Procedure for Apostille of U.S. Company Certification of Entity Status/ Business Documents

In recent years, an increasing number of companies have opted to establish overseas entities in the United States, with Delaware becoming the preferred location due to its tax-friendly policies. Many companies based in Silicon Valley, California, not only have their presence there but have also established new entities in Delaware. When U.S. companies engage in various commercial activities in other Hague Convention countries, such as establishing joint ventures or wholly owned subsidiaries, setting up representative offices, trademark registration, or when facing trade disputes necessitating local court litigation against companies registered in the U.S., they are required to provide a Certificate of Entity Status for the foreign company. This document needs to undergo Hague Apostille certification to verify the legitimacy of the entity’s status.

Here are some common types of business documents for U.S. companies:

1. Articles of Incorporation，also known as Certificate of Incorporation
2. Certificate of Good standing，also known as Certificate of Account Status
3. Bank letter
4. Corporate Bylaws
5. Adoption of Corporate Resolution
6. Board Resolution
7. Minutes of Meeting

The Articles of Incorporation were originally filed with the Secretary of State’s office during the company’s initial registration. The Certificate of Good Standing serves to verify the company’s current active status and ensures there have been no missed annual filings or instances of dissolution. Certified copies of these documents can be obtained from the Corporation Division of the Secretary of State in the state where the company is registered.

Steps: The U.S. articles of incorporation undergoes notarization by a U.S. notary public.
The notarized the articles of incorporation is then submitted to the Secretary of State for apostille.

Processing time：The processing time is 2-3 business days, excluding shipping time.

Documents required for apostille:
1. Scanned copy of the Articles of Incorporation.
2. Scanned copy of the first page of the company’s representative’s passport.

Steps: The U.S. certificate of good standing undergoes notarization by a U.S. notary public.
The notarized the certificate of good standing is then submitted to the Secretary of State for apostille.

Processing time：The processing time is 2-3 business days, excluding shipping time.

Documents required for apostille:
1. Scanned copy of the Certificate of Good Standing.
2. Scanned copy of the first page of the company representative’s passport.