What is an Apostille?

An Apostille certificate authenticates the signature of the public official who has signed an official document in any country which has joined the Hague Convention. The Apostille certificate confirms the person that signed the document has the authority to do so and that the document should therefore be recognised as legal without further evidence in another member state.

Why have an Apostille certificate?

The 1961 Hague Convention reduces all of the formalities of legalisation of documents to the simple delivery of a certificate in a prescribed form, entitled "Apostille" by the authorities of the State where the document originates. This certificate, placed on the document, is dated, numbered and registered. The verification of its registration can be carried out easily by means of a request for information addressed to the authority which delivered the certificate.

Which countries recognise Apostille certificates?

There are currently over 60 member states of the Hague convention and many other countries will also recognise an Apostille certificate. We recommend you check with the legal entity you intend to present the Apostille certificate to as to whether the Apostille certificate will be acceptable.

What type of document can be certified by an Apostille?

Virtually any official document can be legalised through the Apostille process. There are a wide range of company documents that can be legalised either individually or as a set. The following list is an example of some of the many documents that can be apostilled.

·       Certificates of Incorporation

·       Certificates of Good Standing

·       Certificates of Name Change

·       Memorandum of Association

·       Articles of Association

·       Company Registers

·       Share Certificates

·       Share Transfer Forms

·       Power of Attorneys

·       Meeting Minutes

·       Resolutions

·       Bank documents

What information is contained on the Apostille?

The certificate contains the following information:

·       Country of origin

·       Name of signatory on the document

·       The capacity in which that signatory has acted

·       If the document has been sealed/stamped instead of signed then the details of the authority

·       Place of certification

·       Date of certification

·       Issuing authorities details

·       Certificate number

·       Stamp of issuing authority

·       Authorised signature of authority

How long does it take?

This depends on the country concerned but in the UK we aim to have your Apostille certificate issued within twelve working days from receipt of your documents and payment. We send the documents once notarized by a notary to the Legalisation Office at Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London. They usually take 10 working days to deal with the document and stamp and return it to us.

Delivery time is dependant on the delivery service you require. Usually you will receive your Apostille certificate within two weeks of us receiving the documents from you.

Elsewhere it tends to take a little bit longer and we advise allowing 3-4 weeks to include delivery from some offshore locations.