The Apostille

When a document is to be used in a foreign country, it may be necessary to have the document authenticated. An authentication certifies the signature and the capacity of the official who has executed the document. The authentication may also authenticate the seal of the official.

An apostille is an authentication of a public document issued pursuant to the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. The Convention provides for the simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries that have joined the convention. Under the Hague Convention, signatory countries have agreed to recognize public documents issued by other signatory countries if those public documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized form of authentication known as an apostille. The apostille ensures that public documents issued in one signatory country will be recognized as valid in another signatory country.

The apostille itself is a stamp or printed form consisting of 10 numbered standard fields. On the top is the text APOSTILLE, under which the text Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961 (English: Hague Convention of 5 October 1961) is placed.

In the numbered fields the following information is added:

1. Country ... [country name] This public document
2. has been signed by ... [name]
3. acting in the capacity of ... [function]
4. bears the seal/stamp of ... [authority] certified
5. at ... [location]
6. the ... [date]
7. by ... [name]
8. No ... [apostille registration number
9. Seal/stamp ... [of the authority giving the apostille]
10. Signature ... [signature of authority giving the apostille]

The information can be placed on the (back of the) document itself or attached to the document as an allonge.The following states/countries are all members of the Hague Convention and recognize the apostille. The apostille certificate will be legally recognized and no further legalization or embassy certification should be required.

List of Hague Convention Countries

A

• Albania
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan

B

• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria

C

• China (Hong Kong)
• China (Macao)
• Colombia
• Cook Islands
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic

D

• Denmark
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic

E

• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Estonia

F

• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• FYR of Macedonia

G

• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Grenada

H

• Honduras
• Hungary

I

• Iceland
• India
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy

J

• Japan

K

• Kazakhstan
• Korea (Republic of)

L

• Latvia
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg

M

• Malawi
• Malta
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro

N

• Namibia
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Niue
• Norway

P

• Panama
• Poland
• Portugal

R

• Republic of Moldova
• Romania
• Russian Federation

S

• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Suriname
• Swaziland
• Sweden
• Switzerland

T

• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago

U

• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• USA

V

• Vanuatu
• Venezuela

Download List of Hague Convention Countries