What is an apostille? Meaning and definition

Apostille meaning: where the word comes from

The word apostille is French. In French it means a note added in the margin or at the foot of a document after it was written. When the 1961 Hague Convention needed a name for the certificate added to a public document so another country can trust it, it used this word.

The Académie française traces it back through the verb apostiller, to add such notes, to the Old French postille, meaning an annotation or gloss. That in turn comes from the Medieval Latin postilla, built from post ("after") and illa ("these things"). In other words, the note that comes after the text.

Older French used the word in a second sense too: a recommendation that an influential person added at the foot of a letter or petition. Both senses fit the modern certificate. An apostille is still, at heart, a note added to your document by an authority that vouches for the signature on it.

The French roots also explain why every apostille in the world carries a French title, "Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961," even when the rest is printed in English, Spanish or Korean. The Convention requires that title in French, and the French text of the treaty prevails if the English and French versions ever differ.

How to say it, and other forms of the word

Cambridge Dictionary lists two American pronunciations, AP-uh-steel and uh-PAH-stil, so you can use either. Spanish-language documents call it an apostilla. As a verb, you will see "apostilled," "apostillized" and "apostillised" in official material. They all mean the same thing: the document now carries an apostille.

One thing the word does not mean is a notary stamp. A notary cannot issue an apostille, a point we unpack in apostille vs notary. Our apostille and authentication glossary defines the other terms you will meet along the way.

The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, and why it replaced legalization

The apostille exists because of a treaty: the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, usually called the Apostille Convention. It replaced a slow chain of certifications ending at a foreign embassy with a single certificate that every member country agrees to recognize.

What legalization looked like before

Before the Convention, a document headed abroad had to climb a ladder of signatures. Each official certified the one below, and the top rung was the embassy or consulate of the country where the document would be used. For a notarized power of attorney leaving the United States, the chain typically looked like this:

1. A notary public witnesses the signature.
2. In some states, a county clerk certifies the notary.
3. The Secretary of State certifies the notary or the clerk.
4. The U.S. Department of State certifies the Secretary of State.
5. The destination country's embassy or consulate legalizes the document with its own stamp.

Every link added a fee, a form and a wait, and one mistake sent you back to the start. The HCCH, the organization behind the treaty, describes the legalization process as frequently "slow, cumbersome and costly." The Apostille Convention cut it down to one formality: a certificate from the country where the document was issued. For countries outside the Convention, the old chain still applies today.

Who created it, and when

The Convention was drafted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), an intergovernmental organization that dates back to 1893. It was concluded at The Hague on 5 October 1961 and entered into force on 24 January 1965. The United States joined later, and the Convention has applied here since 15 October 1981. The HCCH counts it among the most widely applied treaties in legal cooperation, with several million apostilles issued every year.

Who belongs today

When we checked the HCCH status table on 28 September 2026, the Convention had 130 contracting parties and was in force in 129 of them. Membership has grown quickly in recent years:

So if an older article calls China, Canada, Saudi Arabia or Vietnam a non-member, it is out of date. Hong Kong and Macau apply the Convention too. Places still outside it include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Iraq, Iran, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Taiwan and Haiti. Documents headed there need embassy legalization for non-Hague countries instead.

One wrinkle: when a country joins by accession, existing members can object, and the Convention then does not apply between those two countries. The status table flags these cases. For the current list, see our Hague apostille country list or the official HCCH status table. If you are not sure the Convention applies between the United States and your destination, ask us before you file.

What an apostille looks like: the 10 numbered fields

Every apostille is based on the model annexed to the 1961 Convention: the heading "Apostille," the French title "Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961" and 10 numbered fields. The first four fields describe your document. The last six record who issued the apostille, where and when.

On the model, the certificate is a square with sides at least 9 centimeters long, about 3.5 inches. Offices may add extra information outside the numbered box, such as a web address for checking the certificate or a reminder that it only certifies where the document came from. Design, size and color vary from one office to the next, and the HCCH is clear that those differences are not a reason to refuse an apostille.

How it is attached

An apostille is placed on the document itself or on a separate sheet attached to it, which the Convention calls an allonge. In the United States it often arrives as a separate certificate fastened to your document with staples, grommets or a ribbon and seal. Never take it off, not even to make copies. The HCCH's own guidance says you should never detach an apostille, whether it sits on the document itself or on an attached sheet.

