# Prepare a document for an apostille request

A practical method to get a document ready: secure the right original, check the notary and the translator, put the steps in order and ask the offices good questions.

- Level: Practitioner
- Length: 60 minutes
- Exam questions: 10, pass mark 80%, up to 3 attempts
- Certificate: valid for 12 months

## What you will learn

- Tell a public document from a private one, and know which one needs a notary first.
- Get the right original, or a certified copy from the registry that holds the record.
- Check a notary's commission and a translator's standing with the official body or the receiving office.
- Put the steps in order: original, notary if needed, apostille or legalization, then translation.
- Ask the issuing office and the receiving office written questions before you send an original.

## Lessons

1. [Public and private documents](https://apostilles.fyi/academy/prepare-a-document-for-an-apostille/public-and-private-documents.md) (14 minutes)
2. [Check the notary and the translator](https://apostilles.fyi/academy/prepare-a-document-for-an-apostille/check-the-notary-and-the-translator.md) (16 minutes)
3. [Put the steps in order](https://apostilles.fyi/academy/prepare-a-document-for-an-apostille/put-the-steps-in-order.md) (14 minutes)
4. [Questions to ask before you send](https://apostilles.fyi/academy/prepare-a-document-for-an-apostille/questions-before-you-send.md) (16 minutes)

## Questions

### Does this course make me a notary or a document agent?

No. It is a certificate of completion from this site and records that you passed the exam. It is not a notary commission, a licence or a professional qualification.

### Can the course tell me if my document is valid abroad?

No. The receiving office judges your document. Ask that office. For a question about the legal effect of a document, ask a qualified lawyer where the document will be used.

### Which countries does the course cover?

The method works in any country. The examples come from the guides on this site about the US, the UK and Canada. Always check the official page of your own issuing office.

Also on the [web page](https://apostilles.fyi/academy/prepare-a-document-for-an-apostille).