Most people get confused by the term apostille. The process allows documents given in one country to be accepted. It is considered a legal document and shows that your document can be used abroad. So, the next time you encounter this question, que es apostille un documento? You will know it means legalizing the use of a document in another country.
What is an Apostille Certificate?
It is a certificate with authentication to be used in another country. You can get it from the country where the document originates. When it has the certificate attached, you will know the authenticity of the seals and signatures, and you can freely use it. The authority who gets the document will accept the signatures and seals and not request additional evidence.
The certificate confirms a seal, signature, or stamp and can be presented in another country. The information is given in a specific format.
- The place of issue
- The country of issue
- Issuing authority
- The person who signed the document
- The capacity of the person who signed it
- The certificate number
- Issuing authority stamp
How Can You Get The Apostille
Most documents, such as passports, birth certificates, and patents that are used in foreign countries need to be authenticated. The process is termed legalization, and it requires an official from the same country through the foreign Embassy. The Consulate of that country will need to authenticate the document.
You need to know that the process can be time consuming and hectic. But, it is a better process for public documents that you must use abroad. Most countries are working to ensure that the process is simplified. Some of the authentication countries have reduced the process to a single formality.
The Requirements Needed
Apostilles will authenticate all the signatures and seals for public documents like court orders and birth certificates. They can also do it on papers that federal agencies issue. Before you submit the documents for authentication, the following need to be met:
- You need to notarize all the documents in front of a notary public. If it is through the county, a court clerk must do it when the commissioning happens.
- If it is through the state, the documents need certification by the secretary, where you’ll get the document notarized.
Below is the process to follow when notarizing and certifying a document:
- Make sure the paper is issued to you
- Then, the article needs to be notarized
- When the application goes through successfully, the certification will be done by a court clerk.
- Remember to have the court clerk certification before the secretary certifies the document.
Countries Accepting the Apostille Certificate
The belief is that for the apostille to be acceptable, it must be a member of the apostille convention. It is an international treaty by the Hague Conference on Private International Law. You will be able to know about the issued documents through their modalities. Some countries that have adopted these modalities include Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, and more.
