Legalization is a legally prescribed, formal procedure, which serves to prove to an institution abroad that a certain written document has been compiled, issued and certified by the competent authority of the state from which the document originates.

Legalization is a procedure that allows a foreign document to be treated in the same way as a document issued by a competent authority of a foreign state.

An apostille is a special type of certification of a document with a seal, which confirms the authenticity and legitimacy of the body that issued that document.

The states which signed the Hague Convention, instead of the classic legalization of public documents, confirm with this seal that the document is valid and that it was issued by the competent institution. The document, which is certified by an apostilleis exempt from any further certification and can be used in all states that have signed the Hague Convention.