An Apostille is a term used in legalization services meant to recognize public documents issued by a foreign country to be used anywhere in the world (in countries which are statutory to the 1961 Hague Convention).

What is a Hague Convention Apostille for Philippines?

For Philippine nationals wanting to legalize a procedure including a public document needs to be legalized by a U.S. Apostille. This means they would need a certificate attached by a competent authority (an Apostille service) – this would legally state that the stamps and signatures of the government officials on your documents are valid.

This simpler method is a direct result of the 1961 Hague Convention which abolished the need for creating new legal documents in every other country for the same reason. This means that the Apostille Convention abolished the requirement authentication of the signatures on your documents by the originating jurisdiction (or public notary which originally issued the public documents), followed by legalization at the embassy or consulate of the country of destination. For Philippines, the United States of America Department of State Authentication is a vital step in the process. 

Apostille service for Philippines?

Philippines joined the Apostille Hague Convention very late – in fact, it became a statutory body on May 14, 2019. Fortunately, it still has many advantages over its previous status of not being a signatory to the Hague Convention, which made it very difficult for people to authenticate or legalize their public documents issued in the US to be used in the Philippines or vice versa. By becoming a subject to the Apostille Convention, Philippines now no longer requires the red ribbon from the Philippines Embassy and/or Consulate Office(s). As a result, the Apostille issued by the California Secretary of State is sufficient for the special Power of Attorney (POA) to be accepted by the Philippines.

How to get Apostille service for Philippines?

The first step to get Apostille is to assess which type of certification you require. However, there is a slight difference between Apostille and legalization that you should keep in mind. You’ll be required to go for an Apostille if the country of your nationality (the state which issued the original public documents) and the country of your destination are both party to the UN’s Apostille Convention (a clause of the 1961 Hague Convention).

Since requirements for the Apostille and/or legalization and authentication differ for each country -(determined by the country’s own national laws), you should consult a professional Apostille instead of trying to get through the process on your own. For instance, if you are currently based in other country, looking for an Apostille near your location, all you need to do is to meet with us and mail in the required forms of the power of attorney with the official Apostille forms for processing.

Similarly, to Apostille a special power of attorney (POA), for instance for real estate ownership transfer between spouses who married in the Philippines, you’ll need the original POA to be signed and notarized by meeting with a local public notary near you. Finally, once it is successfully notarized, all you need to do is mail it to KICPC !

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