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Are you planning to go abroad for higher studies? Do you need your passport copy to be authenticated so that you can start your new job abroad? Do you want to start a partnership with a company in a foreign country? Do you want to visit a foreign country for a vacation? There are plenty of reasons why you might need to use your documents issued in the home country to be used abroad, such as passport copies, mark sheets, degree certificates, marriage certificates, and others. But, before a foreign country can use these documents, they need to be authenticated to ensure that they are legal and valid. For this, you need Apostille Services.
Before the Hague Treaty Convention was signed on October 5, 1961, the process of authentication of documents was a lengthy process. It required long chains as well as multiple layers of legalization for the document to be valid. It first had to be legalized by the officials of the country where the documents were issued and then by the Foreign Embassy or the Consulate of the country where the documents need to be used. The process was not just lengthy but pricey too. It is the reason why hundreds of countries have come together and signed the Hague Convention. It has helped simplify and streamline the entire process of the legalization of documents so that they are valid internationally.
What is an Apostille, and What Does it Look Like?
The word ‘Apostille’ is derived from a French word, which means ‘certification.’ It is pronounced as “ah-po-steel.” Apostille is a sheet of paper, which is attached to the front or the back of a document that needs to be apostilled. It can also be in the form of an additional page accompanying the document signed by the required authority.
In simple words, an apostille is a special certificate that is issued by the Secretary of State. It is attached to original documents to verify and authenticate its legitimacy. It is the only way that these documents will be accepted as valid by foreign countries who are a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. Some of the documents that can be apostilled are birth certificates, death certificates, mark sheets, educational certificates, adoption papers, affidavit, patent applications, divorce decrees, power of attorney, and more.
When Do You Need an Apostille?
Apostille can only be issued for public documents that are issued in a country that is a member of the Apostille Convention and also is to be used in a foreign country, which is also a part of the Convention. Also, the law of the country where the document was issued must recognize it as a public document. The country where you wish to use the document should also need an apostille to identify the document as valid.
Here is the updated list of the member countries where the Apostille Convention applies.
What is the effect of an Apostille?
An apostille certifies the signature or a seal of the authority or person that has signed the public document and the capacity to which it was done. It, however, does not certify the content of the public document. Apostille is strictly for the use of public documents in a foreign country that is part of the Hague Convention.
It is best to use a professional and experienced apostille services provider to help you with the process as it can be quite complicated and time-consuming, especially if you are getting it done for the first time.
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