When you use an official document, such as a birth certificate or a police clearance certificate, in another country, that country must be sure the document is genuine. The old way was "legalisation": a chain of confirmations at ministries and embassies. Between the countries of an international convention, the apostille has shortened that chain.
What an apostille is
- An apostille is a single certificate issued in the country that issued the document.
- It rests on the "Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents", known as the Hague Apostille Convention.
- The apostille replaces the long and costly legalisation process so the document can be used in another country of the Convention.
- According to the official page of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the Convention has 130 contracting parties.
Who issues it
- The apostille is issued by the "Competent Authority" designated in the country that issued the document. In many countries this is the ministry of foreign affairs or of justice.
- The Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference does not issue apostilles and does not verify them.
The e-Apostille
- The electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) started in 2006.
- An e-Apostille is the same official apostille, only in digital form, with an electronic signature and a secure digital certificate.
- According to the HCCH, an e-Apostille may not be refused only because it is electronic. The same rules apply to it as to a paper apostille.
If your country is not a member
If a document was issued in a country that is not a party to the Convention, or is to be used in such a country, the old legalisation process is usually needed: confirmation in the issuing country and then at the embassy of the country of destination. See the current list of parties on the HCCH website.
In a citizenship application
- The Citizenship by Investment Unit of Dominica (CBIU) asks for colour copies of documents to be notarised and legalised before submission. Documents not in English must also be translated, notarised and legalised.
- Whether an apostille is enough for a document or full legalisation is needed depends on the country that issued it and on its membership of the Convention.
- Some Royal Golden services for Vanuatu documents, such as translation, come with a Vanuatu apostille where needed. The details are on the "Services" page.
A few points
- Under Article 5 of the Convention, the apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the signer acted and, where there is one, the identity of the seal or stamp on the document. So an apostille says nothing about whether the content of the document is correct.
- Before you obtain an apostille, ask the receiving authority whether it wants the original document or a certified copy, and whether the translation comes before or after the apostille.
This article is general information and not legal advice.
Sources
- Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Apostille Section — https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille (checked on 24 October 2026)
- HCCH, full text of the Apostille Convention — https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=41 (checked on 24 October 2026)
- CBIU Dominica, required documents — https://www.cbiu.gov.dm/dominica-citizenship/required-documents/ (checked on 24 October 2026)