Apostille
What is an Apostille?
An Apostille is a document attestation under The Apostille Hague Convention, officially known as "The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents," which is an international treaty facilitating the authentication of public documents between countries.
The Apostille Hague Convention eliminates the need for lengthy legalization processes, adopting a standardized certificate verifying document authenticity. The Apostille facilitates document acceptance across participating countries and streamlines document processing for individuals and businesses.
Can I use an Apostille?
Apostilles are recognized in countries who are a party to the Apostille Hague Convention. To date, over 120 countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. Here's a breakdown:
Countries and Territories
1. Europe: All European Union (EU) member states, plus Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
2. Americas: Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
3. Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, China, Cyprus, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
4. Africa: Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Zambia.
What kind of documents are eligible for Apostille?
Here's an extensive list of documents that can be apostilled:
Corporate Documents
1. License & Certificate of Incorporation
2. Memorandum of Association & Article of Association
3. Register of Members
4. Share Certificate
5. Certificate of Incumbency
6. Certificate of good standing
7. Resolutions
8. Power of Attorney
9. Audit report
10. Other corporate documents
Personal Documents
1. Birth certificates: Original or certified copies
2. Marriage certificates: Original or certified copies
3. Death certificates: Original or certified copies
4. Divorce decrees: Certified copies
5. Passports: Copies of passport pages (some countries)
6. ID cards: Copies of national ID cards (some countries)
7. Driver's licenses: Copies (some countries)
Educational Documents
1. Diplomas: Original or certified copies
2. Transcripts: Official transcripts
3. Degree certificates: Original or certified copies
4. Certification of enrollment: University/college enrollment verification
5. Diploma supplements: European Union diploma supplements
Commercial Documents
1. Invoices: Original or certified copies
2. Contracts: Signed and notarized contracts
3. Certificates of origin: Commercial invoices with origin certification
4. Powers of attorney: Notarized powers of attorney
5. Business registration: Company registration documents
6. Export licenses: Certified copies
7. Certificates of good standing: Company good standing certificates
Legal Documents
1. Court judgments: Certified copies
2. Decrees: Certified copies
3. Notarized documents: Documents notarized by a public notary
4. Wills: Certified copies
5. Probate documents: Certified copies
6. Adoption papers: Certified copies
7. Divorce agreements: Certified copies
Government Documents
1. Police clearances: Certified copies
2. FBI background checks: Certified copies (US)
3. Medical certificates: Original or certified copies
4. Vaccination records: Original or certified copies
5. Certified copies of patents: Intellectual property documents
Other Documents
1. Affidavits: Notarized affidavits
2. Deeds: Certified copies
3. Titles: Vehicle titles (some countries)
4. Maritime documents: Ship registration, ownership documents
5. Aircraft documents: Aircraft registration, ownership documents
Expert consultation and support
Should you have any further questions on the Apostille, feel free to contact AttestationPro professionals to guide you through the intricacies of document Apostille.
