US Apostille logo


Ethiopia Document Legalization

Ethiopia is not a member of the Hague Convention Countries.

There are Four  main steps required to obtain the embassy of Ethiopia legalization.  (Four in Arab Courtiers and three in the rest)

  • We are going to explain each step in detail.
  • Help you to fill every required form.
  • Display contact email and phone number for each step.
  • Provide you with an estimated turnaround time and fee for each step.
  • Help you to create and print discounted price FedEx airway bills to mail and receive your document(s).
  • Provide you information on available expedited service.

1- Document certification from your state for use in Ethiopia.

Applied for all documents issued in your state except documents issued by Federal entities.

All documents  must be certified by the secretary of the same state where they originated.
Some states have special rules. (New York, Maryland, .....) require a clerk of court certification in order to obtain the state certification.
(California, Nevada, .......) issue an apostille certificate instead of the certification.

2- Document authentication from the U.S. Department of State for use in Ethiopia.

All Federal issued documents (FDA, FBI, USPTO, EPA, USDA....) and all documents certified by a state must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State.
All authentications will be issued by the Secretary of State Mr.  Amtony Blinken, and signed by an assistant authentication officer.

3- Stamp by the U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce for use in Ethiopia.

The Stamp of the U.S. Arab Chamber of commerce may be required for documents designated for use in Ethiopia.
We advise companies to check with their partner in Ethiopia if they need the USACC stamp. The stamp fee is $35 based on next day service.

4- Document legalization from the Embassy of Ethiopia.

The Embassy of Ethiopia will legalize the document based on the signature of the Secretary of State Mr. Amtony Blinken. (Programmable)
The Authentication Fee is $20 and can be processed in 25 business days based on mailing service or 4 business days based on walk in service.
The Embassy of Ethiopia has all right to read the document's content and reject the legalization if they do not agree with a special statement in it.
 

Do I need to obtain the embassy of Ethiopia legalization stamp after I obtain my secretary of state certification?

Yes, you do need the embassy or consulate of Ethiopia legalization. You must obtain the authentication from the US Department of State before sending your document to the embassy of Ethiopia.

My company is located in California. I have a document for use in Ethiopia. The secretary of State of California issued an apostille for my document. Do I need legalization from the consulate of Ethiopia?

Apostille is a final step for all Hague participating countries. Ethiopia is a Non-Hague country. For this reason your document must be also authenticated by the U.S. Department of State and legalized by the Embassy of Ethiopia.

I have a Ethiopiaian  birth certificate issued in Ethiopia. How can I obtain an apostille for my birth certificate to be used in Mexico?
You can not use the United State certification or authentication system for documents issued by a foreign country. You should send your birth certificate back to Ethiopia, Have it certified by the Ethiopia department of Foreign affairs, and legalize it from the embassy of Mexico in Ethiopia.

I am a U.S. Citizen, I was born abroad in Ethiopia. How can I obtain an apostille for my birth certificate to be used in Mexico?

You need to contact the U.S. Department of State,  Office of Vital Records. in Washington D.C. They will issue a certified birth certificate for you, then you send it to the U.S. Department of State, authentication office to obtain the apostille for use in Mexico.

I received a federal apostille from the US Department of State for an FDA document for use in Italy.  I changed my plan. I want to use it in Ethiopia, what should I do?


You should return the apostilled document back to the U.S. Department of State, Authentication office and inform them that you want to use it in Ethiopia. They will remove the Apostille, and replace it with an Authentication. Afterward, you must legalize it from the embassy of Ethiopia.
Note: You should not remove an apostille or authentication yourself. Only an authorized official at the U.S. Department of State can do this process. 

I have a legal court document issued in the United States. . What do I need to do to use it in Ethiopia?


If your document was issued from a "State Court", then you need to have it stamped by the clerk of the court, then obtain a certification from your secretary of  state. Continue to obtain authentication, then  legalization from the embassy of Ethiopia.
If your document was issued from a federal court, then you need to have it certified from the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., then obtain a certification from your secretary of  state. Continue to obtain authentication, then  legalization from the embassy of Ethiopia.

How can I obtain my criminal records from the United States for use in Ethiopia?


To obtain your FBI background Check please visit www.fbi.gov and order it. Once you receive it, mail it back to the U.S. Department of State to have it authenticated, then have it legalized by the embassy of Ethiopia.