Apostille is a French word which means Certification and is valid in all Hague countries. Any document intended to be used in a foreign country has to be legalized. The legalization procedure depends on one factor; whether the target country has joined the convention abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents (The Hague Convention). The Hague Convention of Oct 5 1961 abolishes the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents and facilitates public documents executed in one state to be circulated in another. Apostille can be issued by a competent authority designated by the state on whose territory the public document has been executed.
Apostille stickers are issued on certificates including marriage, birth, death, affidavits, power of attorney, educational documents like degree and diploma. These documents are first authenticated by the designated agencies in the state from where it is issued. In case of personal documents, HOME DEPT OR GAD of the state concerned is the designated authority. Educational documents are initially attested by RAC and then Apostilled. The Apostille certificate is a small square certificate that is attached to another document. It confirms that a government form, signature, seal or stamp on a document is genuine.
Member Countries of the Hague Convention
A
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan
B
Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria
C
China (Hong Kong), China (Macao), Colombia, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic
D
Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic
E
Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia
F
Fiji, Finland, France, FYR of Macedonia
G
Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada
H
Honduras, Hungary
I
Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy
J
Japan
K
Kazakhstan, Korea (Republic of)
L
Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
M
Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro
N
Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Norway
P
Panama, Poland, Portugal
R
Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation
S
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland
T
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey
U
Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA
V
Vanuatu, Venezuela
