Apostille is a certificate which verifies and confirms the seal and signature of person who authenticates the document. There are designated authorities in every country to issue apostille certificates or legalization. Apostilles are commonly issued for various documents related to adoption cases, for commercial documents, for educational documents and for court records, land records, school documents and patent applications.
Not all countries can issue apostille, but only the countries who had signed ‘Hague agreement for abolishing the need for public documents’. Once apostille is obtained, it is automatically considered ‘valid’ and ‘acceptable’ in all the 98 hague convention countries.
The following are considered as public deeds within the meaning of that Hague Convention :
- Any document issued by an authority or by an official covered by a jurisdiction of the State, including those coming from the public prosecutor, a clerk of the court or a bailiff.
- Administrative documents such as deeds from the public records office.
- Notarial deeds.
- Official declarations such as references of registration, visas for a set date and certifications of signature, applied to private agreements.
Procedure for apostille of Indian documents are as follows:
Educational Documents
- Home department Authentication (HRD)
- Apostille Sticker from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Non Educational Documents
- Subdivisional magistrate
- Apostille sticker from Ministy of External Affairs
Following countries are part of the Apostille Convention
A
Albania
Andorra
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Austria
B
Barbados
Bahamas
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Botswana
Brunei Daryssalam
C
China, People Republic of
Cook Islands
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Cape Verde
D
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
E
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
F
Fiji
Finland
France
G
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Georgia
H
Honduras
Hungary
I
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
J
Japan
K
Kazakhstan
Korea, Republic of
L
Latvia
Liberia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
M
Malta
Malawi
Marshal Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova, Republic of
Monaco
Montenegro
Mongolia
N
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niue
Norway
O
Oman
P
Peru
Poland
Panama
Portugal R
Romania
Russian Federation
S
Serbia
Samoa
San Marino
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & The
Grenadines
South Africa
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Swaziland
Switzerland
Seychelles
Sao Tome and Principe
T
The Former Yugoslav Republic
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
U
Ukraine
United kingdom of Great Britain and Nothern Ireland
USA
V
Venezuela
Vanuatu