People who have never dealt with the legalization of documents have no idea what an apostille is and why it is so important.
Apostille is needed for everybody who is planning to travel abroad.
Apostille is an international stamp that confirms the legality of a certain document. The document doesn't have legal force in another country without it.
Why do you need an apostille?
Each country has its own regulatory and legal frameworks, procedures for official papers registration and issuance, which are valid only on the territory of their country. Almost all documents required abroad must be translated and legalized.
The Hague Convention was adopted in 1961, it abolished the consular legalization procedure, thus greatly simplified the legalization of a document by affixing an apostille instead. Since then, all countries that have joined this agreement can legalize paper in this way.
Cyprus is no exception. They joined the Hague Convention in 1978 and started to use the simplified document legalization system.
What does the apostille look like and where is it placed?
An apostille stamp in Cyprus is a seal of 9x9 cm in the form of a rectangle or circle. Usually it is placed anywhere in the document where there is no text, or on a separate sheet, which is attached to the main document.
A double apostille may be required in some cases to confirm the legitimacy of a document. The main difference is that the apostille is first put on the original document, then the document is translated and notarized, and the second apostille is put on the translation.
What documents can be apostilled?
You need to know that the apostille cannot be put on the documents of countries that are not participating in the Hague Convention. In this case, the paper is subject to a more painstaking and tedious procedure: consular legalization (certification is needed by the relevant ministries and consulates of the country of destination).
The following documents can be apostilled:
- extracts from the commercial register of Cyprus
- documents issued or certified by a notary
- documents issued by the courts of Cyprus: sentences and judgments
- document translations
- official documents issued by the authorities of Cyprus
- educational documents: certificates, certificates and diplomas
- powers of attorney, wills, donation documents
- copies of documents certified by a notary
- other government documents.
Attention! Customs, diplomatic, consular documents and passports are not subject to apostille.
What language is the apostille in?
There are no strict requirements. The use of both the official languages of the Convention (English and French) and the original language of the signatory country is allowed. As a rule, it is drawn up in the language of the signatory and duplicated in one of the languages of the Convention. In Cyprus they usually put apostilles in Greek, Turkish or English.
The title language anyway remains unchanged on the apostille. Only French is allowed here: "APOSTILLE (CONVENTION DE LA HAYE DU 5 OCTOBRE 1961)".
The process of apostille affixing is very simple. The authenticity of the documents is verified first, then the apostille is put.
It should be noted that the validity of the apostille is not limited.
The validity period of the apostille in some cases may be indicated in the document. It is important to remember that the authorities where you plan to use the certified document may also impose their requirements for the validity period.
What should an apostille contain?
Usually, the apostille contains:
- name of the state that issued the apostille
- surname of the person who signed the apostilled document
- position of the person who signed the apostilled document
- the name of the institution with the seal / stamp of which the apostilled document is affixed
- the name of the city were the apostille was affixed
- date of apostille affixing
- name of the authority that affixed the apostille
- apostille number
- seal / stamp of the institution that affixed the apostille
- the signature of the official who affixed the apostille.
Where is the apostille valid?
Apostille is recognized only in the member states of the Convention. The list now includes 193 states. Apostille recognition is mandatory for the parties to the Convention and the countries that have joined it. However, many states reserve the right not to recognize an apostille if it does not comply with the provisions of the Convention.
How much does an apostille cost in Cyprus?
The standard price is EUR 50 per document.
Terms of apostille affixing
The apostille is affixed within 1 working day after receiving the original documents.
Who is entitled to affix an apostille in Cyprus?
The authorized service for affixing an apostille in Cyprus is the Ministry of Justice and Public Order. It is located at 125, Athalassas Avenue, 1461 Nicosia, and operates 5 days a week (Monday through Friday) until 3 pm.
You can contact representatives of the Ministry by phone +357 (22) 805 950/22 805 964/22 805 928, or by fax +357 (22) 518 356/518 328. In addition, if you have any questions, you can write to one of the following email addresses: registry@mjpo.gov.cy, miasonos@mjpo.gov.cy, emorphaki@mjpo.gov.cy.
The official website of the organization: http://www.mjpo.gov.cy/
