The authorities of Connecticut are carrying out a large-scale reform of document legalization procedures. In 2025, they changed the submission process, and an electronic apostille is expected to be introduced soon. This was reported by official state online resources.
Are you planning to get a visa for study, work, or relocation abroad in 2026? Then you’ve probably come across the term “apostille” — a small stamp that can determine whether your documents will be accepted abroad. In this article, we’ve compiled a complete step-by-step checklist for apostilling documents for a visa in 2026.
In Vietnam, a government decree has been signed regulating all aspects of the implementation of the apostille procedure in the country — from informing citizens about new opportunities to preventing fraud. This is reported by the portal Vietnam.vn.
Luxembourg’s Ministry of Justice has announced the launch of a reform campaign targeting the national business register — Luxembourg Business Registers (LBR). The initiative will, in particular, involve changes in approaches to working with companies. This was reported by RTL Today.
The European Commission has concluded public consultations on the rules for submitting information to beneficial ownership registers. The document has been published on the Commission’s official portal.
The Dutch authorities are preparing to grant public access to the register of beneficial owners of companies, but access will no longer be unrestricted. This was reported by Dentons.
Italian authorities have restored regular access to the beneficial ownership register, which had been restricted following a European Court of Justice ruling on privacy, but under new conditions. This was reported by the Quotidianopiu portal.
The Paris Notaries’ Chamber has published information on the certification of documents with an apostille under updated procedures in 2025. The information is available on the official website of the notaries’ chamber.
The Government of Moldova has amended the Regulation on the Procedure for Issuing Apostilles, which had been in effect since 2007. The relevant legal act is published on the official government website.
On 31 December 2025, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention. This was reported by the official website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The Senate of Pakistan has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to further improve the quality of apostille services. This was reported by HUM English.
The Cabinet of Ministers of has approved a resolution to accede to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention. This was reported on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
In the UAE, it will be possible to transfer companies between the registries of different emirates while retaining legal personality and to register non-profit companies. This was reported by the news agency WAM.
Most members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have agreed to establish a framework for exchanging information on real estate. This was reported by the official OECD portal.
The Directorate General for Legal Administration of the Indonesian Ministry of Justice held a forum
dedicated to international legal cooperation. This was reported by the official information sources of the ministry.
In addition to EAC certification, for many product groups delivered to Russia, the digital marking in the “Chestny ZNAK” system has also been mandatory for several years. This traceability system, introduced by the Government of the Russian Federation, is based on a Data Matrix code that uniquely identifies each individual product unit and registers it in a central database. The aim is to remove counterfeit goods, smuggled goods, and non-compliant products from circulation and to ensure full transparency along the supply chain.
The United Mexican States have joined the electronic apostille program. This was reported by the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The authorities of the Hawaiian Islands have announced the launch of a new online service to simplify the apostille procedure. This was reported by MAUI NOW, citing a statement from the office of the state’s lieutenant governor.
The process of introducing the electronic apostille has been launched in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC, according to the HKSAR Government.
The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria has officially become a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the Apostille Convention).
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has reduced its “grey list” and discussed measures to address new challenges in financial crime, according to the official FATF portal.
In 2025, the Israeli authorities introduced new requirements for repatriates’ documents, some of which concern the apostille procedure. This was reported by MUZMAG, citing lawyer Arthur Blaier.
Since September, France has implemented a new procedure for consular legalization. This change is part of a large-scale reform of document authentication for use abroad, following the modification of the apostille process. Detailed information is available on the official portal of the French government administration.
The Mexican authorities have clarified the list of bodies authorized to issue apostilles and have abolished the legalization requirement for foreign birth certificates issued to children of Mexican citizens.
The Canadian authorities are introducing an online service for verifying apostilles and streamlining the system of bodies authorized to issue apostilles. The relevant information has been published on the Government of Canada’s website and on the portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The authorities of Algeria have officially formalized the decision to accede to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, abolishing the requirement for legalization of foreign public documents. This was reported by La Patrie News, citing statements from the country’s political leadership.
Bangladesh is introducing a fully digital system for issuing, verifying, and apostilling educational and professional certificates. This was reported by Bangla News24, citing the country’s government.
The Irish authorities have updated the name of the body responsible for issuing apostilles, as well as the procedure for document legalization. These changes are reflected on the official website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Recently, the Greek authorities made 170,000 diplomas from one of the country’s leading universities accessible through the official government portal, reports Greek City Times.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a prestigious international education system recognized in over 110 countries. Graduation documents from the DP and CP programs open doors to top universities, but for official use abroad, an apostille or consular legalization is often required. In this article, we explain in detail how the IB diploma legalization process works, which countries have special requirements, and what graduates should pay attention to.
