What is an apostille?

The term apostille refers to a certification of a legal document, including wills, birth certificates and other similar documents, for international purposes. This process was established under the Hague Convention and abolishes the requirement that foreign public documents obtain separate legalization. In order to be acceptable for legal international use in countries that have signed the Hague Convention agreement, documents that have been notarized by a notary public need to be certified with a conformant apostille.  

Actually obtaining an apostille may be complex, as you may need to visit several offices to receive the necessary certification. If you are attempting to certify a document within a country that has not signed the Hague Convention, you must obtain legalization by a consular or embassy from the country that issued the foreign public document. Another exception to the general rules of an apostille is the United States, which usually issues a Certificate of Authentication rather than an apostille. Sam’s Passport is ready to help you with your foreign public document legalization requirements, whether you need an apostille or an embassy legalization. 

Hague Member Countries that Use Apostilles

Albania

Andorra

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Aruba

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

China (Macau)

China (Hong Kong)

Colombia

Cook Islands

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Dominica

Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

Fiji

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Grenada

Honduras

Hungary

Iceland

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Korea

Latvia

Lesotho

Liberia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malawi

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Mexico

Moldova, Republic of

Monaco

Montenegro

Namibia

Netherlands

New Zealand

Niue

Norway

Panama

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent Grenadines

Samoa

San Marino

Serbia

Seychelles

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Suriname

Swaziland

Sweden

Switzerland

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom (U.K.)

United States of America

Venezuela 

Non-Hague Member Countries that Require Embassy Legalization

Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Chad
Chile
China

Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Cuba *Cuba Interests Section
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea - Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Indonesia
Iran *Iran Interests Section
Iraq

Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia

Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nauru
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine *Palestine Mission (PLO)
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Uganda
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe