Where is your document going?
Some countries accept a U.S. apostille directly. Others are not part of the Hague Convention and need consular legalization. Data from the HCCH status table and each country's official consulate pages.
| Country | U.S. apostille accepted? | Hague since | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Yes | February 18, 1988 | Required |
| Colombia | Yes | January 30, 2001 | Required |
| Cuba | No, legalization | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | Yes | August 30, 2009 | Required |
| Ecuador | Yes | April 2, 2005 | Required |
| El Salvador | Yes | May 31, 1996 | — |
| France | Yes | January 24, 1965 | Depends on the authority |
| Germany | Yes | February 13, 1966 | Depends on the authority |
| Guatemala | Yes | September 18, 2017 | Depends on the authority |
| India | Yes | July 14, 2005 | — |
| Italy | Yes | February 11, 1978 | Required |
| Mexico | Yes | August 14, 1995 | Depends on the authority |
| Peru | Yes | September 30, 2010 | Required |
| Philippines | Yes | May 14, 2019 | — |
| Portugal | Yes | February 4, 1969 | Depends on the authority |
| Spain | Yes | September 25, 1978 | Required |
| Venezuela | Yes | March 16, 1999 | — |
Apostille or legalization?
An apostille is a single certificate issued in the U.S. that is valid in every country party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. For other countries, the document goes through a chain: state certification, then the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications, then the destination country's embassy or consulate.