AACC welcomes you. We prefer to discuss any question about your document by phone rather than email, Please call us at (202) 347-5800.
Articles of Organization Legalization for Arab Countries
A U.S. LLC that opens a branch, registers an agency or opens a bank account in an Arab country is asked for its founding document, the articles of organization. The Arab American Chamber of Commerce makes sure you send the right state-certified copy and completes the apostille or embassy route that country requires.
Don’t notarize it. Order a certified copy. Articles of organization are filed with and kept by the state, so the legal original is a certified copy from the Secretary of State. Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain and Algeria then accept a state apostille. The other Arab countries need the U.S. Department of State and the embassy as well.
What Articles of Organization Are
Articles of organization are the document an LLC files with the state to come into existence. They record the company’s name, its registered agent, its address and, in many states, its members or managers. Some states call the same filing a certificate of formation or a certificate of organization. Corporations file articles of incorporation instead.
Articles of organization
The filed formation document of an LLC in most states.
LLCCertificate of formation
The same filing in states that use this name.
LLCAmendments
Later filings that change the name, managers or address. Include them if anything has changed.
UpdatesOperating agreement
The LLC’s internal agreement. The state doesn’t keep it, so it must be notarized as a true copy instead.
Not a state recordChoose the Destination Country
Choose the country where the LLC will register or open an account to start your order.
Country
U.S. steps
Final step
U.S. stepsCertified copy from the state → Secretary of State apostille
Final stepApostille (since July 9, 2026)
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEgyptian Embassy or consulate
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Iraq
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Jordan
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Kuwait
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Lebanon
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Libya
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Oman (business documents since 2021)
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepPalestinian legalization arranged by our team
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Qatar
U.S. stepsCertified copy from the state → Secretary of State apostille
Final stepApostille (since December 2022)
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Sudan
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Syria
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Tunisia
U.S. stepsCertified copy from the state → Secretary of State authentication
Final stepUAE Embassy (through VFS Global), then MOFA in the UAE
U.S. stepsCertified copy → Secretary of State → U.S. Department of State
Final stepEmbassy of Yemen
Embassy fees for company formation documents vary by country. We confirm the fee with your order.
How Articles of Organization Are Legalized
- Order a certified copyAsk the Secretary of State of the LLC’s home state for a certified copy of the articles, with any amendments. A plain photocopy or downloaded PDF can’t be apostilled or authenticated.
- Check it matches your other documentsThe LLC name and managers should match your good standing certificate, board or member resolution, and power of attorney.
- State apostille or authenticationThe same Secretary of State adds an apostille for Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain or Algeria, which completes the process, or an authentication certificate for embassy countries.
- U.S. Department of State and embassyFor embassy countries, the U.S. Department of State certifies the state seal, and the destination embassy legalizes the copy. For the UAE, it goes through VFS Global and then MOFA.
- Returned with trackingReady for the Arabic translation your registry, free zone or bank will ask for.
Common mistakes: notarizing a photocopy of the articles, sending an online printout, leaving out amendments after a name or manager change, or ordering the copy from the wrong state. Order the copy from the state where the LLC was formed, not from a state where it is only registered to do business.
Required Documents
What to send us
- A certified copy of the articles of organization from the Secretary of State, with amendments. We can order it for you.
- The LLC’s exact name and state of formation, matching your other documents.
- Your online order for the destination country, paid online or through Pay Invoice.
- A prepaid return label: a FedEx or UPS air waybill, or a USPS Priority Mail envelope with tracking. You can also buy one at checkout.
Where it’s requested
- Registering a branch or a new company with a U.S. LLC as shareholder
- Free zone company setup
- Commercial agency and distributor registration
- Opening a bank account for the LLC
Documents Usually Requested With It
Certificate of Good Standing
Shows the LLC is still active. Usually requested with the articles.
Certified copyProcessing Time and Fees
Apostille countries
| Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain, Algeria | State apostille |
| Notary | Not needed |
| Time | Varies by state |
Embassy countries
| State and U.S. Department of State | Required |
| Embassy fee | By country |
| Time | Call us for your country |
Processing time starts when the certified copy reaches us, or when we receive it from the state if we order it for you. The state copy fee, our service fee and return shipping are shown at checkout.
Why Choose the Arab American Chamber of Commerce?
The right copyWe order a certified copy the state can apostille, not a printout that gets rejected.
Only the route you needApostille countries stop at the state. Embassy countries get the full chain.
The whole company fileArticles, good standing, resolution and POA, legalized together in one order.
Where to Send Your Documents
Maryland office (fastest)
Arab Chamber of Commerce
1615 Bay Head Rd., Annapolis, MD 21409
(410) 349-1212
Washington, D.C. headquarters
1330 New Hampshire Ave. NW, B1, Washington, DC
(202) 347-5800
Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm ET
Articles of Organization Legalization: Common Questions
Do articles of organization need to be notarized?
No. They are a state record, so you order a certified copy from the Secretary of State, and that copy is what gets apostilled or authenticated. Don’t notarize a photocopy.
Is a certificate of formation the same as articles of organization?
Yes. It’s the same LLC formation filing under a different name, and it is legalized the same way.
Is the operating agreement legalized the same way?
No. The state doesn’t keep the operating agreement, so a member or manager signs a true-copy statement before a notary, and then it follows the notarized route.
Which Arab countries accept apostilled articles of organization?
Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain and Algeria (Algeria since July 9, 2026). Oman requires embassy legalization for business documents, as do the other Arab countries.
Can you order the certified copy for me?
Yes. Give us the LLC’s exact name and state of formation, and we’ll order the copy and legalize it in one order.
Taking your LLC into an Arab market?
Tell us the state and the destination country. We’ll order the certified copy and legalize the whole company file.
Case 1 Examples
Business documents
Federally Issued documents
Case 2 Examples
Commercial Document:
Case 3 Examples
Personal Document:
Mailing
If you are using FedEx or UPS, please include a self-addressed air waybill for the return of your document.
Alternatively, you may use a USPS Priority Mail envelope with prepaid postage and a tracking number.
If you do not have a FedEx or UPS account, you can purchase an air waybill through this site in the next step.
Arab American Chamber of Commerce Headquarter Office
1330 New Hampshire Ave. NW, B1Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 347-5800
1 888-939-ARAB
Arab Chamber of Commerce
1615 Bay Head Rd.Annapolis MD, 21409
(410) 349 - 1212
