How to legalise or apostille a document
One of the questions we are asked a lot here in our Malaga office is if we can apostille documents. Unfortunately the answer to that is no, we can only provide sworn translations of your official documents. So today, I hope my blog can clear up some of the confusion surrounding legalising documents and apostilles.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that verifies that the stamp, seal or signature on the document is official. The type of legalisation or apostille will vary depending on whether the requesting country is a member of the Hague Convention.
Why do I need to get an apostille for my document?
When carrying out any official paperwork procedures you may be asked for legalised documents. This is so that the foreign officials can verify that the document in question is genuine and not a forgery.
When should I get my document legalised/apostilled?
Here at CBLingua we recommend that you legalise or apostille your documents before you have them translated. This is because it is most probable that the authorities that have requested the legalised document will also want the apostille or legalisation certificate translated. This will make the translation stage much smoother since it will make it a one-step process.
Who can legalise or apostille my documents?
This depends from country to country. In the United Kingdom, documents can only be legalised by the Legalisation Office. In Spain, there are various places to get an apostille depending on the document, Government Office of the Supreme Court, Notaries, or the Ministry of Justice. In the United States of America, the U.S. Department of State issue legalisations and apostilles. In Australia, staff in passport offices in capital cities can legalise or apostille documents.
How to apostille or legalise a document
This section will mainly focus on the United Kingdom since that is where I am from. I will leave some useful links below for other countries too.
United Kingdom
As I mentioned earlier, in the United Kingdom the Legalisation Office manage this kind of paperwork. You will need to send the documents you wish to get legalised/apostilled by post to the Legalisation Office. However, you must complete the online application first and pay the £30 application fee. The online application process also indicates whether you can send a photocopy of the document or whether the original must be sent. Before starting the online application, it is important that you have the following:
- the documents you want to legalise
- a credit or debit card for payment
- the address you want your documents returned to
- access to a printer
They advise that legalisation takes 1-2 days (plus postage); however, there could be delays during busy times.
If you have any more questions or doubts you can contact the Legalisation Office directly.
Spain
In Spain, you first need to find which authority can legalise your document. This can often be a difficult process. However, there is a comprehensive guide on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. The ministry understand that this can be confusing so they have set up a contact phone number 13791655 and email address legalizaciones@maec.es.
United States of America
The Office and Authorisations at the U.S. Department of State are responsible for legalising and apostilling documents. Like Spain, the requirements are different depending where the documents were issued. Therefore, it is advisable that you check the website to be sure of the procedure.
Australia
As I mentioned earlier, staff in Passport offices in Australian state capital cities can legalise document. Furthermore, Australian can be legalised in many Australian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates. The smartraveller website advises upon the best way to legalise a document depending on whether documents are in Australia or abroad.
Other countries
I hope this quick guide has been useful. If you have any more questions, we suggest that you contact the authority that issued the document.
Remember that at CBLingua we’re always here to help you with your sworn translation needs!