An apostille is a form of certification used to verify the authenticity and validity of a document on an international level. This system was established by the Hague Convention on October 5, 1961, to simplify the document verification process between countries. An apostille certification confirms that a document is genuine and has been issued by an official authority.

Countries that are parties to the Apostille Convention recognize each other’s documents without requiring additional verification or authentication. These countries include many European nations, countries in the Americas, Asia, and other regions. By accepting apostilled documents without further verification, this system facilitates faster and easier document processing in areas such as international trade, education, marriage, and inheritance.