Apostille
An apostille is a standardized certificate that authenticates a public document (e.g. a birth certificate or company extract) for legal use in another country under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
Both Germany and the United States are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so a public document issued in one can be recognized in the other once it carries an apostille - without the older, slower consular legalization. Germans dealing with US authorities (and Americans dealing with German ones) frequently need apostilles on documents like commercial-register extracts, powers of attorney, diplomas, or certificates.
The apostille is issued by a designated authority in the document's country of origin; in the US that is usually the Secretary of State of the issuing state.
See also: Handelsregister (commercial register)
Frequently asked questions
- When do I need an apostille between Germany and the US?
- Whenever an official document from one country must be legally recognized by an authority, court, or notary in the other - common for company formation, real-estate transactions, marriage, or education matters.
- Where do I get an apostille?
- From the designated authority in the country that issued the document. In the US it is typically the issuing state's Secretary of State; in Germany it is the relevant regional or federal authority depending on the document type.