What exactly does an Apostille mean?
When you present a legal document in a foreign country, it is often very difficult to determine whether the document is genuine and legal. In 1961, the process for legalising documents for use abroad was abolished and replaced by a simple certificate of authenticity, called an ‘Apostille’, under the Hague Convention.
An ‘Apostille’ is a certificate that is attached to an official legal document to verify that the signatory on your document is genuine and person who signed your document is a recognised and authorised person of the organisation that issued the document. Each Apostille is dated, given a unique reference number and registered.
Will an Apostille be accepted by the country where I am presenting my document? We are unable to offer specific advice on whether an Apostille will be accepted by the Country where you are presenting the document. There are 69 Member States of the Hague Convention who will recognise and accept an Apostille Certificate. If your country is not listed on our Member States page, please check with the country where you intend to present your document.
Why do need an Apostille?
In order for documents to be accepted and recongised abroad in another country, they will most likely need to be legalised for authenticity. The body or organisation which you are presenting the documents to should be able to advise you whether you need to have them Legalised / Apostilled. You can obtain advice generally from the relevant Government Department, Educational Establishment, Embassy, Consulate or High Commission of the country concerned in London.