are within the last 12 months. The notary must also include an acknowledgment.

Business Documents: Issued by the State Corporation Commission, must be dated within the last 12 months.

Academic Documents: Issued by the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, and James Madison University should be notarized. Please contact the school authorities for a duplicate diploma.