Whether you are traveling or doing business in another country, the proper authentication of public documents is important for international use. Authentication verifies that the document has been issued by its original source and is not a fake. Historically, many countries required the authentication of foreign documents for their acceptance by government offices and judicial proceedings. This process, known as legalization, involved a lengthy chain of authentications and was often expensive and time consuming. In 1961, the Hague Convention abolished this legalization requirement and simplified the process to a single authentication certificate, called an apostille.

When You Need a U.S. Apostille for Global Document Use

U.S. apostille for international use are used for public documents that are to be used in a foreign country that is a member of the Hague Convention. Typically, the apostille certifies the underlying public document and not its content. However, the apostille does not certify that the notarized signature is true. To certify a notarized document for international use, the notary must complete an oath or affidavit that certifies the notarized signature is genuine.

The apostille procedure is a voluntary scheme to simplify the authentication of documents for use abroad. It is accepted in over 110 countries that are parties to the Hague Convention. An apostille can be affixed directly to the document or attached to a separate sheet of paper, called an allonge. The allonge contains the text of the apostille and is signed by the competent authority issuing it. This could be the secretary of state or similar office in a State or the District of Columbia, county clerks, or the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications.