INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION
International Adoption Dossiers, Notarized and Authenticated
An adoption dossier is one of the most important document packets you'll ever assemble. We come to your home to notarize your letters and statements, have every document apostilled or legalized for your child's country and keep the entire dossier on schedule so nothing delays your family.
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ADOPTION DOSSIERS
Handled with care
Every document, every step.
- Home visits for both parents
- Employer, doctor and reference letters notarized
- Apostille or embassy legalization
- FBI checks with federal apostille
How dossier authentication works
What we handle
- Notarizing employment, medical, reference and financial letters
- Certified birth and marriage certificates
- FBI background checks with federal apostille
- Apostilles from Massachusetts and all 50 states
- Embassy legalization for non-Hague countries
- Certified translation when required
Your agency's checklist comes first. Send it to us, and we will build the plan around it.
How it works
- 1
Send us your agency's checklist
We review every document and map out its route.
- 2
We notarize at your home
Both parents, every letter and statement, in one visit when possible.
- 3
Apostille or legalization
Each document goes to the right state or federal office, then the embassy if required.
- 4
Delivered together
Your finished dossier, shipped to you or your agency with tracking.
Ready to get started?
Tell us what you need, and we will take care of every step.
What happens at a dossier signing
Mistakes that send dossiers back
- Documents notarized in different states without planning. Each one is authenticated by the state where it was notarized, which can slow the dossier down. We help you plan.
- Letters signed without the wording your country requires. Follow your agency's templates exactly.
- Expired documents. Many countries require documents issued within a set number of months, so monitor the dates carefully.
- A state apostille on FBI checks. FBI checks require the federal apostille.
- Mixing apostille and legalization. Hague and non-Hague countries follow different routes.
Documents often found in an adoption dossier
Personal records
Birth and marriage certificates, and divorce decrees if applicable.
Background checks
FBI checks and state checks for each adult in the home.
Letters
Employment, medical, reference and financial letters, notarized.
Home study and approvals
Your home study and immigration approvals, prepared as your agency instructs.
Official sources
- U.S. Department of State: intercountry adoption
- Hague Conference: list of Apostille Convention countries
Your adoption agency and the receiving country have the final word on every requirement.
Not sure which service you need?
Send us the details, and we will confirm the right route before you commit.
Planning your dossier timeline
What to have ready
- Your agency's dossier checklist and templates
- Which documents are already signed, and where
- Certified birth and marriage certificates, or details so we can order them
- Your FBI check status
- Your agency's submission deadline
We'll review everything and confirm the route for each document.
Hague and non-Hague adoption countries
Hague Apostille Convention countries
Each dossier document receives an apostille from the correct state or the U.S. Department of State.
Countries outside the Apostille Convention
Each document goes through state certification, federal authentication and embassy legalization.
Adoption Convention countries
Countries in the separate Hague Adoption Convention have their own procedures. Your agency guides that process; we handle the document authentication.
Re-authenticating updated documents
If a document expires while you wait for a match, we can promptly prepare a new one.
Frequently asked questions
Can you notarize documents for both of us in one visit?
Yes. We come to your home and notarize for both parents together.
Our child's country isn't in the Hague Convention. Can you help?
Yes. We handle the full embassy legalization chain.
Can you get our birth and marriage certificates?
Yes. See Vital Records Retrieval.
How long does a dossier take?
It depends on the number of documents, the states involved and whether embassy legalization is needed. We give you a realistic timeline up front.
Can you notarize letters from our doctor and employer?
Yes, as long as the person signing appears before us with valid ID. We can visit offices too.
Do you work with adoption agencies?
Yes. Agencies can refer families to us, and we follow their checklists closely.
Can you notarize documents for references who live elsewhere?
We notarize signers in Massachusetts. For references in other states, we explain how to coordinate the apostille in their state.
Do you translate dossier documents?
Yes, when your country requires it.
Can you redo documents that expire while we wait?
Yes. Many families update medical letters, background checks or financial statements during the process. We complete them promptly.
Do you come to us in the evening or on weekends?
Yes. Evenings and weekends are available by appointment.
Building your adoption dossier?
Send us your agency's checklist, and we will map out every step.