Apostille your documents for use in Hague Convention countries

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a standardized certification issued by the competent authority of the country of origin that verifies the authenticity of a public document for use abroad. Established by the 1961 Hague Convention, it is the most widely accepted form of document authentication in international law — recognized in over 125 countries.

When you apply for a visa, move abroad, enroll in a foreign university, or need a document legally recognized in another country, authorities will ask for an apostille. It validates the seal and signature on your original so no further verification is required in the receiving country.

Documents we apostille

Apostille by document type

Each document type follows a specific process and goes to a different issuing authority. Select yours:

Apostille by country of origin

Requirements, timelines, and issuing authorities vary by country. Find your country:

Common reasons for apostille rejection

Most apostille rejections are preventable. Our review catches these issues before we submit:

• Photocopy submitted instead of the original — apostille authorities only accept originals or certified copies directly from the issuing institution.
• Document is too old — many procedures require background checks and similar records to be 3 months old or less, and some accept 5–6 months. Check the checklist for your specific procedure.
• Name inconsistency — your name must be spelled identically across all documents in the set.
• Wrong apostilling authority — a federal document sent to a state office (or vice versa) will be rejected. We know which authority handles each document type.
• Missing intermediate certification — some documents require notarization or authentication before apostille. Skipping this step causes rejection.

Time & cost expectations

Apostille vs. consular legalization

These two processes are not interchangeable. Using the wrong one results in rejection and wasted money.

Countries that require full legalization (not apostille): the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Cuba, and other non-Hague nations. If your destination is on this list, see our legalization service.

How to decide: Check whether the Convention is actually in force between your origin and destination pair, whether the document is a covered public document, and whether any bilateral objection or exemption applies (e.g., Regulation 2016/1191 exempts covered public documents between EU Member States). When the Convention applies and authentication is required → apostille. When it does not apply (or the document is out of scope) → follow the receiving authority's procedure, typically consular legalization where it is demanded.

How long is an apostille valid?

The apostille itself does not expire — it certifies a historical fact (that an official's signature was genuine on a specific date). However, the underlying document may expire for immigration purposes:

• Spain: There is no universal three-to-six-month window for Spain: verified Spanish consular checklists include limits of three, five and six months, generally counted from the issuance date of the certificate. Check the current official checklist of the consular post processing your application.
• Most countries: Birth and marriage certificates must be issued within 6 months.
• Business documents: Certificates of good standing typically need to be issued within 30–90 days.

Coordinate your document requests, apostille processing times, and sworn translations carefully with your final application deadline.

Government apostille fees by country (2026)

Third-party service fees range from $50–$400 depending on urgency and country. Using a professional service makes sense when you need an urgent apostille processed abroad while you are overseas — the service fee is far lower than the cost of a rejected application or a missed deadline.