certificate for authentication

A Complete List of the Countries of the Hague Apostille Convention

May 15, 2019 By Atlanta Apostille

As Georgia’s premier international, document certification specialists, we provide apostille services , obtain authentication seals, U.S. State Department certifications, and embassy legalizations for documents to be used overseas. Located in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., with small offices in various states, we have the fastest apostille process turnaround times, including same-day service.

The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention of 1961, is an international treaty that simplifies your certification for any documents overseas. A list of countries as part of the Hague Convention follows (if you don’t see your country, please call us):

Albania
Andorra
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Chile
China, People’s Republic of (Hong Kong & Macao Only)
Colombia
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini (Formerly Swaziland)
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Korea, Republic of
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malawi
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niue
Norway
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Moldova
Republic of North Macedonia
Romania
Russian Federation
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Serbia
Seychelles
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela

For assistance in notarizing and certifying documentations to be used overseas, our staff is available to answer your questions and provide you with step-by-step assistance. We are available, Monday to Sunday, from 8 AM to 11 PM EST. Do not hesitate to call us to apostille documents in the United States at 404-323-4211, or e-mail david@atlantaapostille.com.

Obtaining an apostille can be time-consuming, confusing, and a complete disaster if left into the hands of untrained non-professionals or employees. Make sure you are trusting your important documentation to those who fully understand the apostille process, as well as all of the certifications and unique requirements of each and every country. Don’t waste another second of your time and contact our friendly staff at Atlanta Apostille today.

How to: Get a Diploma Apostilled in Japan

January 24, 2014 By Atlanta Apostille

Japanese students and recent graduates looking to work and study abroad will need their degrees, diplomas, or certificates earned in Japan to be recognized overseas. The Certificate Section of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular and Migration Division handles certification of these types of documents.

In Japan, there are two types of certification for a document: a koin, which is an official stamp, and an Apostille, which is an official addendum.

A koin is available for degrees, diplomas, and certificates from any educational institution, private or government-funded, from primary school through university.

An Apostille, however, can only be obtained for degrees, diplomas, and certifications received from government-operated schools and universities. The upside is that you do not have to bring these documents to the Japanese Embassy, but it is important to note that the documents will only be recognized by countries that are members of the Hague Convention.

In order to have your documents certified by koin or apostille, you need to provide the original document containing the stamp of the school or principal. For an Apostille you will also need to produce a copy of the document.

If you are unable to appear at the Foreign Ministry in person, you may send a self-addressed, stamped envelope, in addition to a letter explaining that you need an application form to validate your degree, certification, or diploma.

When you receive the application form, complete and return it to the ministry with the appropriate documents and copies, as well as a self-addressed, stamp envelope. It will usually take a week for the certified document to be returned to you.

Russia’s Price on Higher Education

November 29, 2013 By Atlanta Apostille

Although many Americans complain about the price of higher education, in Russia the price tag for an advanced degree (Master’s, Ph.D., etc.) runs around $40,000—literally. Russian citizens have been purchasing fake diplomas for years with little to no consequences.

With the penalty for knowingly buying a fake diploma being a maximum $2600 fines and two years of “correctional labor,” coupled with the fact that employers seldom check the authenticity applicant’s diplomas, it is unlikely the fraud will cease anytime soon.

What’s more, companies that do try to verify candidates’ diplomas are often turned down because the information is “confidential.” Ironically, though, foreigners who apply for Russian work permits are required to produce apostilles that prove the authenticity of their diplomas.

Although the Russian government has promised for years to set up a database where employers could validate diplomas, little moves have been made to actually get the project off the ground. Unfortunately it seems the government is not concerned with how academic plagiarism has corrupted the education system and devalued the work of honest students.

With no immediate solutions on the horizon, the question remains: how will Russia be able to continue to modernize while so many leaders of industry—such as managers, engineers, economists, doctors, lawyers, bureaucrats, and politicians—hold fake credentials?

How to: Get Apostille for Indian Citizens Going Abroad

September 16, 2013 By Atlanta Apostille

Indian citizens seeking a job abroad need to obtain an apostille in order for their personal and educational records to be recognized. Apostilles will be issued by the Ministry of External Affairs’ CPV division and will be required for documents such as birth certificates, affidavits, marriage certificates, power of attorney, degrees, and diplomas.

Personal documents need to be first verified by the home departments or general admission departments of the individual’s respective state. Education documents must first be authenticated by the regional authentication center. The MEA will issue the apostilles only after the documents have been initially attested.

The MEA will not issue apostilles for commercial documents that are not covered by the Apostille Convention.

Korea Joins the Hague Convention

July 14, 2013 By Atlanta Apostille

Legal documents from Korea will now be recognized for use overseas without an apostille or certification from foreign embassies, said the Ministry of Justice.

Before Korea joined the Hague Convention, in order for documents to be used outside the country they had to be certified by the respective government embassies, either the Korean embassies abroad or foreign countries’ embassies in Korea.

Now, Korean documents are essentially equal to documents of all other countries participating in the Hague Convention and do not require further certification.

This greatly simplifies the process of sending documents abroad and eliminates the inconvenience of having to visit multiple government embassies.