hague conference on private international law

Ap
os
til
le
s

The ABCsof Apostilles
How to ensurethat your public
documents will
be recognisedabroadThis brochure provides practical replies to 			the following frequently asked questions 			
about the Apostille Convention:
1> What is an Apostille and when do I need one?

2 > In which countries does the Apostille		 Convention apply?
3 >
		
		
		

What do I do if either the country where my
public document was issued or the country
where I need to use my public document is
not a party to the Apostille Convention?

Model of an Apostille as annexedto the Convention

4 > To which documents does the Apostille		 Convention apply?
5 > Where do I get an Apostille?
6 > What do I need to know before requesting an 				 Apostille?

APOSTILLE(Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)
1. Country: ..................................................
This public document
2. has been signed by ................................................................
3. acting in the capacity of ........................................................

7 > How much does an Apostille cost?

4. bears the seal/stamp of ........................................................
................................................................................................

8 > Do all Apostilles have to look exactly the same?
9 > How are Apostilles affixed to public documents?

Certified
5. at .......................................

6. the .......................................

7. by ............................................................................................

10 > What are the effects of an Apostille?

.................................................................................................
8. No .....................................

11 > Once I have an Apostille, do I need anything		 else to show that the signature or seal on my		 public document is genuine?
12 > If the recipient of my Apostille wants to verify
		 my Apostille, what should I suggest?
13 > Can Apostilles be rejected in the country
		 where they are to be used?
14 > What about electronic Apostilles and electronic 		
		 Registers of Apostilles?

9. Seal/stamp:...........................................

10. Signature:..................................................

2

Public documents, such as birth certificates, judgments,
patents or notarial attestations (acknowledgments) of
signatures, frequently need to be used abroad. However,before a public document can be used in a country otherthan the one that issued it, its origin must often beauthenticated. The traditional method for authenticating
public documents to be used abroad is called legalisationand consists of a chain of individual authenticationsof the document. This process involves officials of thecountry where the document was issued as well as theforeign Embassy or Consulate of the country where
the document is to be used. Because of the number ofauthorities involved, the legalisation process is frequently
slow, cumbersome and costly.

3

The Apostille Convention has proven to be extremely
useful and is applied millions of times each year
throughout the world. It greatly facilitates the circulationof public documents issued by a country party to theConvention and that are to be used in another country
also party to the Convention.

This brochure provides basic
information about the ApostilleConvention. It explains in particularwhen, where and how the Convention
applies, who issues Apostilles, what theeffects of an Apostille are and what you
need to think about before you ask for
an Apostille.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

A large number of countries all over the world havejoined a treaty that greatly simplifies the authenticationof public documents to be used abroad. This treaty iscalled the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing
the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign PublicDocuments. It is commonly known as the ApostilleConvention. Where it applies, the treaty reduces theauthentication process to a single formality: the issuanceof an authentication certificate by an authority designatedby the country where the public document was issued.
This certificate is called an Apostille.

For further details, please see the website of the Hague
Conference on Private International Law (Hague
Conference) at www.hcch.net. The Hague Conference is
the Organisation that developed the Apostille Convention(see the info at the end of this brochure). All relevant
and updated information about the Apostille Convention
is available in the ‘Apostille Section’ of the Hague
Conference website – look for the link entitled:
Apostille Section (incl. e-APP)

4What is an
Apostille andwhen do I
need one?
www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 1

5

Question 1 What is an Apostille and when do I need one?
An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the originof a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or deathcertificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or anotarial attestation). The Model Apostille Certificate isreproduced at the beginning of this brochure.
Apostilles can only be issued for documents issued in
one country party to the Apostille Convention and thatare to be used in another country which is also a party to
the Convention.
You will need an Apostille if all of the following apply:• the country where the document was issued isparty to the Apostille Convention; and• the country in which the document is to be used isparty to the Apostille Convention; and• the law of the country where the document wasissued considers it to be a public document; and• the country in which the document is to be usedrequires an Apostille in order to recognise it as aforeign public document.
An Apostille may never be used for the recognition ofa document in the country where that document wasissued – Apostilles are strictly for the use of public
documents abroad!

An Apostille may not be required if the laws,
regulations, or practice in force in the country where
the public document is to be used have abolishedor simplified the requirement of an Apostille, or
have exempted the document from any legalisation
requirement. Such simplification or exemption may
also result from a treaty or other agreement that is inforce between the country where the public document
is to be used and the country that issued it (e.g., someother Hague Conventions exempt documents fromlegalisation or any analogous formality, including an
Apostille).
If you have any doubts, you should ask the intended
recipient of your document whether an Apostille isnecessary in your particular case.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

6

In whichcountries does
the ApostilleConvention apply?
www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 2

7

Question 2 In which countries does the Apostille Convention apply?
The Apostille Convention only applies if both thecountry where the public document was issued andthe country where the public document is to be used
are parties to the Convention. A comprehensive andupdated list of the countries where the ApostilleConvention applies, or will soon apply, is available in
the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website– look for the link entitled Status table of the ApostilleConvention.
The Status table of the Apostille Convention has twoparts: the first part lists countries that have joined theApostille Convention and are also Members of the Hague
Conference (i.e., the Organisation that developed theConvention); the second part lists countries that havejoined the Apostille Convention but are not Members of theHague Conference. In other words, a country does notneed to be a Member of the Hague Conference to be
party to the Apostille Convention.

ÛWhen checking the Status table of the ApostilleDo not confuse theConvention, always keep the following in mind:
Status table of the Apostille
1 Check if both the country where the public
Convention with other lists
document was issued and the country where theof countries on the Hague
document is to be used are listed in either part of theConference website, such
Status table.
as the list of Members of
2 It does not matter whether a country appears in thethe Hague Conference on
first or the second part of the Status table – thePrivate International Law orConvention applies equally to Members and nonstatus tables of other Hague
Members of the Organisation.
Conventions. A country may
3 Check the date of entry into force of the Convention
be party to one or several
for both countries. Look for the column entitled ‘EIF’of the many other Hague– only after that date can the relevant country issue
Conventions but not to theand receive Apostilles.
Apostille Convention, or a
4 There are different ways for a country to become acountry may be party to theparty to the Convention (ratification, accession, succession Apostille Convention withoutor continuation), but these differences have no impact on being party to any other Hague
how the Convention operates in a country.
Conventions.
5 If one of the countries has acceded to theConvention, check that the other country has not objectedto that accession; to find out, see the column entitled‘Type’ next to the acceding country’s name and check if
there is a link entitled ‘A**’ – if so, click on it and check
whether the other country is listed.
6 Check whether the Convention applies to the entire
territory of a country or only to parts of it; to find out,
see if there is a link in the columns entitled ‘Ext’ and‘Res/D/N’ – if so, click on it and read the relevant
information.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

8What do I do ifeither the country
where my public
document wasissued or thecountry where I
need to use mypublic document
is not a party
to the ApostilleConvention?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 3

9

Question 3 What do I do if either the country where my public
document was issued or the country where I need to use mypublic document is not a party to the Apostille Convention?
If your public document was issued or is to be used
in a country where the Apostille Convention does not
apply, you should contact the Embassy or a Consulateof the country where you intend to use the document inorder to find out what your options are. The Permanent
Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague Conference does notprovide assistance in such cases.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille Section

10

To whichdocuments does
the ApostilleConvention apply?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 4

11

Question 4 To which documents does the ApostilleConvention apply?
The Convention only applies to public documents.
Whether or not a document is a public document isdetermined by the law of the country in which the
document was issued. Countries typically apply theConvention to a wide variety of documents. Most
Apostilles are issued for documents of an administrative
nature, including birth, marriage and death certificates;
documents emanating from an authority or an official
connected with a court, tribunal or commission;
extracts from commercial registers and other registers;
patents; notarial acts and notarial attestations(acknowledgments) of signatures; school, university andother academic diplomas issued by public institutions.
The Apostille Convention does not apply to documents
executed by diplomatic or consular agents.
The Convention also excludes from its scope certain
administrative documents related to commercial or
customs operations.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille Section

Û

If you are not surewhether a particular document
is a public document, you
should contact the relevant
Competent Authority of
the country that issued the
document (as discussed in thenext question).

12

Where do I get
an Apostille?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 5

13

Question 5 Where do I get an Apostille?
Each country that is party to the Convention mustdesignate one or several authorities that are entitled toissue Apostilles. These authorities are called Competent
Authorities – only they are permitted to issue Apostilles.
The list of all Competent Authorities designated byeach country that has joined the Apostille Convention
is available in the Apostille Section of the Hague
Conference website.
Some countries have designated only one Competent
Authority. Other countries have designated several
Competent Authorities either to ensure that there
are Competent Authorities in different regions of thecountry or because different government entities are
responsible for different kinds of public documents; insome federal systems, the national Government may be
responsible for certain types of documents whereas acomponent state or local government may
be responsible for others.
If a country has designated various Competent
Authorities, make sure you identify the relevant
Competent Authority for your request.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

Most Apostilles are issued on the same day they arerequested.
The Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website
provides full contact details of most Competent
Authorities, including links to the websites ofCompetent Authorities where available.

www.hcch.net > Apostille SectionÛ

A public document
can only be apostillised by
the relevant Competent
Authority of the country
that issued the document.
While the Permanent Bureau(Secretariat) of the Hague
Conference provides a broad
range of services to support
Contracting States in theeffective implementationand practical operation of theApostille Convention, it does
not issue any Apostilles, does
not maintain any register of
Apostilles and does not keep
any copies of Apostilles.

14

What do I needto know before
requesting an
Apostille?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 6

15

Question 6 What do I need to know before requesting an Apostille?

•

•

•

•

•
•

•
•

Before you approach a Competent Authority about
getting an Apostille, you should consider questions
such as:
Does the Apostille Convention apply in boththe country that issued the public document and thecountry where I intend to use it?
If the country that issued the public document has
designated several Competent Authorities, which one is
the relevant Competent Authority to issue an Apostillefor my public document?
Can I get an Apostille for my public document, i.e.,
is my document considered a public document under
the law of the country where it was issued?
Can I request an Apostille by mail or must I appear
in person? This is particularly relevant if you are living
in a country other than the country that issued yourpublic document.
If I have multiple documents, will I need multiple
Apostilles?
Are there other documents (in addition to the
public document) or additional information that I
need to provide to get an Apostille (e.g., a document
establishing my identity or a stamped envelope in thecase of requests by mail)?
How much does an Apostille cost and what formsof payment are available?
If you cannot find
How long will it take to get the Apostille?
the answers to these questions

Ûin this brochure, see theinformation available in the
Apostille Section of the Hague
Conference website. If you
still cannot find an answer,
contact the relevant Competent
Authority.
The Apostille Section provides
full contact details of mostCompetent Authorities,
including links to the websitesof Competent Authorities
where available.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille Section

16

How muchdoes an
Apostille cost?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 7

17

Question 7 How much does an Apostille cost?
The Apostille Convention is silent on the cost of
Apostilles. As a result, the practice among Competent
Authorities varies greatly.
Many Competent Authorities do charge for Apostilles;
when they do, the prices vary greatly. For practicalinformation on the prices that individual countries
charge, see the information available in the
Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille Section

18

Do all Apostilles
have to look exactly
the same?
www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 8

19

Question 8 Do all Apostilles have to look exactly the same?
No. An Annex to the Apostille Convention provides aModel Apostille Certificate (which is reproduced at the
beginning of this brochure). Apostilles should conformas closely as possible to this Model Certificate.
In particular, an Apostille must:• be identified as an Apostille; and• include the short version of the French title of theConvention (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961);
and• include a box with the 10 numbered standard 		
informational items.

