How to have a certified paper document apostilled or legalised by a town hall?

What is legalisation and what is an apostille?

Legalisation is the formality by which the authenticity of the signature of the document’s author, the capacity in which the signatory acted, and, where applicable, the identity of the seal or stamp affixed to the document, are certified.
Unless otherwise provided by an international agreement, any French public document intended for use abroad must be legalised.
apostille and legalisation thus enable the international circulation of documents.
They relate to the authenticity of the signature, seal or stamp on the document and the seal of the issuing authority.

• They certify that the document has indeed been signed by a public authority.
• They do not concern the content of the document.
   

In summary, legalisation and apostille attest to the following:

• The authenticity of the signature
• The capacity and identity in which the signatory acted
• Where necessary, the identity of the seal or stamp on the document

In practice, legalisation and apostille consist of an official stamp affixed to the document.
As part of its delegated public service mission, the notarial profession will issue apostilles and legalisations exclusively in electronic format.

What is the difference between an apostille and legalisation?

The main difference between apostille and legalisation lies in their use, procedure, and international scope.

• Legalisation is the process of authenticating the signature of the authority that issued the document.
• An apostille is a simplified form of legalisation. It replaces legalisation for countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. It certifies the same information as legalisation.
   

Legalisation is therefore required between countries that are not signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention. For more information on the Hague Convention and to check whether your document requires legalisation or apostille, please refer to the relevant resources.

Requesting an apostille or legalisation for a certified copy issued by a town hall
 

To be apostilled or legalised, your document must originate from a public authority. It is also possible to affix an apostille or legalisation to a certified copy of the document issued by a competent authority (notaries, municipal officers authorised by the mayor, judicial police officers, diplomatic and consular agents, judicial commissioners, etc.).
Follow the steps below.

What are the steps to have a document apostilled or legalised via the town hall?

To have a certified copy of a document apostilled or legalised, you must go to a town hall or any other competent authority. Then, the request for apostille or legalisation must be sent to the apostille centre selected at the time the application is submitted.

Please note

• If your document is a civil status certificate and the issuing town hall is listed in the public signature database, you can submit your apostille or legalisation request online, then send your documents by post together with the online application receipt and a prepaid return envelope, or you can visit the counter of one of the 15 competent Regional Notarial Councils to submit your request in person.
• The notarial profession may also directly apostille documents issued by other authorities without the need for certification, such as documents from Chambers of Commerce advisers, notaries, etc.