Apostille

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What is the meaning of the Apostille?

An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the signature of a public official on a document for use in another country.

An Apostille certifies:

To apostille a document, the country where it will be presented must be part of the Hague Convention. If the country of destination is not part of the convention, the process used is the Legalization. 

• the authenticity of the signature of the public official who signed the document,
• the capacity in which that public official acted, and
• when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears, e.g. a notary public sea

The documents to be apostilled must be original, with the signature of the competent authority previously registered in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Apostille does not validate the contents of the document.

When you need an apostille:

• Documents such as vital records issued by a U.S. state will need an apostille from that state's secretary of state.
• Federal documents will need an apostille from the U.S. Department of State.

A document that has been apostilled does not require further procedures or legalization to be valid in any of the countries parties to the Hague Convention.

What Do I Need To Get An Apostille?

The office of the Secretary of State requires the following if one’s document is to be apostilled:

1. The original notarized copy of the document to be apostilled.
2. A standard fixed fee ( depends on each country ) 
3. Already filled Certificate of Authentication Request Form. The form typically includes information such as your contact details (including your mobile phone number) and your mail information for the document to be sent after processing. You would have to include the name of the country requesting the documents as each one has different requirements.