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Apostille (including Hague Apostille Country List)

Updated: Jul 15



1. What is Apostille?


An Apostille (pronounced “ah-po-steel”) is a French word meaning certification. It certifies the authenticity of a public document, signature or stamp. It is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. Here is a list of countries that accept Apostilles.


The apostille ensures that public documents issued in one member country will be recognized as valid in another member country.  Since the introduction of the apostille as a form of notarial certification, the international transfer of documents has become far easier and faster. Apostilles require no further diplomatic or consular legalization.


2. What's the process of Apostille?


A. Have your documents notarized by a notary public (if any) or get an original document or a certified copy from the authorities.


B. Get the Apostille from the Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State.

  • State-issued documents need to be apostilled by the Secretary of State where the documents were issued. A state-issued document with an apostille does not require additional certification by the U.S. Department of State or legalization by a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to be recognized in a participating country.


  • Federally-issued documents need to be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.


3. What countries are members of the Hague Apostille Convention?


Albania

Andorra

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan


Bahamas

Bahrain

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Burundi


Cabo Verde

Chile

China (Hong Kong)

China (Macau)

China (Mainland)

Colombia

Cook Islands

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic


Denmark

Dominica

Dominican Republic


Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

Eswatini


Fiji

Finland

France


Georgia

Germany

Greece

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana


Honduras

Hungary


Iceland

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Israel

Italy


Jamaica

Japan


Kazakhstan

Kosovo

Kyrgyzstan


Latvia

Lesotho

Liberia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg


Malawi

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco


Namibia

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Niue

North Macedonia

Norway


Oman


Pakistan

Palau

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal


Republic of Korea

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Rwanda


Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

San Marino

Sao Tome and Principe

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland


Tajikistan

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey


Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States of America

Uruguay

Uzbekistan


Vanuatu

Venezuela


The above list is from here.


Tips: Please note that if the document is issued by or will be used in a Non-Hague Apostille Country, the document should be authenticated (not apostilled) by the competent authorities and need additional legalization by a Consulate or Embassy office.

 

American Notary Service Center Inc. provides fair, fast, confidential, and professional document notarization and certification services for our clients. We also provide various assistance services to small businesses led by socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Our service helps small businesses obtain federal government contracts, gain a foothold in the market, and boost their sales. For more information, please visit our website at www.usnotarycenter.com, and contact us by calling 202-599-0777 or by email at info@usnotarycenter.com.

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