Apostille Guide for Citizenship by Descent

An apostille is an international certification under the Hague Convention of 1961 that authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another country. For citizenship by descent applications, apostilles are required on foreign documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, naturalization records) that will be submitted to a foreign government.

When You Need an Apostille:
- Foreign vital records being submitted to an Italian comune, Irish DFA, Polish Voivode, or Hungarian authority
- Naturalization records from a foreign country
- Any document not issued by the destination country's own government

How to Get an Apostille:
- In the United States: Contact the Secretary of State office in the state where the document was issued
- In the UK: Contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
- In Canada: Canada joined the Hague Convention in January 2024 — apostilles are issued by Global Affairs Canada or designated provincial authorities
- In Australia: Contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

Cost: $1–$25 per document (varies by jurisdiction)
Timeline: 1–4 weeks

Important: Apostilles must be obtained BEFORE the document is translated. The translation is done after the apostille is attached.