Apostille Certificate Attestation
What is an Apostille?
An Apostille is a seal by which a government authority certifies the authenticity of a document, allowing it to be accepted as valid by a foreign country, under the terms established by the relevant Apostille Convention of The Hague of 1961.
The issuance of The Hague Apostille is a fundamental requirement for public documents to be accepted between any State that has acceded to this Convention and any States that have not objected to its accession.
As public documents under the Convention are considered:
- - Documents originating from an authority or public officer, including those from a prosecutor, court clerk, or judicial officer.
- - Administrative documents.
- - Notarial acts.
- - Official certificates placed on private documents (certifications, attestations, legalization).
The competent authorities for issuing an Apostille are:
- DECENTRALIZED ADMINISTRATIONS: They certify public administrative documents of public administrative services of the prefecture that are not within the jurisdiction of the elected regional authority, documents of legal entities of public law, as well as documents of first-degree local government organizations and registry offices.
- REGIONAL AUTHORITIES: They certify documents of regional services.
- COURTS OF FIRST INSTANCE: They certify judicial documents.