Apostille or Consular Legalization: Which One Your Credential Needs

Which one applies to each country of origin

Of the ten origin countries Booka operates, most are parties to the Hague Convention:

The 3 errors that generate corrections

1. 1
   Apostilling a copy instead of the original.

   Most regulators require the apostille on the original document or on a copy certified by the same issuing authority.

2. 2
   Apostilling after translating.

   The correct order is to apostille first and translate after — the sworn translation has to include the apostille.

3. 3
   Accepting a partial legalization.

   On the consular route, skipping a link in the chain invalidates the whole procedure.

How Booka handles it

Booka's document system generates a checklist per file based on the origin-destination corridor: it indicates whether your credential needs apostille or legalization, on which documents, and in what order. The Verifier Agent validates each document at source before filing, so the file reaches the regulator complete on the first try, depending on the receiving country.

Conclusion

The apostille or the legalization is not a formality: it is the basis of validity of the entire file. Resolving it correctly and in the right order at the start of the process avoids the months of corrections that block most recognition cases.