The apostille: everything you need to know

An apostille is an official document that certifies the authenticity of a public act so that it is recognised in another country.

The apostille was established by the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. 125 countries have signed this Convention.

You will need an apostille if your document was issued in a foreign country that has signed the Hague Convention and it needs to be used in Belgium, or vice versa. Examples:

• Foreign birth certificate for a marriage or other procedure in Belgium
• Criminal record for a visa or nationality application
• Diploma for academic or professional recognition

If your document was issued by an EU member state, an apostille is generally not required for use in Belgium (EU Regulation 2016/1191).

If your document was issued by a country that has NOT signed the Convention, see the article "Legalisation: when an apostille is not enough".

The apostille must be issued in the country where the document was issued by the competent authority:

• Belgium: FPS Foreign Affairs
• India: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
• United States: Secretary of State of the relevant state
• Turkey: Ministry of Justice or competent Court of Appeal

1. Create your account
2. Choose the source and target language
3. When uploading your documents, we ask: "Do you already have your apostille?"
   • Yes: upload it directly when submitting your file.
   • No: you can still submit your file.
4. Receive your translation and validate it.

If you have any questions, contact us at admin@certus-app.com.