Short answer
The US record on the desk is the starting point. First identify the Argentine recipient and confirm that this specific document and an apostille are required for the intended use. Then route the record to the right apostille office: the Secretary of State of the issuing state for state documents, or the US Department of State Office of Authentications for federal documents. Translation sequence, translator qualifications, and final format belong to the receiving authority's instructions.
What should I check?
- Confirm the intended Argentine use before starting
- Identify the competent apostille authority by document and issuer
- Ask the recipient when and how translation should occur
- Keep copies and courier tracking for originals
Which documents should I gather?
Use the current official procedure to decide what is actually required. For every record, note the issuer, date, format, intended recipient, and any apostille or translation requirement.
- List of documents and their US issuing authorities
- Current apostille instructions for each record
- Argentine receiving-authority requirements
- Translator qualifications and sequence questions
- Courier, copy, and replacement information
Match the record to the apostille office
Identify the exact document type, issuing body, and any notarization or preliminary certification involved. State-issued records such as birth and marriage certificates go to the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal records, including an FBI Identity History Summary, go to the US Department of State Office of Authentications. A document that does not fit a published example should be described accurately to the relevant office before it is sent.
Save the office's instructions and access date in the document register. Processing methods, fees, and mailing arrangements differ between offices and can change, so work from the current page rather than from a checklist saved for an earlier document.
Translation sequence comes from the intended use
Ask the Argentine receiving authority how translation fits into its procedure and which translator qualifications it expects. Include questions about apostille pages, stamps, seals, signatures, and attachments. Commissioning a translation before confirming the sequence can produce a package that does not match the recipient's current instructions.
Treat each original as a tracked package
Before dispatch, record the document name, current condition, page order, issuing authority, apostille office, courier, tracking, destination, expected processing, return method, and replacement route. Scan the complete set for organization, including attachments, while recognizing that a scan is not proof that either authority will process the original.
When the apostilled record returns, compare names, pages, seals, attachments, and physical condition with the register. Keep related pages together and prepare the translation or submission exactly as the Argentine recipient currently directs.
Acceptance remains with the Argentine recipient
An apostille addresses document authentication. The recipient still decides whether the record's content, date, form, translation, and place in the procedure meet its requirements. Confirm the intended use before starting and revisit it if the procedure or personal facts change.
The final check should cover the document version, apostille, translation, translator qualification, submission arrangement, and any recency rule. US processing instructions and Argentine receiving requirements can both change, so retain the source links and dates used for the package.
What may change?
Apostille authorities, processing instructions, translation rules, and receiving procedures can change. Check both the US and Argentine requirements for each document.
Official sources
Check the current version before acting.
- Authentications and apostillesU.S. Department of StateOpen official source
- Embassy of Argentina in the United StatesMinistry of Foreign Affairs of ArgentinaOpen official source
- ResidenciasDirección Nacional de MigracionesOpen official source
Common questions
Does an apostille make a document acceptable for every use in Argentina?
No. An apostille addresses a document-authentication step; the Argentine recipient still determines whether the record, format, content, date, translation, and procedure meet its requirements. Confirm the intended use before beginning.
Who apostilles an FBI background check for Argentina?
An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so the apostille is issued by the US Department of State Office of Authentications, not by a state office. State-issued records such as birth certificates follow the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Confirm the current instructions for your specific document before sending it.
Can I apostille a scan of a US document?
A scan is eligible only if the competent apostille office's current instructions allow that version of the specific document. Identify the record and issuing authority, follow that office's process, and ask the Argentine recipient which resulting format it will accept.