Apostille Guide: How to Authenticate Documents for European Citizenship Applications
Last updated: March 2026 · Document checklist →
Almost every European citizenship by descent application requires apostilled copies of your vital records. This guide explains what an apostille is, why you need it, and how to get one on your documents — country by country.
What Is an Apostille?
An apostille is a standardised certificate issued under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents). It authenticates the official nature of a document — confirming that the signature, seal, or stamp on it is genuine — so that it will be accepted by another country's authorities without further verification.
For a citizenship by descent claim, you are presenting documents from your country of residence (or birth) to a European government. That European government needs to trust that your birth certificate is a genuine official document. The apostille provides that assurance.
Apostille vs. Certified Translation — the difference
- Apostille:Confirms the document is a genuine official document (authentication of the seal/signature)
- Certified translation:Converts the content of the document into the target language, sworn by a certified translator
- Order matters:Apostille the original first, then have the apostilled copy translated
Which Documents Need to Be Apostilled?
Generally, the following documents require apostilles when used in a foreign country:
- •Birth certificates (for every person in your lineage)
- •Marriage certificates
- •Death certificates
- •Divorce decrees (where relevant to prove name change or break in chain)
- •Naturalisation certificates (to prove when an ancestor acquired foreign citizenship)
- •Criminal background checks (required by some countries for the applicant)
Documents issued by the destination country itself (e.g., Italian birth certificates to be used in Italy) do not need apostilles. Check our document checklist for country-specific requirements.
Apostille by Country of Issue
United States
- Authority:
- Secretary of State of the issuing state (for state documents); US Dept. of State Office of Authentications (federal documents)
- Process:
- Order a certified copy of the document from the issuing authority, then submit to the Secretary of State of that state with the apostille request form and fee. Oregon, California, and New York offer online submission. Federal documents go to US DOS in Washington DC.
- Timeline:
- 1 day–4 weeks (state); 4–6 weeks (federal)
- Typical fee:
- $3–$20 (state); $8 (federal, per document)
United Kingdom
- Authority:
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office
- Process:
- For civil registration documents (birth, marriage, death certificates from the GRO), you can request an apostille directly online. For other documents, have them notarised first, then submit to the FCDO.
- Timeline:
- Standard: 2–3 weeks by post. Premium same-day service available in person.
- Typical fee:
- £30–£75 per document
Australia
- Authority:
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
- Process:
- Documents must first be certified by an Australian public official (JP or similar), then submitted to DFAT for apostille. DFAT has offices in most capital cities.
- Timeline:
- 2–4 weeks standard; same-day counter service available in Canberra and some capital cities
- Typical fee:
- AUD $65–$85 per document
Canada
- Authority:
- Global Affairs Canada for federal documents; each provincial government for provincial documents
- Process:
- Certificates issued by provinces (birth, marriage, death) must be apostilled by the relevant provincial government. Federal documents go through Global Affairs Canada. Note: Canada joined the Hague Convention in 2024 — apostilles are relatively new here.
- Timeline:
- 4–8 weeks depending on province
- Typical fee:
- CAD $35–$65 per document
Ireland
- Authority:
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Process:
- Documents issued in Ireland (birth, marriage certificates from the GRO) can be apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. Apply online or in person.
- Timeline:
- 1–5 business days
- Typical fee:
- €20–€40 per document
Germany
- Authority:
- District Court (Landgericht) or State Court of Justice (Oberlandesgericht) of the issuing Bundesland
- Process:
- German documents (birth certificates from Standesamt, etc.) are typically apostilled by the relevant state authority. The process varies by Bundesland.
- Timeline:
- 1–3 weeks
- Typical fee:
- €10–€30 per document
Italy
- Authority:
- Prefettura (prefecture) of the province where the document was issued, or the issuing authority itself for some documents
- Process:
- Italian vital records (from Comuni) can be apostilled at the local Prefettura. Court documents may be apostilled at the Court of Appeal.
- Timeline:
- 1–2 weeks
- Typical fee:
- €16–€25 per document
Poland
- Authority:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) for most documents; Courts of Appeal for judicial documents
- Process:
- Polish vital records issued by Polish civil registry offices can be apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices in Warsaw or designated regional offices.
- Timeline:
- 1–5 business days at MSZ Warsaw; longer by mail
- Typical fee:
- PLN 60 (~€14) per document
Apostille Tips for Citizenship Applications
- →Order multiple certified copies of each vital record — you may need them for several different countries or agencies. Getting 3 copies at once is cheaper than reordering.
- →Apostille the original certified copy, not a photocopy. Most authorities will only apostille documents with original signatures or official stamps.
- →Check the specific requirements of the destination country. Some countries (e.g., Italy) accept apostilled documents from any Hague Convention country; others have specific formatting requirements.
- →Keep apostilled originals in a safe place and make digital copies immediately. Losing an apostilled document mid-process causes significant delays.
- →Some European consulates will accept apostilled documents in digital PDF form initially if you provide originals at appointment — check with the specific consulate first.
- →For very old documents (pre-1900) that have been digitised, the apostille will be on the certified copy provided by the archive, not on the original. This is standard and accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a new apostille if my document is more than a few years old?
Apostilles themselves do not expire — there is no legal expiry date under the Hague Convention. However, some consulates or government offices may require documents (and their apostilles) to have been issued within the last 6 or 12 months, particularly for criminal background checks. Vital record certificates (birth, marriage, death) from older apostilled copies are generally accepted without re-apostilling.
What do I do if the country that issued my document is not on the Hague Convention list?
You will need to go through a chain authentication process instead: (1) have the document notarised in the issuing country, (2) have the notarisation authenticated by the national foreign ministry of the issuing country, (3) then have that authentication legalised by the embassy of the destination European country in the issuing country. This process can take weeks to months.
Can a lawyer or apostille service handle this for me?
Yes. Many attorneys handling citizenship by descent applications include apostille procurement in their services. There are also dedicated apostille service companies (especially in the US and UK) that handle the logistics of obtaining apostilles and certified translations for a fee, often faster than doing it yourself.
Know Which Documents You Need First
Before apostilling, check the full document checklist for your specific country so you request and apostille the right documents from the start.
View Document Checklist →