Apostille is a special stamp or certificate that confirms the authenticity of an official document for its recognition abroad. In simple terms, an apostille certifies that the document was indeed issued by an authorized body, and the signature and seal on it are genuine.
🛡️ An apostille gives your document legal validity abroad 🌐
Documents certified with an apostille in one member country of the 1961 Hague Convention, are accepted in another member country without additional certification. This significantly simplifies the process of international recognition of documents compared to consular legalization.
📄 Apostille without queues and bureaucracy
Need to urgently use an Estonian document abroad? 🕒🌍 Not sure where and how to get an apostille? 🤷♂️📑
We will arrange to have your documents apostilled in just 1–2 days. Guaranteed fast, official, and with no extra hassle – you simply get the final result.
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Why do you need an apostille?
If you plan to use a document issued in Estonia outside of Estonia – for example, for studying, working, getting married, registering a business, or other legal actions abroad – you will most likely need an apostille. Without an apostille, foreign institutions will not recognize an Estonian document as official.
Apostille certification replaces the lengthy consular legalization procedure and allows your document to acquire legal validity abroad. A document with an apostille is immediately ready for use abroad: it will be accepted by official authorities in another country without additional certifications or attestations.
It is important to understand that an apostille confirms the document’s authenticity, but does not translate its content. Therefore, in most cases a translation of the apostilled document into the language of the country where it will be used is required. We can help arrange a sworn translation so that your document is truly ready to be presented in the destination country.
What laws regulate the apostille?
The procedure for issuing an Apostille is established by the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 (Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents), which Estonia joined in December 2000 (the accession took effect on September 30, 2001). Thus, documents issued in Estonia can be authenticated with an Apostille and are recognized by all the Convention’s member states (currently over 120).
In Estonia, the authority to apostille public documents is delegated to notaries—all notaries operating within Estonia can issue an Apostille for official documents. A notary certifies the authenticity of the document and attaches an Apostille certificate in a standardized format. The Apostille is square (~9×9 cm), headed by the title “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)” in French, and includes 10 standard details (issuing country, name of the signing official, official stamp, etc.).
Which documents are usually apostilled?
An apostille can be affixed only on official documents issued by government authorities or notaries. Below is a list of documents that are most frequently apostilled in Estonia:
- Civil status documents: certificates issued by the Civil Registry Office – such as birth, marriage, divorce, name/surname change, and death certificates.
- Educational documents: secondary education certificates, university diplomas and their supplements, academic transcripts, certificates of course completion or professional development.
- Notarized documents: powers of attorney, consents, wills, contracts, notarized copies of documents, etc. For example, if you obtained a notarized power of attorney in Estonia for use abroad, it will also require an apostille.
- Certificates and extracts from government authorities: a certificate of no criminal record, an extract from the Population Register, various types of official certificates from ministries and departments (regarding marital status, place of residence, etc.).
- Corporate documents of companies: an extract from the Commercial Register, a company’s founding documents (articles of association, foundation agreement), and other documents that may be required for a company’s activities abroad.
- Court documents: court decisions, rulings, writs of execution, or other documents issued by Estonian courts.
All the listed documents must contain the official signatures and seals of the authorities that issued them. The apostille certifies only the authenticity of these signatures and seals, but not the content of the document. Therefore, if the document will be presented in a country with a different official language, a translation by a sworn translator is often required.
It is important to note that private documents (such as personal letters and requests or commercial invoices and contracts) are not subject to apostille certification.
Which countries do not require an apostille?
An apostille for documents issued in Estonia is not required if they will be used in the following countries: Belgium, Ireland, Italy, France, and Denmark. These countries have signed the Convention on the Abolition of Legalization of Documents in the member states of the European Union, which significantly simplifies the process of using official documents between these countries. Thus, individuals and legal entities can freely exchange documents without the need for additional legalization or certification, saving time and resources.
An apostille is also not required for the use of documents in the following countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland. Estonia has corresponding bilateral agreements with these countries, which also facilitate the process of recognition and use of official documents. This creates favorable conditions for international cooperation and strengthens mutual ties between the countries.
How to get an apostille in Estonia?
To obtain an apostille on your own, you need to personally (or through an authorized representative) visit a notary office, provide the original document, and fill out the corresponding apostille application. If the document is electronic, in some cases you can submit an application through the electronic notary portal. After verifying authenticity, the notary will attach an apostille to your document and certify it with their seal.
Entrust the apostille formalities to Eesti Firma — we will take care of everything
However, it is much more convenient to entrust this task to professionals, especially if you are outside of Estonia or do not have time to handle the formalities. We offer comprehensive assistance in apostilling documents issued in Estonia. Our team will take care of all the hassle: we will ensure your document is correctly prepared, help obtain a duplicate from Estonian institutions if necessary, submit the documents to the notary and obtain the apostille as quickly as possible. We work with both individuals and companies – assisting residents of Estonia, foreigners, Estonian enterprises, and foreign firms that need official Estonian documents for use abroad.
Our advantages:
- Fast execution: we usually obtain an apostille within 1–2 days, which corresponds to the official timelines in Estonia. You won’t have to wait long or visit the notary multiple times.
- Affordable cost: our service price is fixed at 50 euros per document. This amount includes all necessary notary fees and organizational work. No hidden charges; you know the cost upfront.
- Experience and reliability: we specialize in legal services and understand the nuances of the apostille process. We know the requirements of Estonian law as well as the specifics of using documents in different countries.
- Convenience for clients worldwide: if you are not in Estonia, that’s not a problem. You can send us documents by courier or electronically (depending on the type of document), and we will arrange everything else. We will send the ready documents with apostilles back to you via courier service anywhere in the world.
- Consultations and support: if necessary, we provide a free consultation on document legalization issues. We will explain whether an apostille is specifically needed or additional steps are required, check if your document is correctly prepared for the apostille, and give recommendations (for example, regarding translation).
By contacting us, you save time and avoid bureaucratic complications. Just reach out to us in any convenient way – and we’ll get to work on your task right away!
