Hague Apostille

The official documents used in a nation sometimes they need to be recognized by other countries through a document official, an apostille. There is agreement International signed by a large number of countries and in force since 1961.

This convention is known as the Hague Apostille. The fundamental idea of ​​it is the following: that any official document is accompanied by a legal document that proves its authenticity. This accreditation is a specific document and is itself the apostille.

It can be requested by any holder of a public document on which it is necessary to prove its authenticity.

An agreement that facilitates the accreditation of documents abroad

The apostille is an additional document that goes along with the original document. The apostille is signed by a public official representing the country that issues it. This document can be presented in any country that has signed the Hague Convention. With this kind of certification all kinds of procedures are facilitated:

request dual nationality, study certificates, paperwork rooting, tax documents and others. Thus, if a country is subscribed to this agreement, the citizens of that country will be able to carry out their procedures in another country more easily and without so many bureaucratic procedures.

The validity of the apostilled document will always depend on the stamp it presents, specifically the stamp of the Hague apostille. If there is no such accreditation, it is very likely that the document from one country will not be accepted by another. If a country has not signed this international agreement, it will be necessary for the document present is legalized by the consulate or embassy corresponding to the country that issues the document.

A practical case

A Peruvian graduate needs to prove his degree in Spain. This title incorporates all the necessary requirements established by Peruvian law, but also has another attached document, the Hague Apostille.

Issues to consider

- Normally to request the apostille of a document you have to go to the Ministry of Justice of each nation or to a notary.

- The apostille is applicable to a series of official documents, but not to all of them (for example, it is not used for documents related to commercial activities or customs procedures).

- In many countries there is an electronic apostille and through it it is possible to legalize a document without having to go in person to a body of the administration.

Photos: Fotolia - Andrey Popov / Auremar

Topics in Hague Apostille