Apostille
Definition
An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document by a designated authority in the country that issued it, confirming that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine so it can be used in another country under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. It does not confirm that the content of the document is true.
Also called: apostille stamp, e-Apostille, legalisation, Hague Apostille Convention, document legalisation
Checked against official sources on
What is an apostille?
The HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention replaced the old chain of embassy legalisation between member countries with a single certificate issued by a competent authority where the document originates. The Convention has 130 contracting parties. Apostilles can be paper or electronic (e-Apostilles), and the HCCH says an e-Apostille is just as valid as a paper one.
An apostille confirms the origin of a public document: that the official, court, registry or notary who signed it is genuine. It says nothing about whether the content is accurate.
Only designated competent authorities in each contracting party can issue or verify an apostille. The HCCH itself does not issue them, and it publishes a list of competent authorities for each country.
When health professionals need one
Requirements vary, so always follow the receiving authority's instructions.
- Netherlands: the BIG register says an apostille does not replace a certified copy and is not accepted as authentication, because it says nothing about the content. It wants certified copies made by the issuing institution or a Dutch civil-law notary. See BIG registration.
- UK regulators: the NMC's document guidance asks for certified copies made by listed professionals, such as solicitors, notaries or embassy officials, and the GMC verifies qualifications with the issuing school through EPIC. See primary source verification.
- Leaving the UK: if an authority abroad asks for a UK document to be legalised, for example a qualification certificate certified by a UK notary or an ACRO police certificate, the FCDO Legalisation Office issues the apostille.
Among countries many health professionals move from, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain are listed as contracting parties. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait are not on the HCCH status table, so documents from there usually go through embassy legalisation if an authority asks for it.
How to get an apostille on a UK document
- Ask the receiving authority whether it wants the original or a certified copy, and a paper or electronic apostille.
- If the document is not itself issued by a court, registry, government department or registered doctor, have it certified by a UK notary or solicitor.
- Apply online to the Legalisation Office and send or upload the document.
- Receive the document with the apostille attached, or the e-Apostille as a PDF.
Documents issued outside the UK must be apostilled in the country that issued them.
How long it takes and what it costs in the UK
GOV.UK lists £45 per document for the standard paper service plus courier or postage, and £35 for an e-Apostille. The standard service usually takes up to 25 working days plus delivery, and an e-Apostille up to 2 working days. Some documents, including ACRO police certificates and DBS certificates, cannot have an e-Apostille.
The common mistake is paying for apostilles nobody asked for. Check first; for the Dutch BIG register it will not help.
Questions
No. It confirms that the signature or seal on the document is genuine, not that the content is true. That is why regulators rely on primary source verification for qualifications.
No. The BIG register says an apostille does not replace a certified copy and is not accepted, because it says nothing about the document's contents.
No. GOV.UK says documents issued outside the UK must be legalised in the country that issued them.
The UAE does not appear on the HCCH status table, nor do Qatar or Kuwait. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain do. Where an authority asks for legalisation of a document from a non-member country, the traditional embassy route is used.
GOV.UK lists £45 per document for the standard paper service, plus courier or postage, and £35 per document for an e-Apostille.
No. GOV.UK says ACRO police certificates, DBS certificates and General Register Office certificates cannot have an e-Apostille, so they need the paper service.