Documents & Certification · Global
What is an apostille?
Simple answer
An apostille is a standard certificate that confirms a public document really came from the official who signed or sealed it — so another country that has joined the Apostille Convention can accept it without embassy legalisation.
What it means
Under the Hague Apostille Convention (1961), participating countries replace the old multi-step “legalisation chain” with one certificate called an Apostille. It authenticates the origin of the document (signature, capacity, seal) — not whether the facts inside the document are true.
What you may need to do
Check whether both the country that issued your document and the country that will receive it are Apostille Convention parties. If they are, ask the competent authority in the issuing country for an apostille on the right type of public document. If either country is not a party, you usually need legalisation instead — not an apostille.
Country / visa warning
Apostille rules are about document authentication between countries, not a visa type. Whether your visa file needs an apostille, legalisation, a certified copy, or a translation depends on the destination authority and the document. Never assume Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, or Cambodia all ask for the same thing.
Next action
Open your visa checklist for the route you are considering, or use Find my visa to confirm which document authentication (if any) that product asks for.
Government source: www.hcch.net/en/publications-and-studies/details4/?dtid=53&pid=5889 · Reviewed
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