Paper and electronic apostilles

Apostilles no longer have to be paper. The HCCH launched its electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) in 2006, and it has two parts: e-Apostilles, which are issued and signed digitally, and e-Registers, which let anyone check an apostille online. Some U.S. states and many other countries now issue e-Apostilles.

The HCCH's position is that an e-Apostille is as valid as a paper one and should not be refused just because it is electronic. In practice, ask the receiving office how it wants to receive the file before you order one, and keep the file exactly as issued, since its digital signature is what makes it verifiable.

How to check that an apostille is genuine

Every issuing office must keep a register of the apostilles it issues, recording the number, the date and the official whose signature was certified. Anyone who receives an apostille can ask that office to confirm the details match. Many offices run an online e-Register, and when they do, its web address should appear on the apostille. The HCCH itself does not issue, register or verify apostilles, so a verification request always goes to the office named in field 7.

What an apostille proves, and what it does not

An apostille proves where a document came from. It confirms that the signature is genuine, that the person signed in the official capacity stated, and that the seal or stamp is real. It says nothing about whether the content is true, and it does not decide whether a foreign office will approve your application.

What it proves

• The signature on your document belongs to the official named in field 2.
• That official signed in the capacity stated, such as registrar, county clerk or notary public.
• The seal or stamp on the document is the real seal of that office.

Once your document carries a valid apostille, a member country cannot demand any further proof of that signature or seal. The Convention makes the apostille the only formality for that purpose, and the signature and seal on the apostille itself need no certification of their own.

What it does not do

• It does not verify the content. A birth certificate with a typo still has the typo after the apostille. The apostille only vouches for the signature and seal.
• It does not translate anything. If the destination wants the document in its own language, you need a certified translation. If a sworn translation is required, the apostille usually has to be issued first.
• It does not work at home. An apostille is only for using a document abroad. The HCCH is explicit that it can never be used to have a document recognized in the country that issued it.
• It does not guarantee acceptance. The apostille settles where the document came from. The office receiving it still decides how much weight to give the document itself, and it can set its own rules on translations or on how recent the document must be.
• It does not cover non-member countries. Outside the Convention an apostille has no special standing, and you need legalization instead.
• It does not expire. An apostille has no end date, but the document under it may still be judged too old by the office abroad. Read more in do apostilles expire.

Who issues apostilles in the United States

In the United States, the office that issues an apostille depends on who signed the document. State documents go to the Secretary of State, or the equivalent office, in the state that issued or notarized them. Documents signed by federal officials, such as an FBI background check, go to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

The Convention lets each country choose its own issuing offices, which it calls competent authorities. The United States has designated federal offices for federal records and separate offices in each state and the District of Columbia. This table shows where the common documents go.

The rule that trips people up: the document's state, not yours

The apostille comes from the state tied to the signature, not the state where you live today. A birth certificate issued in Ohio is apostilled in Ohio, even if you have lived in Florida for 20 years. A power of attorney notarized in Massachusetts is apostilled in Massachusetts. If you hold documents from several states, each one goes to its own office. Our apostille by state directory lists every office, and our guide to Secretary of State apostilles explains how state and federal filings differ.

Local steps and different offices

A few states want a local certification before they will act. In New York, a notarized document is first certified by the county clerk where the notary is registered. In Maryland, notarized documents are first certified by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the notary's county. Some states also use a different office: the Lieutenant Governor issues apostilles in Alaska, Hawaii and Utah, Georgia routes them through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, and Washington, D.C. has its own Office of the Secretary.

For federal documents, the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications charges $20 per document and explains its process on its authentications page.

Who cannot issue an apostille

• A notary public. A notary witnesses signatures. The notary's signature can be apostilled, but a notary cannot issue an apostille.
• A U.S. embassy or consulate. U.S. embassies state plainly that they cannot apostille U.S. documents. The apostille has to come from the state or federal office back home.
• A foreign government. Only the country that issued a document can apostille it. Italian authorities cannot apostille your U.S. birth certificate, and a U.S. office cannot apostille a document from Mexico.
• A private company, including us. Services like ours prepare, file, track and deliver your documents. The apostille itself always comes from a government office.

