What Is Apostille?

The Hague Apostille and Hague Convention are related terms that often come up in the context of international document authentication. The Hague Apostille is a certification that verifies the authenticity of a document, making it valid for use in countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention.

The apostille itself is a separate certificate attached to the original document, confirming that the signatures and seals on the document are genuine. The Hague Convention, officially known as the Hague Apostille Convention or the Apostille Convention, is an international treaty that was signed in 1961 in The Hague, Netherlands. The convention simplifies the process of authenticating documents for use across borders by creating a standardized method for countries to recognize each other's public documents.

In layman's terms, the Hague Apostille is a certificate that helps prove a document is genuine, while the Hague Convention is an agreement among countries to make the process of authenticating documents easier and more efficient.