The Hague Apostille is a certification used to authenticate the signature, seal, and position of the people who have signed a public document, such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, will, or academic document.
The Apostille Convention establishes a quick and easy system for authenticating public documents issued in one country for use in another. Instead of having to legalize the document at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the embassy or consulate of the country where it will be used, an Apostille can be added to the original document, making it valid in any country that is a party to the Convention.
In some countries, such as Spain, it is possible to obtain an apostille digitally. This means that instead of having to sign the public documents to be apostilled in a handwritten manner, a certificate or a valid electronic signature that complies with international standards is used. This greatly speeds up the process.
Legalization of documents
When you want to study, work or settle in Spain as a foreigner, you must comply with certain procedures that require the presentation of various documents to the public authorities.
Most of these documents originate from your country of origin, which means that Spain, as the receiving country, needs to verify their authenticity and validity. This is done through a legalization process that authenticates them and grants them international validity. This process can be of two types depending on the country of origin: the traditional legalization process , which is longer, or the process carried out using the Hague Apostille , which greatly simplifies the procedure.
What does it mean to 'apostillize a document'?
Apostille means putting a stamp on a foreign document so that it is legally valid in a country other than the one of its origin. If your country is one of the countries that have signed the Hague Convention, the legalization process is made easier by means of the Hague Apostille, which is usually placed on the back of the document to be validated. It is important to bear in mind that not all countries have signed this convention, so it is essential to verify the situation in the country of origin to understand the process to follow. In addition, for the apostille to be valid, both the issuing and receiving countries of the document must have signed the convention.
The Hague Apostille in the process of homologation of studies
The Hague Apostille is a necessary step in the process of having your academic degree recognised. If your country is part of the Hague Convention, you will need to have your academic documents (such as your degree and transcript) apostilled before starting the recognition process. If your studies are in a language other than the one in the country you want to study in, you will need to have your apostilled documents officially translated.
The Apostille is issued by the competent body in the country of origin of the document, which is usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Justice. Countries that are party to the Apostille Convention have designated these bodies as the ones responsible for issuing Apostilles and ensuring that the apostilled documents are authentic and valid.
Currently, there are more than 110 countries that are part of the Apostille Convention and that accept documents with an Apostille as valid.
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Hague Apostille in Spain
The Hague Convention No. XII of 5 October 1961 on the Abolition of the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (known as the Apostille Convention) establishes that each member of the convention apostilles its own documents. In Spain, this procedure is carried out by the Ministry of Justice, which determines the validity of the previous legalisation carried out by the Ministry that carried it out. The apostille seal consists of a sheet attached to the document to be legalised.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice website allows you to request an apostille for documents and verify the integrity of an apostilled document in electronic format, making the process faster and simpler. You can also check the status of an apostille request, download an electronic apostille, and consult the Electronic Apostille Registry through the website.
Does the Hague Apostille expire?
The Hague Apostille or legalization does not expire . Therefore, as long as the original document remains valid, the apostille or legalization will remain effective.
Signatory countries of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961
Below, we attach a file with the updated list of countries that signed the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961.
Hague Apostille – Signatory Countries
