Apostille and legalisation

An apostille is a special stamp that certifies a document as authentic for use abroad. It works thanks to the 1961 Hague Convention: a single apostille issued in the country where the document was issued is recognised by all other member countries, with no further certification. It is faster and cheaper than consular legalisation.

An apostille can be placed on the original document or on its notarised translation — which one you need depends on the requirements of the specific institution in the destination country. Sometimes a double apostille is required: one on the original and one on the translation. We have a separate “double apostille” service for this.

If the destination country has not signed the Hague Convention — the UAE, for example — an apostille will not be accepted there at all. Instead, consular legalisation is required: the document is certified in turn by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, finally, the consulate of the destination country. The procedure takes noticeably longer, so it is best to plan for it in advance rather than at the last moment before a trip.

China is a special case: it joined the Hague Convention in November 2023, but transitional rules still apply to some documents and authorities, and consular legalisation is still requested in places. Before starting the translation, we check the current procedure for your specific document and purpose — this saves time and avoids rework.