What is an Apostille and when do I need one? An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or death certificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or a notarial attestation). The Model Apostille Certificate is reproduced at the beginning of this brochure. question question 1 What is an Apostille and when do I need one? www.hcch.net > Apostille Section Apostilles can only be issued for documents issued in one country party to the Apostille Convention and that are to be used in another country which is also a party to the Convention. You will need an Apostille if all of the following apply: • the country where the document was issued is party to the Apostille Convention; and • the country in which the document is to be used is hague conference on private international law | conférence de la haye de droit international privé party to the Apostille Convention; and •the law of the country where the document was issued considers it to be a public document; and • the country in which the document is to be used requires an Apostille in order to recognise it as a foreign public document.