Jilian Consultants Co., Ltd.
Jilian Consultants Co., Ltd.

Introduction of the Global Apostile

1. What is global apostille?


Global apostille is also called international notarization, which refers to the "Hague Convention on the Cancellation of the Requirements for the Certification of Foreign Official Documents", a kind of mutual recognition between the Hague signatory countries by a specific official agency. A specific certification of the process and result of an action that confirms the authenticity of a signature or seal.


It is mainly aimed at the use of documents in Hague member states or regions, so that documents issued by Hague member states can be recognized and effectively used in other Hague member states. It is a secondary certification of the issuer of the original certification, and stamps or labels on the certification. This process is called global apostille, also known as stamping.


Global apostille is not the certification of the content of the required certification documents, nor the authenticity of the contents of the required certification documents. Notaries are qualified to issue original certification documents.


2. What is the role of global apostille?


Because when different documents need to be used in different countries or regions, if there is no unified standard or system for certification, it will have a great impact on our work or life. Therefore, the legal system of each country in the world is different. In order to prevent counterfeiting and anti-counterfeiting, document transfer requires a form of notarization and authentication.


For example, when Chinese citizens want to use documents or identity certificates overseas or prove certain facts, they need to apply for Hague certification. At present, more than 100 countries in the world have joined the "Convention on the Cancellation of the Requirement for Authentication of Foreign Official Documents" and become members of the Hague Convention. Documents need to be used in these countries and regions and require Apostille. The global apostille is faster and simpler than embassy authentication.


The global apostille can be used in any member of the Hague Convention, and the processing time is short. The embassy and consulate certification can only be used in the country where it is handled. For example, the US embassy in China can only be used in the United States, and it cannot be used outside the United States. And it takes a long time.


The global apostille is based on the Hague Agreement. As the name implies, as long as the document is certified by the Hague, it will be recognized by the countries that have signed the Hague Agreement. The function and convenience are self-evident. Of course, although there are many countries that have not become allied countries, they also recognize the global apostille.


3. Which countries are members of The Hague?


Common ones include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, France, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Ireland, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, etc. 108 countries and region. There are also some non-Hague member states but recognize the Hague Convention, including Cuba, Colombia, Mongolia, Andorra and other 42 countries and regions.