Apostille of documents

Why do you need an apostille?

Today, many of our fellow citizens go abroad for different purposes: to study in a foreign higher education institution, to search for a new perspective job or simply to change their place of residence. To do this, you need to prepare all things needed and, above all, to compile a complete set of documents, and not to forget to take care of their validity abroad. It shall be done in advance, while you are still in Ukraine. How do you make it? It’s simple! To do this, you need to pass the apostille certification procedure, if our counties have not concluded an agreement to simplify or annul the legalization procedure.

In other words, the documents, or a separate sheet, which is stitched to the document, shall have the apostille affixed to them. It certifies the authenticity of a seal or stamp, and also the credibility of a signature of a person, who signed the document.

Which state bodies are authorized to affix apostille? In Ukraine, such authorities are currently given only to three ministries. Each of them has the right to affix apostille to certain documents, namely:

• The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MoES) has a full range of authorities to affix apostille to such types of documents, as diploma, secondary education certificate etc., which are directly related to the area of education and science;
• The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has the right to perform apostille certification of such documents as birth/marriage certificate, and also those documents, which are issued by courts and justice departments. Apart from that, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine is authorized to affix apostille to the documents drawn up by the notaries of Ukraine;
• The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine may affix apostille to the documents, which have not been listed above.

Do all countries need the apostille? Before starting the apostille certification, look through the list of countries that signed the Hague Convention of 1961, and find a country, in which you plan to arrive. If it is on the list, you will need the apostille certification procedure. If the country, in which you plan to go, has not joined the Hague Convention of 1961, then you will have to pass consular legalization procedure.

Another situation is typical nowadays for most countries of the former USSR. We are talking about those countries that have signed the Hague Convention, but our countries have also signed another agreement — on abolition or simplification of the documents legalization procedure.

Where can you apply for apostille certification? Despite the fact that apostille is a simplified form of documents legalization, the procedure of its affixing is rather tedious. For this reason, it is better to entrust apostille certification to experienced specialists. The skilled personnel of the Translation Agency “Etalon” will help you to affix apostille to all necessary documents within the terms optimal for you. Cooperating with us is simple, easy and convenient!

Have you decided to order the service in our agency?

You can place your order and receive complete consultation service, having visited our office at the address: 47 Sumska Street, Office # 11, Kharkiv, Ukraine, or having filled in the feedback form, or having simply called to our office!