What is an apostille stamp and what is its purpose?
Author: Alex Brosh, Israeli attorney and notary.
An apostille is an official certificate used to authenticate the origin of a public document for presentation abroad under the 1961 Hague Convention. It certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the signer acted and, where applicable, the identity of the seal or stamp. It does not certify the truth of the document’s contents or guarantee that the receiving authority will accept the document for a particular purpose. For example, an Israeli birth certificate submitted in the United States may require an apostille depending on the receiving authority’s requirements and any applicable exemption. Before ordering an apostille, check the destination, the document type and whether a translation or other supporting documents are also required.
See the Hague Apostille Convention and the HCCH Apostille Handbook.
Apostille Convention
The Convention of 5 October 1961 simplifies authentication of eligible public documents exchanged between countries for which the Convention is in force. It replaces diplomatic or consular legalisation with an apostille issued by a designated competent authority in the country where the document originates. The Convention covers court documents, administrative documents, notarial acts and certain official certificates attached to private documents. It does not cover documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents or administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations.
Recognition of an apostille concerns authentication of the document’s origin; it does not establish the legal force of the underlying transaction or require acceptance of every statement in the document. An apostille may be unnecessary where the receiving country’s law, practice or an applicable agreement exempts the document. Check the Convention’s current status for the countries concerned, including any objections or territorial limits, rather than relying on an old country count or treating the European Union as a single contracting country. Where the Convention does not apply, ask about the appropriate legalisation route.
In what cases is it necessary to obtain an apostille stamp?
An apostille may be requested for government, professional, business or legal documents presented abroad. For example, a receiving authority may ask for authentication of an Israeli marriage certificate used in a family or benefits application. A professional regulator considering a doctor’s, lawyer’s or architect’s qualifications may require authenticated educational records; an apostille does not itself grant a professional licence or recognition of those qualifications.
Companies may need authenticated incorporation records or official certificates connected with transactions. Private commercial agreements are not automatically public documents, and the Convention excludes administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, so import/export documents require an individual route check. Court decisions, notarial acts relating to powers of attorney and appropriate official or notarial certifications relating to wills may also be relevant. For each document, distinguish authentication from substantive validity and confirm the receiving authority’s requirements, the applicable Convention relationship and any exemption before obtaining the certificate.
Who issues the certificate, and how?
In Israel, the competent authority and application route depend on who issued or certified the document. Government-issued documents, such as birth or marriage certificates, follow the applicable government authentication route, which may involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a digital service available for the particular document. Court documents and signatures on Israeli notarial certificates are handled through the Judicial Authority’s designated service. A notarized translation is therefore a different authentication route from the underlying government certificate; both may need attention depending on the receiving authority’s instructions.
Not every private document must be notarized or can receive an apostille in its original form. First identify the document and any required official or notarial certification. See the Israeli Judicial Authority’s apostille service and the government digital-apostille service for the applicable document categories.
Obtaining an Apostille Stamp in Israel
The procedures for government documents, court documents and notarial certificates are different. Start by obtaining the receiving authority’s instructions and identifying the issuing body, the country of use and the required format. Some government documents need preliminary authentication of the issuing official’s signature or seal; others can be obtained through an eligible digital service. For an application to authenticate a notary’s signature at a court secretariat, the Judicial Authority requires the signed documents and an identity card or passport. Its authorized signatory checks the notary’s signature against the official Register of Notaries.
The Judicial Authority lists the court apostille fee as NIS 41 per certificate from 1 January 2026, with annual updates. Check the current official instructions before paying; notarial acts, translation, document preparation and delivery may involve separate costs. Do not assume that an electronic service covers every document. The Judicial Authority’s Net HaMishpat route is specified for eligible court-file rulings and decisions, while the government digital service lists the public documents it supports. Retain the signed electronic file where an electronic apostille is issued and check the required submission format; a printout is not a substitute for the electronic certificate. For a destination where the Convention does not apply, ask about the non-Convention authentication and further legalisation steps.
Contact us
Cohen Brosh Law Firm assists with reviewing Israeli government and notarial documents, identifying the relevant authentication route and coordinating an apostille where required. To request a document-specific review, provide the document type, the issuing country, the destination country and the receiving authority’s written instructions, if available. Indicate whether you need translation, notarisation, additional copies or delivery, so that the services and costs can be assessed separately.
Contact the office about an apostille in Israel. Acceptance of the document remains subject to the receiving authority’s requirements; no particular outcome or processing time is promised.