What is an apostille?

The apostille is a certificate that is attached to another document when it is intended for use overseas. It is a way of verifying or authenticating a document for use in another country.

apostille certificate

Put simply an Apostille certificate authenticates an official stamp or signature of a document. For example it may verify a court stamp, a government seal or the public official who has signed the document. The Apostille certificate confirms the person that signed or stamped the document has the authority to do so and that the document should therefore be recognised as legal without further evidence in another member state. A member state being any country which has joined the Hague Convention. For more information about the Hague Convention please see the relevant pages on our website.