What is an Apostille? An Apostille is an official certificate issued under the Apostille Convention authenticating the origin of a public document(s).
In fact, a large number of countries throughout the world collectively created the Apostille Convention. This treaty has greatly simplified the authentication of public documents used abroad. The issuance of an Apostille certificate reduces the authentication process to a single formality.
As a result, the Notary Public’s role in this process is to authenticate the signature on a document by verifying the signer’s identity and witnessing the signing. This is the first step before the Secretary of State can issue the actual certificate. This certifies the Notary’s seal and signature for international use.
Next, you will need an Apostille if all of the following apply:
- The country where the document was issued is a member of the Apostille Convention
- The country where the document is used is a member of the Apostille Convention
- The law of the country where the document was issued considers it a public document
- The country where the document is used requires an Apostille in order to recognize it as a foreign public document
Equally important, is what a public document includes:
- a birth, marriage or death certificate
- school transcripts
- a judgment
- an official document which certifies the complete legal status of a property
- an official document issued by a notary public to authenticate the identity of individuals signing critical legal forms
Lastly, an Apostille may never be used for the recognition of a document in the country where that document was issued. Apostilles are strictly for the use of public documents abroad!