Do All Apostilles Have To Look Exactly The Same?

No. An Annex to the Apostille Convention provides a Model Apostille Certificate (which is reproduced at the beginning of this brochure). Apostilles should conform as closely as possible to this Model Certificate.

In particular, an Apostille must:

  • be identified as an Apostille; and
  • include the short version of the French title of the Convention (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961); and
  • include a box with the 10 numbered standard informational

An Apostille may also provide additional information. For example, an Apostille may:

  • provide extra information about the public document to which it relates;
  • recall the limited effect of an Apostille (i.e., that it only certifies the origin of the public document to which it relates);
  • provide a web-address (URL) of a register where the origin of the Apostille may be verified; or
  • specify that the Apostille is not to be used in the country that issued

However, such additional information must be outside the box that holds the 10 numbered standard informational items.