Whether you plan to work, marry or study abroad, you will need an apostille on your passport.
An apostille is a certificate of authenticity recognised by every country party to the 1961 Hague Convention. For countries outside the Convention, the document has to be legalised through the embassy or consulate of the country in which it will be submitted.
Provided you meet the relevant requirements, we will not need your original passport to obtain the apostille; a colour copy will do.
How to get your passport apostilled
Rather than sending us your original passport, send a colour copy with the following wording at the bottom:
„I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of my passport.“
(signature and date)
You can either send us this declaration already notarised, or leave both the notarisation and the apostille to us.
If you send a notarised copy, make sure the notary knows what it will be used for. The certification must use the correct wording (some states require different types of certification), and it must be signed, stamped and show the registration number and the date it takes effect.
How we can help
We will support you and make sure your passport is apostilled as quickly as possible. The key is to start everything in good time so that you are ready for your planned submission date or departure abroad. We can also help with urgent cases. Fill in the form on our website or contact us 24/7.
Preparing a passport copy for use abroad
A passport is one of the most frequently requested documents when you deal with foreign authorities, but it is also a document you cannot easily do without. That is why, in many cases, the route goes through a certified copy rather than the original passport itself. A properly worded and notarised colour copy can then be presented for an apostille or, where the destination country is not a party to the Hague Convention, for legalisation.
Getting the certification right
The details of the notarial certification matter. The wording, the notary’s signature and seal, the registration number and the date must all meet the requirements of the authority that will issue the apostille. Requirements can differ from one jurisdiction to another, and a certification that is incomplete or uses the wrong wording may be refused. If you are unsure, we can arrange the notarisation for you so that it matches what is needed.
Check that your passport is valid
Before you start, make sure your passport is valid and that its validity will cover the period during which the copy is likely to be used. Foreign institutions may also ask for the copy to be recent, so it is sensible not to prepare it too far in advance.
Translation and other documents
Depending on the destination country, the receiving authority may ask for a certified translation of the apostilled copy. Applications for marriage, residence or study often require other documents as well, such as a birth certificate, proof of citizenship or a criminal record extract. We can prepare these together with your passport copy, so that everything is ready at the same time.
Planning to work, marry or study abroad? Contact us, tell us where your documents will be used, and we will guide you through the passport apostille and any other documents you need.