What is apostille

People who executed any documents abroad probably came across such a thing as an "apostille". Without certain knowledge from the sphere of international law, it is quite difficult to understand what it is and how it is used. But understanding the meaning of this term is necessary if you want your Russian documents to be valid in other countries.

So what is an apostille? This is a special seal that is needed to verify the validity of a document.

While you are in Russia, your documents are considered valid if they are executed on official banks and contain the necessary stamps and signatures. But when you go abroad, the situation changes. In order for a document to have legal force in the eyes of local authorities, it must be legalized. This is a rather long procedure, and it is usually carried out through the consulate of the Russian Federation in the host country.

To reduce bureaucratic formalities, the countries that joined the Hague Convention, including Russia, decided to abandon legalization in favor of a simpler process - setting up an apostille on official documents of non-commercial content.

In addition to Russia, the apostille is also recognized in most countries of Europe, Australia, the USA, many countries of Asia and Latin America, and in some African states.

But not in all cases it is necessary to rush with the design of the apostille. On some documents, for example, on a foreign passport, it is not needed. In addition, this print is not necessary in all situations. It may be needed, for example, on a birth certificate during registration of citizenship or marriage. Therefore, before going abroad to draw up any papers, it is better to check with officials whether an apostille is needed.

Various institutions are involved in setting up an apostille, depending on which document you need to legalize. The apostilles for diplomas and certificates are put by employees of the Ministry of Education, on the birth, death and marriage certificates - registry offices, and the Federal Archive - on documents received from this department.

In any case, you need to keep in mind that the legalization of securities takes extra time, and it is better to start preparing documents for any activity abroad in advance.