If you are planning to make business or personal affairs in a foreign country, you might be asked to apostille public documents in order to accept those documents by the other country.
What is the Hague Apostille?
The Hague Apostille is a specialized certificate attached to your original public document (such as birth certificate, court order, marriage licence…) to make that document valid in certain countries part of The XII Hague Convention. The Hague Apostille certifies the authenticity of your documents abroad.
Which countries are part of The Hague Convention and require an apostille?
Hague Apostille Country List:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile,China, People's Republic of (Hong Kong & Macao Only), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
How long is the apostille valid for?
A common question about the Hague Apostille is 'how long the Apostille lasts. Well, it depends on the type of apostilled document, since the apostille remains valid as long as the document is:
- Apostilles that do not expire: those that go in documents that do not expire either, such as, for example, a university degree.
- Apostilles that expire: when the document has a term of validity, the apostille will expire when the document expires. This is the case of birth, marriage or death certificates from the Civil Registry, which are requested by Spanish Government with 3-month-old apostille. Each country has its own regulations regarding the expiration of apostilles.
If you have a valid apostilled document, you should know that the apostille is only valid for a specific country and not for all the signatories of the Hague Convention, so if you have to do paperwork with another foreign country you will not be able to take advantage of the document, even if it has not expired.
We recommend you consider the validity of the document you want to apostille when making your paperwork, since the apostille will not extend its validity.
At GD Global Mobility, we can help you with all your formalities whether you want to move workers to a signatory country of The Hague Convention as Spain, since you will need to present apostilled documentation or apply for a non-profit residence permit to live in Spain (if your country is part of The Hague Convention).
