What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that confirms the signature and stamp on a public document are real, so the document can be used in other Apostille Convention countries.
Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated
General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation.
At a glance
- In Arabic
- أبوستيل
- Said as
- abūstīl (a-boos-TEEL)
- Official channel
- In your country: the office it names for apostilles, listed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). For Saudi documents: the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Can you use it from abroad?
- Yes. You get the apostille in the country where the document was issued.
Tell us where your document was issued and which Saudi office will receive it. Please don’t send the document yet.
Why does an apostille matter if you are a foreigner?
It matters because a document you send to Saudi Arabia from abroad often needs one. The Apostille Convention, an international treaty, has applied to Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022. So a public document from another member country usually needs an apostille, not embassy stamps. A public document is one issued by an official body, such as a court or a notary.
An apostille shows where a document comes from. It confirms that the signature and stamp are real, and that the signer acted in an official role. It does not confirm what the document says. For example, it shows that a notary’s signature is real, not that the contract is valid.
Saudi offices do not all treat it the same way. Saudi Arabia’s central bank has told banks that apostilled documents need no further embassy stamps. Some other offices still mention embassy stamps in their own guides. So before you pay for any stamp, we check what the office receiving your document accepts.
If your country has not joined the convention, your documents go through legalisation instead. This is a chain of official stamps that usually ends with the Saudi embassy or consulate.
Where will you meet an apostille?
You will meet it whenever a document from abroad is part of a Saudi matter, such as a power of attorney or company papers:
which route your country uses.
Apostille or legalisation? Documents for Saudi Arabia by countrythe countries and the steps.
Documents from apostille countries for use in Saudi Arabiathe route if your country has not joined.
Documents from countries that need legalisationsigned and stamped in your own country.
Power of attorney for Saudi Arabia, signed abroadcompany documents certified where they were issued.
Setting up a Saudi company from abroad
Can you get an apostille from outside Saudi Arabia?
Yes. You get it in the country where the document was issued, so you do not travel to Saudi Arabia for it. Each member country names its own apostille office, and the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) lists them.
A private document, such as a power of attorney, is usually signed in front of a notary first. A notary is an official who checks your identity and confirms your signature. The apostille then confirms the notary’s signature and stamp.
A Saudi document going to another member country gets its apostille from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The other country decides what it accepts, so ask its embassy.
Frequently asked questions
Is an apostille the same as embassy attestation?
No. According to the Hague Conference, the Apostille Convention replaces the traditional legalisation process with a single apostille certificate, issued by a competent authority in the place where the document comes from. Embassy attestation belongs to that older chain of stamps. Check the route for your country before you pay for either.
Source: HCCH · Apostille Section
Does an apostille replace an Arabic translation?
No. An apostille is a certificate that confirms the signature and seal on a public document; it does not translate it. Courts and many Saudi authorities usually need a certified translation too, made by an accredited translation office. Ask us where it should be done before you pay for one.
How can I check that an apostille is real?
Use the details on the certificate. According to the Saudi Central Bank’s notice to banks, an apostille can be checked through the QR code or the contact details on it, or through the Hague Conference’s website. An apostille issued in Saudi Arabia can also be checked on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ verification page (in Arabic), using its date and number.
Source: Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) · Approval of "Apostille" Authentication for Foreign Public Documents
Official sources
This page draws on 5 official sources. Each line shows who publishes it, its language and, where recorded, the date we last checked it.
- HCCH · Apostille Convention status table (in English) · checked
- HCCH · The ABCs of Apostilles (in English) · checked
- HCCH · Apostille Section (in English) · checked
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Apostille e-register (verify an apostille) (in Arabic) · checked
- Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) · Approval of "Apostille" Authentication for Foreign Public Documents (in English) · checked
General information about Saudi law, not advice on your situation. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed.