Apostille vs Authentication for Non-Hague Countries
We sometimes get calls from clients that ask us why their “authentication” wasn’t accepted by China, Qatar, or other non-Hague countries.
There are two forms of authentication for your document; at the Your document can be authenticated at two levels: at the county level and at the state level. As far as the County level is concerned, the County clerk authenticates the authenticity of the notary that stamped your document, and the State authenticates the authenticity of the County clerk’s stamp or seal.
No country will ever accept authentication from a county clerk. One of the reasons is that there is no way for them to verify the authenticity themselves. There are no serial numbers to verify most cThere will never be a country that will accept authentication from a county clerk. In part, this is because of the fact that there is no way for them to verify the authenticity of the document themselves. Most countries aren’t fully familiar with the concept of State to County to City, etc., so there are no serial numbers to verify.
As far as the New York State DOC authentication process is concerned, it is exactly the same as the Apostille. Even the final cover page that you’ll receive from the Department of State looks the same, minus the wording “Apostille” on the top. Take a closer look at the two cover pages below: 
There are two major differences between an Apostille and an Authentication. They are the obvious difference in the title and the use of serial numbers. In the Apostille, as can be clearly seen by their prominent placement in the middle of the page, the date and serial number for verification purposes are prominently displayed, however, in the Authentication, the serial number is discretely located in the lower-left of the page.
Have questions or need to get started? Use our online Apostille request form at apostilleapply.com or text/WhatsApp/call or lead expediter Harry Otto at (914)441-2444 7 days a week!