1. What is Apostille?

An Apostille Certificate is an official government Certificate printed or stamped onto the reverse side of a single page document or attached to multiple paged documents with green notary ribbon making it become one inseparable document. It authenticates the seal and or signature of the public official or authority such as a notary or registrar issuing the document.

A Notary Public in Australia is a public official appointed by law, inter alia, to witness signatures or certify copied documents for international use. When a Notary Public signs, seals or stamps a document, that document then becomes a document capable of being apostilled or legalised.

An issued Apostille Certificate confirms that the person signing, sealing or stamping a public document has lawful authority to do so, and the apostilled document automatically becomes a legal document in countries which are members of the Hague Convention. It does not authenticate or confirm the contents of a document.

2. The legal validity of Apostille 

Prior to the introduction of Apostille Certificates, it was difficult for international governments, law courts, universities and other businesses to ascertain whether a document was authentic. In 1961, many countries joined together and created a simplified method of “legalising” documents for universal recognition, and enforced the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Pursuant to this Convention,  Members of the Conference, referred to as the Hague Convention, adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that would be recognized by all member countries. 

3. Members of the Hague Apostille Convention

As of July 2022, 124 states are contracting states of the Hague Apostille Convention:

Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, People’s Republic of China, (Hong Kong & Macao Only), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela

The following countries listed below are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention and any document requested by these countries will receive a certification. Please note that some of the countries listed below may require additional legalization by a Consulate or Embassy office.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina, Faso, Burma Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, China, Congo Republic, Congo, Democratic, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar Burma, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo,
Thailand, Turkmenistan, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

4. Documents that can be legalised through Apostille

• Notarising Signatures on International Documents
• Notarising Australian Passport
• Notarising Driver License 
• Notarising Birth Certificate
• Notarising Marriage Certificate
• Notarising Divorce Certificate
• Notarising Life Certificate
• Notarising Change of Name Certificate
• Draw and Certify Powers of Attorney, Wills, Deeds, Contracts, and other Legal Documents, for use in Australia and Overseas Countries
• Same Person Statements 
• Notary Certificate of Statutory Declarations;
• Notary Certificate of University Qualifications and Academic Transcripts
• Notary Certificate of Child International Travel Consent