There are two types of authentication for foreign documents provided by the Secretary of State office: the documents can either be apostilled or certified. If your document is going to be used in a member-country of the Hague Apostille Convention, of which the United States is also a member, your document will be authenticated with an apostille. Only the countries-participants of the Hague Apostille Convention will accept a foreign document endorsed with an apostille by the Secretary of State. If you are going to a country that is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, your document will require a Secretary of State certification.