TYPES OF DOCUMENTS
Certificate of Coverage (SSA)
If a Social Security Agreement assigns coverage of an employee's work to the United States, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues an United States Certficate of Covereage also known as a Social Security Letter or Proof of Income Letter. The Certificate of Coverage serves as evidence that the employee and employer are exempt from paying Social Security Taxes to the foreign country. In other words, the Certificate of Coverage should be requested by the employee to avoid paying double Social Security Taxes if an employer of an United States company that manages a foreign operation and the employee divides his/her work between the United States and the foreign country.
You may also need to Apostille a Certificate of Coverage issued by the SSA in order to extend or permeate your stay in a foreign country. For instance if you divide your income between the United States and a foreign country, or have business projects and/or offices in a foreign country you could have the option of spending your retirement years abroad. Consulates generally require a Certificate of Coverage issued by the SSA in order to issue long term Visas or Residency Permits for those who choose to reside in their country and receive United States Social Secuirty benefits. The foreign country will usually allow you to remain in their country indefinitely if through a Certificate of Coverage you can certify that you are receiving a monthly stipend from the United States Federal Government. Some of the most common countries where this type of Apostille is requested include: Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Panama.
In order to Apostille a Certificate of Coverage from the SSA, you will need to contact the Social Security Administration and obtained a signed copy. You can either visit your nearest Social Security Office or visit their website here. Even if you are out of the country you can still mail your Certificate of Coverage to our office to begin the Apostille process.
Certificate of Coverage Documents are United States Federal Government Documents that are issued by the Social Security Administration that can only be Apostilled through the United States Department of State (USDOS) in Washington D.C. These documents cannot be notarized, copy certified, and no State Office can process this document. All United States Federal Documents are processed through the United States Secretary of State or the United States Department of State.
In order for us to process your Certificate of Coverage Documents, you must mail in the original or certified copy by the SSA to our office. ONLY THE ORIGINAL CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A Photocopy is not acceptable. Once we receive your documents, in order to minimize errors and processing time, we will verify that all documents received before submitting them to be Apostilled. We will contact you as soon as possible if any errors are encountered and we will instruct you on how they need to be corrected.
Obtaining an Apostille can be a complicated process and should not be left to someone who does not understand all of the steps involved. Untrained persons that do not understand all of the requirements for legalization in each country are more likely to make errors, which will severely delay the Apostille process and cost you more money.
Once the original English Social Security Document is properly prepared you can mail it to us to be Apostilled. We can also provide Certified Translation Services into the language required by the Country of Designation.
Here at Ezra Notary and Apostille,