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What is an "Apostille" or "Authentication?"

An apostille is an internationally recognized form of authentication. The sole function of the apostille is to identity any stamp or seal affixed to an official document; certify the authenticity of the signature on the document, and the capacity in which the person signing the document acted.

The use of the apostille was first instituted at the 1961 Hague Convention which did away with the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Under the Hague Convention, participating countries have agreed to recognize public documents issued by other signatory countries if those public documents are authenticated by the apostille. The apostille guarantees that public documents issued in one signatory country will be recognized as valid in another signatory country.

While the United States and United Kingdom are party to the Hague Convention, Canada is not.  As such, documents issued in Canada must bear certification from the Consulate General of Israel in Toronto in lieu of an apostille. For a list of Hague Convention countries, please visit http://www.travisa.com/hague.html#countries.  If you have a document which was issued in a country that is NOT party to the Hague Convention, the document still requires legalization. Please contact that country's Embassy or Consulate in order to learn about this process.

Israeli government offices require original documents of status (i.e. marriage, divorce, or adoption papers) to have an apostille stamp. Please note that if you are Israeli or have previously held an A-1 visa, an apostille stamp is absolutely necessary.

When applying for the apostille, make sure to enclose the proper fee and stipulate that the APOSTILLE is required for use in the State of Israel. Note: In the U.S., in some states the check should be made payable to The Secretary of State while in other states, the check should be made payable to the Treasurer of the State (for example: Treasurer, State of New Jersey).

  • In the United States: For a complete list of authorities in the United States please refer to the following website:  http://apostilleinfo.com/usa.htm 
  • In the U.K.: Please be in touch by post or in person: The Legalisation Office, Norfolk House (West), 437 Silbury Boulevard Milton Keynes, MK9 2AH. You can also contact their enquiry service which operates between the hours of 10:30 to 13:30 Monday through Friday. Their lines are often extremely busy and they encourage ou to find the answer to your query on their site: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-services/Legalisation/
    If you would prefer to speak to an agent during the hours of operation, please phone: 03700 00 22 44 (national rate charges will apply). Customers calling from outside the UK should phone +44 20 7008 5959. By fax: 01908 295 122. Email: legalisationoffice@fco.gov.uk
  • In Canada: The Israeli Embassy in Ottawa and the Consulates in Toronto and Montreal can certify documents issued in Canada. The process costs $12, and you must bring a photo ID and the original document requiring certification. You may also send someone to certify the document(s) on your behalf, provided they present a valid photo ID and the original document(s). For more information, please contact the Israel Aliyah Center in Toronto at 416-633-4766. 
If you need to issue an apostille on your Israeli documents for use outside of Israel, the procedure is as follows: 

Go to an Israeli notary public with an original photo ID (i.e. passport or Teudat Zehut) and the document requiring notarization. Ask them to fill out an authorization of signature form to attach to the document that requires notarization. Each document requiring notarization needs an authorization of signature form. This includes copies of the same document. The charge is 177 NIS per document, notarization of photo ID’s costs 71 NIS. All notaries have to charge the same price for this service.

Once you have the documents notarized they will need an apostille sticker and stamp. Apostille services are offered in Magistrate Courts. In Jerusalem, the Beit Mishpat Hashalom provides apostille services. They are located in Migrash Harusim, room 229a. Public reception hours are 8:30am-13:00pm. During July and August the hours are from 9am-12:00pm.  

Additional Resources: Getting an Apostille in the USA