|
Apostille is a French word that means certification.
When legal or official documents from one country are to be used in a foreign country, it may sometimes be necessary to authenticate the
validity of the signatures on those documents.
"Authentication" is sometimes called "Verification", "Validation" or "Certification".
more...
|
Apostille is a French word that means certification.
When legal or official documents from one country are to be used in a foreign country, it may sometimes be necessary to authenticate the
validity of the signatures on those documents.
"Authentication" is sometimes called "Verification", "Validation" or "Certification".
Government agencies in most countries require legal and official documents from a different country to be authenticated by a credible
agency in the foreign country before they will accept any documents as valid.
An Apostille is a government-issued document which is used for international validation.
- An Apostille is like an international notary stamp.
- An Apostille attached to a document legally verifies the signature and the position
of the official who has executed, issued or certified a copy of any document.
- An Apostille is a document which bears the signature and, usually, the seal of an official state agency,
usually the Secretary of State.
- An Apostille is attached (usually stapled) to a legal or official document.
An Apostille does not validate the contents of
the document.
An Apostille validates only the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the
document, the capacity in which that official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears.
Most, but not all, countries recognize an Apostille as a legal document.
In 1961 a number of countries got together and agreed to some conventions for conducting international business.
Representatives of the countries met in The Hague, Netherlands, and the agreements that were signed became known as the Hague
Convention of 1961.
Part of the Hague Convention has to do with easing the process of using valid documents from one country in another country.
Prior to 1981 the process of validating foreign documents could be cumbersome, expensive and slow.
Countries that signed the Hague Convention have agreed to recognize valid documents
issued by other signatory countries if those documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized
form of authentication known as an Apostille.
The Apostille ensures that documents issued in one signatory country will be recognized
as valid in another signatory country.
less...
|
|
The following countries have signed the Hague Convention and will accept a document with Apostille attached.
For countries not listed the will issue a which can be affixed to an official
or legal document in the same way in which Apostille is affixed to a document.
more...
|
The following countries have signed the Hague Convention and will accept a document with Apostille attached.
For countries not listed the will issue a which can be affixed to an official
or legal document in the same way in which Apostille is affixed to a document.
| Albania |
Andorra |
Angola |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Andorra |
| Argentina |
Armenia |
Australia |
Austria |
Bahamas |
| Barbados |
Belarus |
Belgium |
Belize |
Bermuda |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina |
Botswana |
Brunei |
Bulgaria |
Colombia |
| Comoros Islands |
Cook Islands |
Croatia |
Cyprus |
Czech Republic |
| Denmark |
Djibouti |
Dominica |
El Salvador |
Estonia |
| Fiji |
Finland |
France |
Georgia |
Germany |
| Gibraltar |
Greece |
Grenada |
Hong Kong |
Honduras |
| Hungary |
India |
Ireland |
Israel |
Italy |
| Japan |
Korea |
Kazakhstan |
Latvia |
Lesotho |
| Liberia |
Liechtenstein |
Lithuania |
Luxembourg |
Macau |
| Macedonia |
Malawi |
Malta |
Marshall Islands |
Mauritius |
| Mexico |
Moldova |
Montserrat |
Mozambique |
Namibia |
| Netherlands |
New Zealand |
Norway |
Panama |
Poland |
| Portugal |
Romania |
Russia |
St. Kitts and Nevis |
St. Lucia |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
Samoa |
San Marino |
Serbia |
Seychelles |
| Slovakia |
Slovenia |
Solomon Islands |
South Africa |
Spain |
| Suriname |
Swaziland |
Sweden |
Switzerland |
Tonga |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
Turkey |
Tuvalu |
Ukraine |
United Kingdom |
| United States |
Vanuatu |
Venezuela |
|
|
less...
|
