What Is an Apostille? The Hague Convention Explained
If you have been asked to provide an apostille for a document going overseas, you are not alone - it is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer is simpler than the paperwork makes it look. An apostille is a certificate issued by a government authority that verifies the signature and the authority of the official who signed a public document: a notary, a clerk of court, a Secretary of State, or a federal agency. In this short video, Gabriel Albelo explains how apostilles work, why they exist, and how the 1961 Hague Convention changed the way member countries accept each other's official documents. If your document is headed to a Hague Convention country for dual citizenship, a marriage abroad, a court matter, or an international business filing, this is the certification you are being asked for.
Key takeaways
- An apostille certifies the signature and authority of the official who signed a public document - it does not certify the contents of the document itself.
- It exists because of the 1961 Hague Convention, which lets member countries accept each other's documents without embassy legalization.
- Documents signed by a notary, clerk of court, Secretary of State, or a federal agency such as the FBI or USCIS can all be eligible.
- Common reasons include dual citizenship, marrying abroad, overseas court matters, diplomas, background checks, and international business.
- The apostille is issued by the authority in the state or federal office where the document originated, not by the notary.
Additional context
If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Convention, the document generally follows a longer authentication and embassy legalization route instead. Many documents also need a certified translation before the receiving authority will accept them. We handle apostille, translation, and notarization together so the sequence is correct the first time.
