What an apostille is, and what it isn't
An apostille is a certificate, attached to a public document by a designated authority of the country that issued it, confirming that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine. It exists because of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents: between countries that are parties to it, the apostille replaces the old chain of embassy stamps.
Two points are often misunderstood:
- An apostille authenticates the origin of the document, not its content. A consulate can still ask for a newer certificate or refuse a document that does not meet its rules.
- It is issued in the country where the document was issued, not where you will use it. A U.S. criminal-record check is apostilled in the United States; an Indian degree in India.
Apostilles apply to public documents: court documents, administrative documents such as civil-status certificates and police records, notarial acts, and official certificates placed on private documents (for example a notary's certification of a signature or of a copy).
Who uses apostilles, and who still requires legalisation
According to the status table of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (last updated 30 June 2026), the Apostille Convention has 130 contracting parties. Recent changes that matter to nomads:
- Viet Nam acceded at the end of 2025; the Convention entered into force for it on 11 September 2026.
- Thailand acceded on 30 June 2026, with entry into force on 28 February 2027. Until then, Thai documents going abroad, and foreign documents going to Thailand, follow the legalisation route.
- Other recent additions include Algeria (in force 9 July 2026), Bangladesh (30 March 2025) and Canada (11 January 2024).
Among the destinations in this atlas, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Malaysia do not appear in the status table, and Taiwan is not a party. Documents for those countries, and documents issued there, need consular legalisation: a chain of certifications that usually starts with the issuing authority or a notary, passes through the foreign ministry of the issuing country and ends at the embassy or consulate of the destination country. The exact chain depends on both countries, so ask the consulate that will receive the document.
Check both ends — the apostille route only works if both the country that issued the document and the country where you use it are parties, and the Convention is in force between them. Some parties have objected to specific newer members; the HCCH status table notes these cases.
Which nomad-visa documents usually need one
- Criminal-record certificates. The most common case: Romania asks for an apostilled certificate, Ecuador for an apostilled or legalised one, Uruguay for apostilled records from every country of residence in the last five years, and some Turkish consulates for apostilled criminal-record and degree documents.
- Degrees and professional qualifications, where the programme has an education test (for example Türkiye, Spain and Italy).
- Marriage and birth certificates for accompanying family members: see bringing your family.
- Company documents for business owners, and sometimes notarised copies of contracts.
- Several programmes simply list "apostilles" among the costs: the Czech Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil are examples.
Bank statements and payslips are private documents and are not apostilled as such. When a consulate wants them certified, the usual route is a bank-issued letter or a notarised copy, which can then be apostilled if required.
In the United States, federal documents such as the FBI Identity History Summary are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, while documents issued by a state (birth, marriage, state police records) are apostilled by that state's competent office, usually the Secretary of State.
Where to get an apostille
Each party to the Convention designates its own competent authorities, and the Hague Conference publishes the list for every country on its website. Depending on the country, the apostille may come from the foreign ministry, a court, a regional government office or, in federal states, from different authorities for federal and state documents. Ask the office that issued your document which authority apostilles it; for documents issued years ago in another city or state, the answer may not be the obvious one.
The EU shortcut for public documents
Inside the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 has applied since 16 February 2019: public documents such as birth or marriage certificates issued by the authorities of one EU country must be accepted as authentic by the authorities of another EU country without an apostille. The same regulation created multilingual standard forms, issued by the country of the original document, that can be attached as a translation aid so that the receiving authority does not require a translation.
The shortcut covers documents issued by EU authorities and used in another EU country. A document issued outside the EU still needs its apostille or legalisation, even if you are applying in an EU country.
Sworn, certified and consular translations
Most consulates require documents in their own language, or at least in a language they accept. What makes a translation "official" varies:
- Sworn translators appointed by the state (Spain's traductores jurados, appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are the classic example).
- Sworn declarations by the translator before a court or a notary (Italy's traduzione asseverata).
- Certification by a notary or other authorised professional of a translation made by someone else, as used in Portugal and elsewhere.
- Consular certification: many consulates certify the accuracy of translations presented to them, sometimes for a fee.
Which of these a consulate accepts is written in its checklist; a translation that is "certified" in your country may not be recognised by the destination. When in doubt, ask whether a translation made in the destination country is required.
Electronic apostilles and checking an apostille
Under the Hague Conference's electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP), a growing number of parties issue apostilles electronically and keep online registers where the receiving authority can check that an apostille really exists. If your document comes with an electronic apostille, keep the file exactly as issued and give the consulate the reference or verification details it contains. For paper apostilles, keep the certificate attached to the document as issued: separating them can make the apostille unusable.
Getting the order right
Get a recent original
Check how recent the document must be: Sri Lanka, for example, wants a police clearance issued within the last three months.
Apostille or legalise it where it was issued
Use the competent authority of the issuing country; for non-parties, follow the legalisation chain up to the destination's embassy.
Translate the document and its apostille
Have both translated by a translator the destination accepts, so the authority can read the certificate too.
Keep copies and timing in mind
Keep certified copies and start early: apostilles and legalisations can take weeks, and a criminal record that expires while you wait means starting again.
Common mistakes
- Apostilling a photocopy instead of the original or a certified copy.
- Getting the apostille in the wrong country, for example at the destination instead of where the document was issued.
- Translating before apostilling, so the apostille itself is left untranslated.
- Assuming an EU-issued document needs no formalities outside the EU: the 2016/1191 shortcut stops at the EU's borders.
- Letting a criminal-record certificate age out during the process.
Related guides
- Proof of income: what consulates accept
- Bringing your family
- Health insurance requirements
- Schengen 90/180, EES and ETIAS