•
•

•
•

An Apostille may also provide additional information.
For example, an Apostille may:provide extra information about the public document towhich it relates;
recall the limited effect of an Apostille (i.e., that it only
certifies the origin of the public document to which it
relates);
provide a web-address (URL) of a register where theorigin of the Apostille may be verified; or
specify that the Apostille is not to be used in the country
that issued it.
However, such additional information must beoutside the box that holds the 10 numbered standard
informational items.

www.hcch.net > Apostille SectionÛWhile an Apostilleshould conform as closely
as possible to the Model
Certificate, in practice
Apostilles issued by different
Competent Authorities vary.
These variations may be indesign, size and colour as wellas in any additional elements
mentioned outside the boxthat holds the 10 numbered
standard informational items.
Such variations in appearance
are not a basis for refusal of
an Apostille by the intended
recipient!

20

How are Apostilles
affixed to public
documents?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 9

21

Question 9 How are Apostilles affixed to public documents?
An Apostille must be placed directly on the public
document itself or on a separate attached page (called
an allonge). Apostilles may be affixed by various means,including rubber stamps, self-adhesive stickers,
impressed seals, etc.
If an Apostille is placed on an allonge, the latter can be
attached to the underlying public document by a variety
of means, including glue, grommets, staples, ribbons,
wax seals, etc. While all of these means are acceptable
under the Convention, Competent Authorities areencouraged to use more secure methods of affixation
so as to safeguard the integrity of the Apostille.
Failure to affix an Apostille in a particular manner is
not a basis for refusing the Apostille.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille SectionÛYou should neverdetach an Apostille, regardlessof whether it is placed directlyon the public document or onan allonge!

22

What are theeffects of an
Apostille?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 10

23

Question 10 What are the effects of an Apostille?
An Apostille only certifies the origin of the public
document to which it relates: it certifies the authenticityof the signature or seal of the person or authority thatsigned or sealed the public document and the capacityin which this was done.
An Apostille does not certify the content of the public
document to which it relates.
Apostilles are not grants of authority and do not give
any additional weight to the content of underlying
documents.
An Apostille may never be used for the recognitionof a document in the country where that document
was issued – Apostilles are strictly for use of public
documents abroad.
It is up to the country where the Apostille is to be used
to decide how much weight to give to the underlying
public document.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille SectionÛ

An Apostille only
certifies the origin of the
public document to which it
relates, never the content of that
document.

24

Once I have an
Apostille, do I
need anythingelse to show thatthe signature orseal on my public
document isgenuine?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 11

25

Question 11 Once I have an Apostille, do I need anythingelse to show that the signature or seal on my public document
is genuine?
No. An Apostille issued by the relevant Competent
Authority is all that is required to establish that asignature or seal on a public document is genuine andto establish the capacity of the person or authority thatsigned or sealed the public document.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille Section

ÛIf the Convention
applies, an Apostille is the
only formality that is required
to establish the origin of
the public document – noadditional requirement may
be imposed to authenticate theorigin of the public document.

26

If the recipient of
my Apostille wants
to verify my
Apostille, whatshould I suggest?
www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 12