How to request an apostille, step by step

1. Confirm the destination. Check that the country is a Hague member. If it is not, you need legalization instead.
2. Get the right version of the document. A certified copy from the issuing office, an original signed before a notary, or the federal record itself.
3. Find the issuing office. The state that issued or notarized the document, or the U.S. Department of State for federal records.
4. Submit it with that office's form and fee. Most offices accept requests by mail, and some also serve walk-in customers.
5. Add a translation if needed, then send the finished file to the office abroad.

You can do all of this yourself. If you would rather hand it off, our online apostille application takes about three minutes, and every order starts with a free review of your document before you pay.

Which documents can be apostilled, and which cannot

Only public documents can be apostilled, and the law of the country that issued the document decides what counts as public. In the United States that means records signed by a government official, such as vital records, court records and state filings, plus private documents that have been properly signed before a notary.

The Convention lists four kinds of public document. Here is what each looks like in practice:

• Court documents. Judgments, divorce decrees and other records certified by a clerk of court. See divorce decree apostilles.
• Administrative documents. Records issued by a government office, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, certificates of good standing and federal records like the FBI report.
• Notarial acts. Documents signed before a notary, such as a power of attorney, an affidavit or a single status affidavit.
• Official certificates placed on private documents. For example, a county recorder's certificate on a recorded deed, or a notary's certificate authenticating the signature on a private letter.

According to the HCCH, the documents apostilled most often worldwide are civil status records such as birth, marriage and death certificates, notarized signatures, and diplomas.

Private documents need a notary first

A company letter, a bank reference or a diploma from a private university is not a public document on its own. A notary makes it eligible: once the document carries a proper notarization, the state can apostille the notary's signature. School records follow a similar path. Many schools have the registrar sign before a notary, and some states accept a notarized copy. Our guide to diploma and transcript apostilles covers the details, and we offer notary service at our office.

Certain federal records have their own rules

Some records take the federal route only. An FBI background check, a naturalization certificate, a DD-214, an IRS letter, a Social Security letter and a USCIS notice all go to the U.S. Department of State, and a notarized copy of one of those records cannot be apostilled. We tell you exactly which version to send during your free review. See Social Security letter apostilles and immigration document apostilles.

For an FBI check, request your Identity History Summary directly from the FBI through its electronic departmental order site at edo.cjis.gov. Fingerprints on an FD-1164 card are taken by a local police department or a fingerprinting service, and U.S. embassies generally do not take fingerprints for this purpose. The FBI result carries an FBI official's signature, and that is what the U.S. Department of State apostilles. Our FBI report apostille service is fully remote: you email us the electronic result. For the request itself, see how to get an FBI background check.

The exception: notarized copies of ID

One kind of copy does work. A properly notarized copy of an ID, such as a passport, driver's license, green card or Social Security card, can be apostilled by the state where the notary is commissioned. Many banks and registries abroad accept this as proof of identity, but confirm with them first. See passport copy apostilles.

What cannot be apostilled

• Plain photocopies with no certification or notarization.
• Hospital birth certificates and other souvenir records. You need the certified copy from the vital records office.
• A notarized copy of an FBI report, naturalization certificate, DD-214, IRS or Social Security letter or USCIS notice.
• Documents issued in another country. Only that country can apostille them.
• Two categories the Convention itself excludes: documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents, and administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, such as customs paperwork. Everyday company records like a certificate of good standing are not affected.

Apostille vs notarization vs legalization

A notarization proves that a person signed a document in front of a notary. An apostille proves that an official's signature and seal are genuine, for use in Hague countries. Legalization does a similar job for countries outside the Convention, through a chain of certifications that ends at that country's embassy or consulate.

These are steps, not alternatives. A power of attorney for Spain is notarized and then apostilled. The same power of attorney for the United Arab Emirates is notarized, authenticated and then legalized by the embassy. The destination decides the route, which is why we check it before anything else. For more detail, read apostille vs notary and apostille vs authentication vs legalization.

What "authentication" means

You will also see the word authentication. For non-Hague countries, the state or the U.S. Department of State attaches an authentication certificate instead of an apostille, and the embassy then legalizes it. Same office, a different certificate and one more stop. Each embassy sets its own fees, forms and timing, which is why we quote this route per country.

