What are apostille documents? Let us guide you through how to legally verify your documents by using an apostille service and why it is so important.
Apostille Services And Their Role In The Translation Of Documents
Sometimes, you need your translated documents to be legally verified. You thus need an apostille on the translation. Businesses dealing internationally can use the apostille services to be able to operate in another country that recognizes the apostille certificate. Whether you are setting up a second office abroad, trying to purchase property or even just hiring someone – it is entirely possible that you might need an apostille.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is an official certification of a document. Documents with an apostille are accepted in foreign countries that are members of the Hague Convention. This counts also for translations that have an apostille.
For example, if you need your divorce certificate to be accepted in another country, make sure you have an apostille on the original document so that the foreign authorities accept it. If the document needs to be translated, the translation should as well have an apostille. In both cases, the apostille guarantees that the document (or the translation) is accepted by the authorities.
Which documents need an apostille stamp?
Usually, if you are conducting a legal transaction or anything else official, you will need to get certain documents apostille-stamped. Contracts, company registration details and tax returns may all need apostilles under certain circumstances.
Which documents you should have translated using an apostille depends on what you intend to use them for. Any international contract would have to be presented with an apostille on the translation for legal proceedings and any document needed to file tax returns, claim grants or register with authorities would need an apostille. Visit this blog for tips in spanish.
Which situations might require apostille services?
Let’s keep this simple. First of all, anything that would involve the Swiss (or a foreign) government or local authority will need official documentation. Documents used in the following circumstances need an apostille:
- Set up a business
- Open a second location in a foreign country
- Be added on to a professional register
- Gain national accreditation such as ISO
Anything that would or might involve legal proceedings (civil or criminal) will also need an apostille. This includes:
- Employment contracts
- Sales Contracts
- Documents entered as official evidence
If any of the documentation you need to carry out these activities is originally in a different language or from a different country, you will need to have it professionally translated with an apostille-stamped certificate attached.
Semiotic Transfer AG has an extensive 20+ years as a leading translation company in Switzerland and can help you to translate documents into 40+ languages. If you are interested in any of our services, call us today on +41 56 470 40 40 or send us an email at contact@semiotictransfer.ch.
