Apostille or consular legalization? How to know which you need

Many people use “apostille” and “legalization” as synonyms, but they are two different procedures. Which one your document needs depends on a single fact: the country where you will present it.un solo dato: el país donde lo va a presentar.

The apostille

It is a single certification valid for Hague Convention countries. It is one step before the competent authority and is usually faster.

Consular legalization

It is used when the destination country does NOT participate in the Hague Convention. It is a chain of authentications that may include the state, a federal authority and, finally, the consulate or embassy of the destination country.

How do I know which one I need?

1. Identify the country where you will present the document.
2. Check whether that country participates in the Hague Convention.
3. If it participates: apostille. If not: consular legalization.
4. Confirm whether the receiving entity also requires a translation.

Not sure which procedure applies? Send us the document and the destination country and we will confirm the applicable route before starting.