How long an apostille takes and what it costs

A state apostille through our service takes 1 to 3 weeks on Economy, or 1 to 5 business days on Express in most states. Federal documents take 2 to 6 weeks at the U.S. Department of State. Government fees are modest, from $2 to $40 per document in the state examples below, plus $20 for federal records.

The Convention does not set a price, so every office charges its own fee. These examples are as published in mid-2026:

Our package prices already include the government fee. Economy is $149.95 per document, Express is $199.95 and an FBI report apostille is $199.95. For Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents, same-day apostille service costs $385.95 with guaranteed 24-hour turnaround. Embassy legalization for non-Hague countries is quoted per country, and if you are sending several documents, ask us about a volume discount.

What decides the timeline

• The office. Some state offices turn requests around quickly, others run weeks behind, and backlogs change through the year. The U.S. Department of State usually takes several weeks.
• Whether the document is ready. Ordering a new certified copy, redoing a notarization or getting a county certification can take longer than the apostille itself.
• Shipping. The trip in and the trip back both count. A prepaid overnight label helps, and if you are near Tewksbury, Massachusetts, dropping off and picking up at our office removes both legs.

For office-by-office timing, see how long an apostille takes.

Common apostille mistakes, and how to avoid them

Most apostille delays come from a handful of avoidable mistakes: sending a photocopy instead of a certified copy, filing in the wrong state, apostilling a document for a country that needs legalization, and missing a local certification step. A careful review before anything is filed is the easiest way to catch them.

1. Sending the wrong version. A photocopy, a hospital certificate or a short-form record when the destination wants the long form. Order a certified copy from the vital records office, and ask for the long form when your destination requires it.
2. Filing in the wrong state. The apostille comes from the state that issued or notarized the document, not the state where you live.
3. Notarizing a copy of a federal record. A notarized copy of an FBI report, naturalization certificate or USCIS notice cannot be apostilled. Those records go to the U.S. Department of State instead.
4. Ignoring the destination. An apostille has no special standing in a country outside the Convention, such as the UAE or Qatar. Those destinations need legalization.
5. Using an outdated country list. China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Vietnam all joined in recent years, and Thailand follows on 28 February 2027. Check the current status before you choose a route.
6. Relying on an old signature. If your certificate is decades old, the registrar who signed it may no longer be on file with the state. A newly issued copy avoids the problem.
7. Skipping the county step. In New York and Maryland, notarized documents need a county-level certification before the state will apostille them.
8. Removing the staples. Never detach an apostille or unbind the pages to make copies.
9. Translating too early. If the destination requires a sworn or certified translation, the apostille usually has to be issued first. Check the order with the office receiving your file.
10. Assuming the apostille settles everything. The receiving office may still want a recently issued document, a translation or extra paperwork. Confirm its checklist with the consulate, court or lawyer handling your file.

What is an apostille used for? Five real-world examples

People need apostilles at the big moments that involve a government abroad: claiming citizenship, moving on a residency visa, taking a job or a place at a school, getting married or opening a company. Here is what each one usually involves, so you can see how the pieces fit together before you start.

Citizenship by descent

Italian authorities, for example, ask for apostilled U.S. birth, marriage and sometimes death certificates for the people in your line of descent, with Italian translations. Each record comes from a different office, sometimes in different states, so each one is apostilled where it was issued. See our citizenship by descent guide and apostilles for Italy.

Golden Visa and residency

Residency and Golden Visa programs often ask for an apostilled criminal record check, which for Americans means the FBI report, along with vital records such as birth and marriage certificates. Timing matters, because the lawyer usually wants the file to be recent on the filing date. See apostilles for Golden Visa applicants, apostilles for Portugal and our page for American expats.

Teaching or studying abroad

Teaching programs and work visas often require an apostilled diploma and an apostilled FBI report, and South Korea is a well-known example. Universities abroad may also want apostilled transcripts. See apostilles for students and apostilles for South Korea.

Getting married abroad

Couples usually need apostilled birth certificates and proof that they are free to marry, often a single status affidavit signed before a notary, sometimes with a translation. If either partner was married before, expect to add an apostilled divorce decree or death certificate. See apostilles for marriage abroad.

Expanding a company overseas

Opening a subsidiary, a branch or a bank account abroad usually starts with an apostilled certificate of good standing and certified articles of incorporation, and often a power of attorney for the person who will sign locally. See apostilles for businesses, corporate apostille service and Delaware good standing apostilles.