What is an apostille?

An apostille is a certification attached to a document to make it valid for use outside the country in which it was issued. It verifies that the document is authentic and meets international standards for use in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention of 1961.


How Does the Apostille Process Work?

  1. Verification: The apostille is issued by the relevant government authority, in the UK’s case, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The authority verifies the document’s authenticity by checking whether the signature or seal matches their records of authorized institutions or individuals.
  2. Attachment: The apostille certificate is physically affixed to the back of the document. A raised seal is then embossed, ensuring the apostille and the document are securely linked.

What Information is Included on the Apostille?

The apostille certificate contains the following details, as required by the Hague Convention:

  • Country of issue
  • Who signed the document (if applicable)
  • The capacity in which the person signed the document (if applicable)
  • Details of any seal on the document (if applicable)
  • Place of issue
  • Date of issue
  • Issuing authority (in the UK, this is the FCDO)
  • Apostille certificate serial number
  • Stamp of issuing authority (raised seal)
  • Signature of representative of the issuing authority

Note: The apostille will either reference the person who signed the document or the seal on the document, depending on the context.


How is the Apostille Attached to the Document?

  • The apostille is stuck on the reverse side of the document.
  • A raised seal is then embossed through both the original document and the apostille certificate to authenticate the document as officially verified.

Which Countries Accept an Apostille?

An apostille is accepted in all Hague Convention signatory countries, without requiring further legalisation or attestation by the country’s embassy. Here’s a list of countries that accept an apostille

  • Albania Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia
    Azerbaijan Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain
    Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Botswana Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burundi Cape Verde
    Colombia Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus
    Czech Republic Denmark Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador
    El Salvador Estonia Fiji Finland France
    Georgia Germany Greece Grenada Honduras
    Hong Kong* Hungary Iceland India Ireland
    Israel Italy Japan Kazakhstan Korea, Republic of (South)
    Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein
    Lithuania Luxembourg Macao* Macedonia, FYR of Malawi
    Malta Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Moldova
    Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Namibia Netherlands
    New Zealand Nicaragua Niue Norway Oman
    Panama Paraguay Peru Poland Portugal
    Romania Russian Federation Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    Sao Tome and Principe Samoa San Marino Serbia Seychelles
    Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Suriname
    Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tonga Trinidad and Tobago
    Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Uruguay USA
    Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela

What If the Country Is Not on the List?

If the country where you need to present the document is not on the list of apostille-accepting countries, you will need further legalisation through that country’s embassy before it can be accepted. We can assist you in arranging this additional step.


Summary

An apostille is a valuable certificate that ensures your document is recognised internationally. For documents to be used in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention, the apostille is often all that’s needed. However, if your destination country is not a signatory, embassy legalisation may be required.

If you need help obtaining an apostille or legalising a document, get in touch, and we can guide you through the process.

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