Apostille (French Apostille) is a special sign applied to official documents of a non-commercial nature originating from the institutions and organizations of the member countries of the Hague Convention on the Abolition of Requirements for the Legalization of Foreign Official Documents.
Main article: The Hague Convention of 1961
The apostille certifies the signatures, the quality of the person who signed the document, and, in some cases, the authenticity of the stamp or seal affixing the document.
Apostille does not require additional certification or legalization of the document and is recognized by the official bodies of all States parties to the Convention. Apostille cannot be used if there are legal reasons that cancel or simplify the legalization of a document.
Currently, the following states have signed this Convention: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, the Netherlands Antilles, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, British Antarctic Territory, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Vanuatu, United Kingdom, Hungary, Venezuela, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Germany, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Honduras, Grenada, Greece, Georgia, Guam, Denmark, Jersey, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Israel, India, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Cape Verde, Kazakhstan, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, China, Macau (Macau), Hong Kong (Xiangang), Colombia, Republic of Korea, Islands Cook, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mayotte, Republic of Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Isle of Man, N Amibia, Holland, Niue, Noua Zealand, New Caledonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Russia, Romania, Salvador, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, St. Helena Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Seychelles, Saint Pierre and Miquelon , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Suriname, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Finland, Falkland Islands (Malvinas ), France, French Polynesia, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Ecuador, Estonia, South Africa, Japan.
Apostille replaces the consular legalization procedure.
The apostille certifies the quality of the signature in which the person who signed the document acts, as well as the authenticity of the stamp or seal. Documents certified by an apostille in one of the States Parties to the Convention must be accepted in the other State Party to the Convention without restriction.
The apostille has a square shape with a side of at least 9 cm and must follow the model attached to the convention.
The text of the apostille must contain the following details:
The name of the state that issued the apostille,
The name of the person who signed the certified apostille document,
Position of the person who signed the certified apostille document,
Name of the institution whose seal / stamp has affixed the certified apostille document,
The name of the city in which the apostille is affixed,
Date Apostille,
The name of the authority which applied the apostille,
Apostille number
Seal / stamp of the institution applying an apostille,
Signature of the apostille officer.
The apostille is drawn up in one of the official languages of the Convention (French or English) or in the national language of the State applying the apostille. The inscriptions on the apostille can be duplicated in two languages (one of the languages of the Convention and the national one). The title “Apostille (Hague Convention of 5 October 1961)” must be given in French. The apostille is attached to the document itself or attached to a separate sheet.
Authorized bodies
Apostille in the Republic of Moldova can be made in the following state-authorized bodies.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. In this public institution, the apostille is applied on various types of administrative documents. The ministry is located in Chisinau, str. Nr. August 31, 1989, 80. Additional information can be found on the official website mfa.gov.md.
Ministry of Justice. In the Ministry of Justice, an apostille is applied to all documents, except administrative ones. The authorized body is located in Chisinau, str. Nr. August 31, 1989, 82.
List of required documents
To apply an apostille to official documents, the following documents must be submitted.
original document intended for apostille,
the original and a photocopy of the applicant’s identity document,
payment receipts
the applicant’s application.
The application shall indicate the name, passport and registration information of the applicant and the owner of the documents, the contact telephone number, a list of documents submitted for apostille, country, date and signature. The receipt is paid at the cashier’s office of the Ministry of Justice