Apostille Stamp Service
When a document is legalised for use in another country an apostille is issued. This involves the following process-
- 1. The document is checked to make sure that it is genuine and that it has been presented in the correct format.
- 2. The apostille certificate is created stating which authority has processed the document
- 3. The apostille certificate is then permanently glued to the document
- 4. The document and the apostille are then placed into an embossing machine so that the document and the apostille certificate are stamped. The apostille stamp is not an ink stamp, it is an embossed stamp.
Apostille certificates have also been know as
- Apostille Seal
- Apostille legalisation or legalization (the American spelling)
- Hague convention apostille
- Document legalisation
All of these refer to the same process of issuing an apostille stamp which is then embossed with a stamp or seal. It is simply a case of people using different terms.
Notarisation is a formality often required for documents which are to be used overseas, or for certifying document copies.
Once a document has been notarised by a Notary Public, and if it is to be used overseas, it may need to be apostilled.
This means that the Notary's signature and seal are certified, an apostille stamp or a Legalisation Certificate is addded to the document.
Once a document has been notarised and apostilled, it then may need to be legalised by the Consulate of the country in which it will be used, if the country is not party to the Hague Convention.