What is an Apostille?

• An Apostille, which literally means ‘certification’ in French, is an official government issued certificate added to documents so they will be recognised in when presented in another country. This will replace the Authentication Certificate (Red Ribbon) as proof of authenticity of your documents to be used abroad. Just like the Authentication Certificate, an Apostille certifies the origin of the public document concerned, but with lesser steps.

When will the Apostille take effect in the Philippines?

• The Apostille Convention takes effect in the Philippines on 14 May 2019.

What is the benefit of an Apostille?

• It is makes the process faster, easier, and more convenient for you.
  • Apostillized Philippine documents for use in Apostille countries will no longer need to pass through another authentication or legalisation by the foreign embassies in the Philippines, except for Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, and other non-Apostille countries.
  • Process comparison chart:

Are the United Kingdom and Ireland Apostille-contracting parties?

• For a complete list of Apostille-contracting parties, please visit this link: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41

What does an Apostille Certificate look like?

• Below are samples of the Apostille Certificates issued by the FCO and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, respectively. Once a document bears any of these apostille certificates, the Embassy no longer needs to authenticate the document or certify it with a red ribbon. The certificate is glued to the back of documents and also embossed with the appropriate apostille stamp:

What if the country where I want to use my documents is a non-Apostille country?

• You may need to contact the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you intend to use the document in order to find out what your options are, since the process and requirements vary from one country to another. However, the process is usually similar as the authentication of documents (red ribbon), which means that your documents need to be legalised by the Embassy or Consulate of your country of destination.

Which documents does the Apostille apply to?

• The Philippine Apostille applies to the same types of documents that are subject to authentication by the Philippine Embassy prior to the effectivity of the Apostille Convention in the Philippines.

What if I still want my document, executed in an Apostille country, to be authenticated by the Philippine Embassy?

• The Philippine Embassy shall no longer authenticate documents from Apostille countries such as the United Kingdom or Ireland. However, the Embassy shall continue to provide acknowledgement and jurat services to applicants regardless of whether the origin of the document is an Apostille country or not.

What if the recipient of my Apostille wishes to verify the Apostille? What do I need to do?

• Issued Philippine Apostilles may be verified through this link: . For Apostilles issued in other countries such as the United Kingdom, recipients may contact their Competent Authority. Contact information is available in the Apostille Section of The Hague Conference website: https://www.hcch.net.