When it comes to legalising documents for international use, it’s important to understand how Apostilles are issued in Australia. If you’re preparing to submit a document overseas, here’s what you need to know:

🖨️ Australia Only Issues Physical Apostilles

All Apostilles issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) are provided in physical form only. Australia does not issue electronic Apostilles (e-Apostilles) at this time.

Each Apostille is:

• Physically attached to your original document or a notarised copy
• Includes a wet ink stamp and seal
• Issued directly by DFAT or through approved processing agents like us

Digital or scanned versions of Apostilles are not accepted as valid by DFAT or most foreign authorities. It’s important to have the original, stamped document for submission.

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📄 Document Requirements for Apostille

Before submitting your document for an Apostille, it must meet certain criteria:

✔️ For Australian Public Documents:

• It must be original (not a photocopy), such as a:
  • Birth or marriage certificate from an Australian registry
  • Police check issued by the AFP
  • Court document or government-issued certificate

✔️ For Private Documents:

If your document is not issued by a government body (e.g., academic transcripts, power of attorney, business contracts), it must be:

• Notarised by a Public Notary first
• Then submitted to DFAT for legalisation

We can guide you through this process to ensure your documents are valid and accepted for Apostille stamping.

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🌏 International Use

Once an Apostille is applied, your document will be accepted in countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. If your destination country is not part of the convention, you may need an Authentication certificate instead, followed by embassy legalisation.