The term "Apostille" is a French term which literally means "to certify." The purpose of an Apostille is to certify that the notary or the government official who signed off on the document and certified it, is a legitimate authority designated to do so. It is to establish the validity of the document authenticator.
When a document is to be used overseas, most nations require that the document be notarized or certified and the signature of the individual certifying the document, be validated by the office of Secretary of State from one of the fifty United States or by the United States State Department in Washington D.C.
Not all nations are member of the Hague Convention of 1961, which established the rules for Apostille certification. If a nation is not a signatory of the Hague Treaty, the document can still be certified or authenticated however, it is not an Apostille. It is referred to as simply an Authentication. You can refer to the following link to see which nations adhere to the Hague Convention: Hague Convention Members. If the nation you are sending the documents to is not listed here, it means that you will need an Authentication only.
Why is an Apostille Important?
An Apostille is important because it gives the receiver of the document the knowledge and the confidence that the document being presented to them is authentic and actually signed by the individual whose signature appears on the document. With the authentication of the signature of the notary, and the certification of the notary, the document is ready to be utilized in the designated country to which it is headed.
About the Author:
Varouj Asdourian is the owner / operator of A-1 Apostille and CA Express Apostille Service located in Los Angeles, CA offering Apostille services for all California Documents and Federal documents,
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