Everything About Apostilles & Legalization

For an eligible public document, check whether the Apostille Convention is in force between the issuing and receiving States and whether an exemption applies. An apostille authenticates the document's origin; it does not guarantee acceptance of its contents. If the Convention is not in force between the two States (for example, documents for the UAE or Qatar), the receiving State's consular procedure applies. For country-specific routes, see our country-by-country guide.

Contact us with three pieces of information: (1) what document you have, (2) the country that issued it, and (3) the destination country and purpose. That is enough for us to give you a complete assessment and quote — no commitment required.

No. Our entire process is remote. You send scanned copies for free review, then mail originals by courier. We return apostilled documents by express delivery. No office visits required.

An Apostille is a specialized certificate issued by a government authority that authenticates the seals and signatures of officials on public documents. Where the Convention is applicable between the issuing and the receiving country, a valid apostille is recognised as authentication of the document's origin, not as automatic approval of its contents, age, translation or fitness for the intended procedure.

For an eligible public document, the route depends on whether the Apostille Convention is in force between the issuing and receiving States, plus any objections, document-scope issues or exemptions. Where it applies, the authentication is a single-step apostille. Where it does not, the receiving State's procedure applies — for non-members like the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, typically a multi-step chain of authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country and legalization at the destination country's embassy.

Many eligible public documents can be apostilled — for example birth, marriage, and death certificates; criminal background checks; university degrees and transcripts; court records; notarized documents; powers of attorney; company registrations. Document types, exceptions and requirements for originals or certified copies depend on the competent authority: eligibility for a specific procedure also depends on the issuing authority and document format (electronic apostilles and certified-copy routes exist under the issuing authority's rules), and diplomatic/consular documents and certain administrative documents concerning commercial or customs operations are excluded. Private documents (personal letters, tax returns, private contracts) typically have no apostille route — whether and how they can be used, including via notarial certification, depends on the competent authority.

No. An Apostille can only be issued by the competent authority of the country that originated the document. An FBI background check must be apostilled in the USA. A Mexican birth certificate must be apostilled in Mexico. We coordinate with the correct authority in the origin country on your behalf.

The apostille stamp itself has no expiration date. An apostille does not set the underlying document's age limit: the receiving procedure sets the freshness rule for police background checks, with verified Spanish checklists between three, five and six months. A marriage certificate apostille remains valid indefinitely. Always check the receiving country's specific requirements.

Yes, in many cases. A notarized "true certified copy" of a document can be apostilled. However, for background checks and vital records (birth, marriage, death), most destination countries require the original document or a certified original copy from the issuing authority — not a photocopy.

No — the apostille authenticates the document as-is. Translation happens separately. Confirm with the receiving office whether the translation must include the apostille and in what order to prepare the documents: there is no universal sequence. In some procedures the apostille text itself need not be translated (in others the office asks for it). We handle both steps as a complete package.

Issuance, apostille, translation and delivery are separate stages and depend on the issuing country, authority, document type and channel. We check current official published times before quoting — for example, FCDO paper apostille usually takes up to 25 working days plus delivery, and eligible documents can be e-Apostilled in up to two days. We do not guarantee unpublished government processing times.

No. Our entire process is remote. You send us scanned copies for a free review, mail the originals by certified courier, and we return the apostilled documents by express delivery. No office visits, no travel.

We do not offer a guaranteed 24–72 hour rush for most document types: government authorities set processing times and we cannot override them. We confirm the current official processing time of the relevant authority for your document and origin country, and list agency, translation and courier times separately. If a stable authority offers an official expedited channel, we will tell you during the review.

Many eligible public documents can be apostilled — for example birth, marriage, and death certificates; criminal background checks; university degrees and transcripts; court records; notarized documents; powers of attorney; company registrations. Document types, exceptions and requirements for originals or certified copies depend on the competent authority: eligibility for a specific procedure also depends on the issuing authority and document format (electronic apostilles and certified-copy routes exist under the issuing authority's rules), and diplomatic/consular documents and certain administrative documents concerning commercial or customs operations are excluded. Private documents (personal letters, tax returns, private contracts) typically have no apostille route — whether and how they can be used, including via notarial certification, depends on the competent authority.

Plain photocopies cannot simply substitute for public originals. Issuer-certified copies or certain notarised public acts may qualify under the issuing jurisdiction's rules; verifiable electronic public documents and electronic apostilles also exist. Confirm the particular authority's eligibility criteria.

No. Notarization is performed by a licensed notary who witnesses signatures and certifies copies. Apostille is issued by a government authority (Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, etc.) and certifies the authenticity of the official seals and signatures on a public document for international use. They are two separate processes — notarization often comes before apostille.

Usually yes. When a university closes, its records transfer to a successor institution, the Ministry of Education, or a national archive. We locate the correct current authority for each case. Expect longer processing time.

The Hague Convention entered into force for China (mainland) on November 7, 2023, and apostilles have been accepted since that date for most document types in China, replacing the previous 3-step consular legalization chain. However, some document types and use cases still require legalization. We confirm the current requirement for your specific situation.

Countries not in the Hague Convention that still require full consular legalization include: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt (partially), and Thailand (until the Convention enters into force there on 28 February 2027). Oman, Bahrain, Belarus, Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Viet Nam, China and Saudi Arabia are Contracting Parties (with different entry-into-force dates); for recent accessions some states have lodged objections, so check the Convention applies between the issuing and destination countries. This list changes as countries join the Convention — we always verify current requirements before processing.

Spain is a Hague Convention member, so apostilles from any member country are accepted. For documents used in Spanish immigration or university admissions, Spain may also require a sworn translation (traducción jurada) by an officially appointed Spanish sworn translator. We provide both.