What Does an Apostille Look Like?

The short answer

An apostille is a one-page certificate, usually square or rectangular, attached to the document it authenticates. Every apostille follows the model set by the Hague Apostille Convention: it is titled "Apostille," refers to the Convention of 5 October 1961, and contains ten numbered fields identifying the country, the official whose signature is being certified, and the authority issuing the apostille. Designs differ by country and state, but the ten fields are always the same, which is what lets officials around the world recognize it.

The ten fields on every apostille

What an apostille certifies, and what it does not

An apostille certifies three things about the document: the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the person who signed it, and, where applicable, the seal or stamp it bears. It does not certify the content of the document. An apostille on a notarized power of attorney confirms the notary was commissioned; it does not confirm that the power of attorney is valid or correctly drafted. That is why receiving offices still review the document itself.

How a Massachusetts apostille is attached

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth attaches its apostille to the original document. The apostille and the document form a single set. Do not remove staples, separate pages or make photocopies to submit in place of the original: a separated apostille may be rejected. If a receiving office wants copies for its file, provide copies in addition to the original, not instead of it.

Apostille or certification?

If your document is going to a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, Massachusetts issues a certification instead of an apostille. It looks different and is not accepted on its own: it continues to the U.S. Department of State for authentication and then to the destination country's embassy for legalization. See Apostille or Legalization?.

Signs of a problem

• The apostille names a different country or the wrong official.
• The apostille is detached from the document, or pages have been removed.
• The document is a plain photocopy rather than a certified copy or notarized document.
• A federal document, such as an FBI check, carries a state apostille instead of a U.S. Department of State apostille. See State vs. Federal Apostille.
• The apostille cannot be verified with the issuing authority.

Translating the apostille

When your documents need translation, many countries require the apostille itself to be translated along with the document. Plan to apostille first and translate second. See Translate Before or After the Apostille?.

Apostilles from different issuers

Every U.S. state designs its own apostille, and the U.S. Department of State uses its own format for federal documents. Some are printed on security paper with embossed seals; some include ribbons or grommets; some carry QR codes or registry numbers. The appearance varies, but the ten fields and the title do not. Receiving officials are trained to look for those fields, not for a particular design.

Language on the apostille

U.S. apostilles are issued in English, and the title "Apostille" with its French reference to the Convention appears on every one. Many countries require the apostille to be translated along with the document. See Certified vs. Notarized vs. Sworn Translation.