Apostille or legalization – what is the difference

Apostille

An apostille is a sticker or stamp confirming that the signature and seal on a document are genuine. It is recognized by all Hague Convention countries – all EU countries, the UK, USA, Canada, China, Japan, Turkey and many others. With an apostille the document is ready for use without further embassy certification.

Any apostille issued in Bulgaria can be verified by the sticker's 13-digit number at apostille.mfa.bg.

Legalization

Full legalization is needed for countries that do not recognize the apostille – e.g. UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq and Iran. The document is certified at the Ministry and then at that country's embassy. The process takes longer.

When neither is needed

For countries with a legal assistance treaty with Bulgaria – e.g. Greece, Spain, France, Romania, Russia and Ukraine – translation and certification are enough.

See the full list on the Legalization & apostille page.