What is an apostille?
stamp in the form of a square with a side of 10 by 10 centimeters

a stamp in the shape of a square with a side of 10 by 10 centimeters.

Foreign economic activity or moving to another country can cause a number of problems. One of the possible difficulties may be the confirmation of the authenticity of documents of one country in the territory of another. If you want to use a document from one country in another country, it must be certified. Since 2003, Ukraine has joined the Hague Convention, from October 5, 1961, and now the apostille is used for legalization, and the procedure for affixing this sign is called apostilization.

Apostille is a stamp in the form of a square with a side of 9 by 9 centimeters, in which is indicated all the necessary information.
The form and content of the apostille was approved precisely in the Hague Convention, and the sample is attached to it.
Apostilization is a simplified procedure for giving legal force to documents.
Special stamp that certifies validity of documents.
The apostille is in the shape of a square with a side of 10 × 10 cm, in which the following text is placed:
Ukraine acceded to the Hague Convention on January 10, 2002, the Convention came into force on December 22, 2003.

If there is an apostille on the official paper, no more confirmation of the legal force of the document is required. It automatically becomes valid in any state that has acceded to the Convention. Although there are some exceptions when the document is not subject to the apostilization, for example, commercial documents, or related to customs, and also if the certification of the document is necessary for use in the territory of a state that has not acceded to the Hague Convention. In this case, a more complicated procedure is required – consular legalization.

Apostilization is done quite quickly, but only the following Ministries in Ukraine have the right to it: of justice, foreign affairs and education. To which of the listed organizations to apply depends on the type of document being apostilled. For example, the Ministry of Education certifies the certificates of education received in our country.

Where is the apostille affixed?

Apostille can be affixed on the document itself or on an additional sheet attached to it. This stamp may be written in the official language of the Convention or in the national language. As a rule, they put two stamps in two languages. Mandatory is the phrase at the top of the stamp in French. An apostille can be affixed with glue, sealing wax, embossed printing, and so forth. A separate sheet with an apostille is attached using stapler staples, paper clips, glue, fastening rings, etc. The cost of affixing an apostille depends on the certified document, the authority in which the stamp is affixed, as well as the state for which apostille is required. Apostille terms depend on the certification organization, the type of document and the urgency of the apostille procedure. In order to simplify the apostille, many translation agencies offer this service of arranging an apostille. Also, the client can independently familiarize himself with the requirements for apostille and the list of countries that accept an apostille as legalization of a document and he can contact the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine or other relevant organizations.

It is much easier to trust specialists who will be able to affix an apostille much faster. Besides, you don’t have to worry about the result. The apostille will be affixed within the terms agreed with the translation agency, and the company has much more experience than the average person. Translation agencies can offer various services, including apostille, the cost of which can vary greatly. Some companies, in order to reduce the cost of the service and attract customers, do not include the mandatory state duty in its cost or resort to other tricks of an imaginary price reduction. Therefore, be careful when choosing a partner.