DD-214 and Military Service Records

Issuing agency

Department of Defense / National Personnel Records Center

We can obtain it?

Yes, we retrieve this for you

Certification first?

Yes, before Department of State

Also known as

discharge papers, DD Form 214, military service record

A DD-214 is your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty — the definitive record of U.S. military service. Veterans need it apostilled to claim benefits abroad, establish residency, or access foreign pensions and veteran programs.

Unlike most federal documents, this is one we can obtain for you if you no longer have a usable copy, and it usually needs a certification step before the Department of State will authenticate it.

Why it needs an apostille abroad

A foreign authority cannot verify a U.S. military discharge record on its own. The apostille from the U.S. Department of State certifies it as genuine for use across Hague Convention countries. Non-Hague destinations need authentication plus embassy legalization.

How to get DD-214 / Military Records for use overseas

The certification step

A DD-214 usually cannot go straight to apostille — it first needs certification appropriate to how it was issued, so the Department of State recognizes the signing authority. We arrange that certification as part of the order, which is the step most people miss.

If you need a copy retrieved

If your DD-214 is lost or you only have an unofficial version, we can request certified service records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) for you, then take them through certification and apostille together.

Common reasons veterans apostille a DD-214

• Veteran benefits abroad — proving service to access benefits or programs in another country.
• Residency applications — some countries weigh military service in residency or visa decisions.
• Foreign pension claims — establishing eligibility for pensions tied to service.
• Dual nationality and family records — completing a status file abroad.