International education opens wide opportunities — admission to universities worldwide, participation in global career projects, or relocation abroad. To avoid university rejections or visa delays, it is crucial to take care of proper diploma legalization in advance.
In this article, we explain why legalization is needed, the different forms it can take, and how bachelor’s degree holders can ensure their education is recognized across different regions of the world.
France has updated its online portal for ordering document apostilles, and it is now working again. Earlier, French experts said that after the legalization reform, the portal was not working.
In Texas, USA, the procedure for getting documents apostilled will change starting August 5, 2025. This update comes from the official website of the Texas Secretary of State.
Offshore structures have not disappeared — but they are transforming to survive amid the implementation of international financial transparency standards.
The authorities of Arizona (USA) have updated the guidelines for apostilling documents. The relevant changes are posted on the official website of the Arizona Secretary of State.
With the development of digital technologies, a new form of apostille has emerged — the electronic apostille (e-APP), which enables the issuance and verification of documents in electronic format. This innovative solution is intended to enhance the speed, convenience, and security of international document exchange. In this article, we examine the current legal framework governing electronic apostilles, as well as the key challenges faced by governments and individuals in their implementation.
As part of the ongoing digital transformation of corporate law in the European Union, procedures related to the legalization, apostille and translation of documents are being significantly simplified. A new initiative by the European Commission, introduced under Digitalisation Directive II, aims to implement digital powers of attorney, ensure mutual recognition of official documents without the need for re-legalization or re-apostille, and eliminate translation requirements—provided that documents are authenticated via EU Trust Services.
Ukrainian citizens residing abroad can now request notarial services at embassies and consulates via the Internet. This was reported by the news media Strana, citing Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha.
Israel has resumed the operations of its diplomatic missions and the provision of consular services abroad. This is confirmed by reports from media reports and official embassy websites.
In India, the Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs has been designated as the apostille authority. The relevant information is recorded on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has issued official clarifications regarding which documents do not require legalization by apostille. This was reported by the Judicial and Legal Gazette.
According to 24.kg, citing the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, the "Electronic Apostille" system has officially been launched in Kyrgyzstan.
After lengthy discussions, digitally apostilled certificates of no criminal record are becoming available in Ukraine through the “Diia” service. This was reported by the publication RBC-Ukraine.
A project that launched a digital apostille platform in Peru has won the prestigious Avonni national award in the category “Public Innovation”. This is reported by the newspaper El Comercio.
Against the backdrop of the expanding use of electronic apostilles, the Ministry of Digital Governance of Greece has been officially designated as an authority independently authorized to certify documents. The corresponding changes have been recorded on the portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The official website of the State of Connecticut (USA) has recently updated its sections on how to obtain apostilles and certified copies of vital records.
The German Federal Foreign Office has announced an adjustment to the fees for apostille certification of documents. The official statement was published on the ministry’s website.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates has updated the section on the consular legalization procedure on its official portal. At the same time, the UAE Embassy in London has issued several clarifications regarding the legalization of documents in the United Kingdom and neighboring countries.
France publishes clarifications on new apostille procedures with exceptions on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law
In Finland, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto) has been officially designated as the competent authority for issuing apostilles. This information has been published on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) held an online brainstorming session on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP), according to the official HCCH website.
The Director of Legalization and Apostille has been designated as the primary contact person at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic for matters related to the authentication of documents for use abroad. The corresponding update has been published on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
In Croatia, in 2025, the functions of two organs authorized to issue apostilles have been clarified: municipal courts and the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation (in exceptional cases). The relevant information is available on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan together with Bank CenterCredit launched a new mobile service “Digital Notary”. This is reported by Zakon.kz.
The Colombian government has given the authority to certify documents within the Office for the Coordination of Apostille and Legalization to the Ambassador in Charge and Head of Operations. The relevant changes are posted on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Apostille in Hawaii has become available in twelve languages besides English. This is reported by the official website of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Sylvia Luke.
Indonesia’s Minister of Justice, Supatman Andi Agtas, has called on Malaysia to consider acceding to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents, also known as the Apostille Convention. This was reported by Indonesia’s news agency Antara
The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice has officially confirmed the increase in the fee for certification of documents by apostille and justified this decision.
The Andorran authorities have given the right to apostille documents to the General Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Director of International Legal Affairs and Human Resources. The corresponding changes are posted on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
As part of its ongoing reform of the document legalization process, the French Ministry of Justice has issued an order regulating the fees charged for apostille services. The text of the regulation is available on the Legifrance portal.
On March 25, 2025, the French Ministry of Justice issued an order establishing a personal data processing system known as the “National Public Signatures Database.” This register has been created to support the implementation of the country's apostille reform.