27

Question 12 If the recipient of my Apostille wants to verify
my Apostille, what should I suggest?
Each Competent Authority is required to keep a registerin which it records the date and number of every
Apostille it issues, as well as information relating to theperson or authority that signed or sealed the underlying
public document.
Recipients may contact the Competent Authority
identified on the Apostille and ask whether the
information on the Apostille corresponds with theinformation in the register.
In order to verify a particular Apostille, recipients may
contact the Competent Authority. Contact information
for the Competent Authorities, including phone
numbers and website information, such as the URL of
e-Registers where applicable, is available in the
Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website.
Many Competent Authorities have started to operate
online electronic Registers (e-Registers). These
e-Registers allow for easy online queries to verify theorigin of an Apostille without Competent Authorities
having to answer these queries individually by phone,e-mail or otherwise. If a Competent Authority operates
such an e-Register, the web address of the e-Register ismentioned on the Apostille.
While the Permanent Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague
Conference provides a broad range of services to support
Contracting States in the effective implementation andpractical operation of the Apostille Convention, it does
If the intended
not issue any Apostilles, does not maintain any register recipient of your apostillisedof Apostilles and does not keep any copies of Apostilles. public document hasÛdoubts about the origin of
the Apostille, you should
encourage him or her toimmediately contact theCompetent Authority
mentioned on the Apostilleand ask the latter to verify
whether it really issued theApostille. If available, an
e-Register allows for a quick
online query.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

28

Can Apostilles
be rejected in the
country where they
are to be used?
www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 13

29

Question 13 Can Apostilles be rejected in the country
where they are to be used?
Apostilles issued in accordance with the requirementsof the Convention must be recognised in the country
where they are to be used.
Apostilles may only be rejected if and when:• their origin cannot be verified (i.e., if and when theparticulars on the Apostille do not correspond withthose in the register kept by the Competent Authoritythat allegedly issued the Apostille); or• their formal elements differ radically from theModel Certificate annexed to the Convention.
While an Apostille should conform as closely as possible
to the Model Certificate annexed to the Convention,in practice Apostilles issued by different Competent
Authorities vary in design, size and colour as well as inany additional elements that may be included on theCertificate. Such variations in appearance are not a basis
for refusal of an Apostille.
Failure to affix an Apostille to the public document
in a particular manner is not a basis for refusing theApostille. The mere fact that an Apostille has been
affixed by a method that differs from the method(s)employed by the country where it is to be used is not areason for the rejection of the Apostille.
Additional text on an Apostille outside the box withthe 10 numbered standard informational items is not abasis for rejection of an Apostille.
‘Apostille Certificates’ issued by countries that are notparty to the Convention must be rejected in all otherStates as being contrary to the Convention.

www.hcch.net > Apostille Section

30

What about
electronic Apostilles
and electronic
Registers of
Apostilles?

hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé

question 14

31

Question 14 What about electronic Apostilles and electronic
Registers of Apostilles?
The Convention does allow Competent Authorities toissue Apostilles in electronic form (e-Apostilles) and tomaintain electronic registers of Apostilles (e-Registers).
Many Competent Authorities are developing andimplementing e-Apostilles and e-Registers, as suggestedby the Permanent Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague
Conference under the electronic Apostille Pilot Program(e-APP). For more information about the e-APP ingeneral, and on whether a particular Competent
Authority issues e-Apostilles and/or maintains an
e-Register, see the e-APP website at www.e-APP.info(in particular the Status of the e-APP).

www.hcch.net > Apostille Sectionwww.hcch.net > Apostille Section

About the Hague Conference on
Private International Law
The Hague Conference on Private International Law
was established in 1893 and became a permanentintergovernmental organisation in 1955. Today,
the Hague Conference is the pre-eminent World
Organisation dealing with cross-border legal issues incivil and commercial matters. Its mission is to work
towards a world in which individuals and companies
can enjoy a high degree of legal certainty in crossborder situations.
Responding to the needs of a globalisinginternational community, the Hague Conference
develops multilateral Conventions (45 since 1893)
and assists with their implementation and practicaloperation. These Hague Conventions deal with suchdiverse fields as Apostilles; service of process abroad;taking of evidence abroad; shares, bonds and othersecurities; child abduction, intercountry adoption,
maintenance obligations, etc. These Conventions
serve to build bridges between various legal systems
while respecting their diversity. The Secretariat of theHague Conference is called the Permanent Bureau.
hague conference on private international law
permanent bureau
6, Scheveningseweg
2517 KT The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (70) 363 3303
Fax: +31 (70) 360 4867
E-mail: secretariat@hcch.net
Website: www.hcch.net