If you have ever tried to transfer critical documentation abroad, you could have stumbled over some strange policies. Imagine yourself in this situation: you have to confirm the authenticity of a document abroad. Just have it notarized, someone advises. Still another argues, “No, you need those Apostille Services Good 2 Go Mobile Notary Plus.” The room suddenly seems to be a legal dictionary erupted.

Allow me to replace uncertainty with clarity. One objective witness is a notary public. Their principal gig is Seeing you sign, confirming your identification, and stamping the document. Consider that your official thumbs-up from your native country. Often this is a necessary step for birth certificates, powers of attorney, and property deeds. Usually done on-site at banks, shipping hubs, or notary offices, it is simple, cheap. But—and there is a major “but”—in most foreign environments a notary stamp indicates zilch.

Here apostilles walk onto the stage. Consider if your paper must travel over the border. Usually attached by your government, the apostille is a particular certificate verifying the signature of your notary. Originally developed under the 1961 Hague Convention, this mechanism is your golden ticket for paperwork headed to other members of the union. Without it, documentation becomes worldwide paperweight.

One odd element is that not every nation honors apostilles. Dealing with a non-member nation will send you into the muddy waters of consular legalization, a different animal entirely.

What records, then, require which service? Notaries are reserved for local use. Contracts for domestic matters, school records, and driver’s licenses all live here. If you deal with foreign embassies, universities, international marriages, or international adoptions, apostille services are absolutely essential.

Cost counts also. Often rapid and affordable is notarization. Apostilles can call for paperwork, patience, a return journey, and a hefty price. Round up notarized affidavits, official court records, or birth certificates.