An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document to authenticate the signature, official capacity, and seal or stamp for use in another country that participates in the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
What an apostille does
It simplifies the international authentication of a public document by replacing a longer legalization chain between participating countries. The receiving authority can use the apostille to verify the document’s origin.
What an apostille does not do
- It does not prove that every statement in the underlying document is true.
- It does not replace the original or certified copy required by the receiving authority.
- It does not translate the document.
- It does not guarantee that a foreign agency, school, court, employer, or other recipient will accept the document.
Who issues it in the United States
The authority depends on who issued or certified the document. States and territories designate competent authorities for their own records. The U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications handles eligible federal and consular documents under the federal process.
Apostille compared with related terms
Certified copy: an official copy issued or certified by the record custodian. Notarization: a notary witnesses a signature or performs another act allowed by state law. Authentication certificate: the certificate used in the federal process for countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention. Legalization: additional certification that may include the destination country’s embassy or consulate.
Example
A person using a state birth certificate in a Hague Convention country normally obtains the certified birth certificate and then follows the apostille procedure of the state or territory that issued it. A federal document follows the applicable federal route instead.
Official sources
- Department of State — apostille and authentication certificates
- Department of State — apostille requirements
- Department of State — Hague Apostille Convention overview