7 November 2024

What is the Hague Apostille Convention?

To be able to use your important documents abroad, you may need an apostille. Apostilles were introduced by the Hague Apostille Convention – but what is the convention? Read on to find out more.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

There have been many Hague Conventions over the years, with the first taking place in 1893, and the most recent in 2019. They are all on different topics, but they all aim to bring countries into agreement on certain issues from war, to the adoption of children, to the topic of this blog, which is apostilles.

Without the Hague Apostille Convention, it would not be as straightforward as it is to go to many countries with your important documents, as alternative methods of legalisation can take much longer to complete.

You might be wondering ‘what is the Hague Apostille Convention?’ so keep reading to find out more about the convention, the processes of legalisation, and how we can help you.

The Hague Apostille Convention 1961

The Hague Apostille Convention was held on 5 October 1961, and aimed to abolish the lengthier processes of legalisation for foreign documents. This in turn would make it easier for people to travel between different countries, which would help when people move for work, to study, to carry out business activities, or do something else with their important documents.

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The UK was one of the first countries to become a signatory and adopt apostilles, and over time, many other countries have slowly become signatories of the Hague Apostille Convention as well.

Currently, there are 127 countries that are a part of the Hague Apostille Convention, with China and Canada being the two most recent signatories. Bangladesh is currently in the process of joining the convention as well. We have a full list of countries that accept apostilles available for you to read.

Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) is the body that holds these conventions, and to which countries such as the UK are members of. Countries that are a part of the Hague Apostille Convention are not always a part of the HCCH.

In the future, it is likely that more countries will become signatories of the convention, making travel even easier to more places.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is basically a certificate that your documents are issued with to legalise them as a legitimate document. This allows them to be used in whatever country you are planning on going to, if they accept apostilles.

It should be noted that most documents can only be apostilled once they have been notarised by a legitimate Notary Public, such as ourselves. However, documents such as those issued by the General Registry Office (GRO), such as marriage certificates, will not need to be notarised as they are official UK Government documents.

For example, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) deals with issuing apostilles in the UK. When we assist our clients with applying for an apostille, we do so by working with the FCDO.

Documents that can be apostilled include business documents such as the Certificate of Incorporation, educational documents such as degree certificates, documents from GRO such as birth certificates, and more.

The apostille proves that the document is legitimate, and also gives it equal legal status to documents from the country that you are planning on going to.

Please note that apostilles may still be used by countries that are not signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention, but they will not accept an apostille just by itself. They will use the apostille as part of their own, longer legalisation process.

We have a guide on what an apostille is if you would like to learn more.

What are some examples of documents that need an apostille?

Almost any type of document that you plan on using abroad will need an apostille.

Some examples of documents that need an apostille include:

There are many other examples, so if you are unsure whether your document needs an apostille or not, please check when you initially book your notarisation appointment.

How much does an apostille cost?

The price of your apostille will vary depending on what service you apply to use, and how many documents you want to get apostilled.

At our firm, we offer a standard and a fast-track service to get you an apostille from the FCDO. You can view our apostille packages on our website to see what you think is best for you.

What is the FCDO?

We have briefly mentioned them already, but we shall provide you with some more information on the FCDO and what they do.

Essentially, the FCDO is the UK governmental body that deals with foreign affairs, including travel advice for people going abroad, consular assistance, and the topic most important to our clients – legalisation.

They are the only body in the UK that can issue apostilles to documents that are going to be used abroad.

Legalisation for countries not in the Hague Apostille Convention

Countries that are not signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention will have a different process. As we have previously mentioned, some of these countries may still use apostilles as part of their own process. The UAE is one example of this.

Instead, you will need to put your documents through the lengthier process of embassy or consulate legalisation. This is where the document is checked by the country’s embassy in the UK, and then it is sent to the country itself to be checked by authorities there, before it is then brought back to the UK as a legalised document.

What is the legalisation process?

As we have previously mentioned, most documents will first need to be notarised before they can be given an apostille, aside from documents issued by GRO.

We shall take you through our legalisation process to give you an idea of what you might need to do, and we can help.

First, you will need to have your documents notarised by us or someone else. It will be easier if you use us for the whole process as you will not have to spend time looking around for someone else to notarise your documents first, and it will save you time.

Once your documents have been notarised, they can then go through the apostille process. We will make sure your documents are safe, secure, and suitable to be sent to the FCDO for an apostille.

Although getting an apostille is a quicker and more convenient process than embassy legalisation, it can still take a bit of time and extra stress. That is why it is useful to use us to do it for you. We are a recognised firm for dealing with apostilles, and have worked with the FCDO for many years.

The length of time it takes for your documents to be processed depends on whether you choose the standard or fast-track service.

After your documents have been given an apostille, they will be sent back to us. Then, we will send your apostilled documents back to you via post or you can pick them up in person.

How we can help

As a registered Notary Public, we can help you with the process of notarisation, and then with the process of legalisation, such as getting an apostille for countries that are a part of the Hague Apostille Convention.

To get your documents notarised, you will first need to book an appointment with our Notary Public of England and Wales, Nathan Woodcock. You can choose to meet him at one of our offices in London, Manchester or Sheffield. Alternatively, you can meet him at a suitable time and place of your own choice through the use of our mobile notary service. For example, you could meet him at home or your office.

You can book your appointment by contacting our team via phone, email, or by using our website chatbot. This allows you to discuss your needs, and plan what to do.

Once your documents have been notarised, you can then make use of our apostille services.

Get in touch with us today for assistance with notarisation and with getting an apostille.