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Electronic apostille

Electronic apostille (e-Apostille)

The short answer

An e-Apostille is an apostille issued as a digitally signed electronic document under the HCCH electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP). It has the same legal effect as a paper apostille. More than 40 countries issue e-Apostilles – including the UK, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Estonia and several US states – and most keep an online e-Register where the recipient can verify the number and date. Other countries, Germany among them, still issue paper apostilles only.

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Step by step

    How verification works

    Every apostille, paper or electronic, has a number and a date. Countries with an e-Register publish a lookup page; the recipient enters the number and date and sees whether the apostille exists and who issued it. For e-Apostilles, the PDF’s digital signature can also be validated.

    Will my recipient accept it?

    The Convention requires Contracting States to accept apostilles issued by other Contracting States, including electronic ones where the recipient can verify them. In practice some authorities still insist on paper; we check the recipient’s practice and deliver the form they accept.

    Questions

    A printout is not the e-Apostille itself – the legal document is the signed file. Send the original PDF to the recipient; if they need paper, ask whether a printout with the online verification is acceptable.

    No. German authorities issue paper apostilles only, including on electronically signed notarial deeds, which are printed for the purpose.

    Apostille by document

    EU↔EU: no apostille

    Birth certificate

    Geburtsurkunde · acte de naissance · certificado de nacimiento

    Requirements & fees

    University degree & transcript

    Hochschulzeugnis / Diplom / Urkunde · diplôme universitaire · título universitario

    Requirements & fees
    EU↔EU: no apostille

    Police clearance certificate

    Führungszeugnis · extrait de casier judiciaire · certificado de antecedentes penales

    Requirements & fees

    Power of attorney

    Vollmacht · procuration · poder notarial

    Requirements & fees
    EU↔EU: no apostille

    Marriage certificate

    Eheurkunde / Heiratsurkunde · acte de mariage · certificado de matrimonio

    Requirements & fees

    FBI background check

    FBI-Führungszeugnis · casier judiciaire FBI · antecedentes penales del FBI

    Requirements & fees

    Ready when you are

    Tell us where the document was issued and where it goes – the notary reviews your application, we handle the rest, quoted before you pay.

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    Questions? Write to [email protected]