An apostille (french for certification) is a particular seal applied by a government authority to certify that a document is a true copy of an original.

Apostilles are obtainable in countries, which signed the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, popularly identified as The Hague Convention. This convention replaces the previously applied time-consuming chain certification procedure, exactly where you had to go to 4 various authorities to get a document certified. The Hague Convention supplies for the simplified certification of public (such as notarized) documents to be utilized in countries and territories that have joined the convention.

Documents destined for use in participating nations and their territories should really be certified by one particular of the officials in the jurisdiction in which the document has been executed. With this certification by the Hague Convention Apostille, the document is entitled to recognition in the nation of intended use, and no certification by the U.S. Division of State, Authentications Office or legalization by the embassy or consulate is expected.

Note, whilst the apostille is an official certification that the document is a true copy of the original, it does not certify that the original document’s content material is appropriate.

Why Do You Need to have an Apostille?

An apostille can be applied anytime a copy of an official document from an additional nation is necessary. For example for opening a bank account in the foreign nation in the name of your business or for registering your U.S. corporation with foreign government authorities or even when proof of existence of a U.S. organization is expected to enter in to a contract abroad. In all of these circumstances an American document, even a copy certified for use in the U.S., will not be acceptable. An apostille must be attached to the U.S. document to authenticate that document for use in Hague Convention nations.

Who Can Get an Apostille?

Since October 15, 1981, the United States has been portion of the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Any one who requirements to use a U.S. public document (such as Articles of Organization or Incorporation issued by a Secretary of State) in one particular of the Hague Convention countries could request and receive an apostille for that precise nation.

How to Get an Apostille?

Obtaining an apostille can be a complicated course of action. In most American states, the course of action entails obtaining an original, certified copy of the document you seek to confirm with an apostille from the issuing agency and then forwarding it to a Secretary of State (or equivalent) of the state in question with a request for apostille.

Nations That Accept Apostille

All members of the Hague Convention recognise apostille.

Countries Not Accepting Apostille

In nations which are not signatories to the 1961 convention and do not recognize the apostille, a foreign public document will have to be legalized by a consular officer in the country which issued the document. In lieu of an apostille, documents in the U.S. typically will acquire a Certificate of Authentication.

Legalization is commonly accomplished by sending a certified copy of the document to U.S. apostille single status affidavit of State in Washington, D.C., for authentication, and then legalizing the authenticated copy with the consular authority for the nation where the document is intended to be utilised.