Hague Apostille at Notary Offices: Rules and Documents

Context note: This content describes Brazilian notary law and extrajudicial procedures.

Questions answered in this article

• What is a Hague Apostille at a notary office and what is it used for?
• Which documents can be submitted for a Hague Apostille at a notary office?
• What is the difference between consular legalization and a Hague Apostille at a notary office?
• How much does a Hague Apostille at a notary office cost and how long does it take?
• How to request a Hague Apostille at a notary office step by step?

In summary

• A Hague Apostille at a notary office (apostilamento de Haia em cartório) is a certificate issued by Brazilian extrajudicial registries to confer international validity and legal effectiveness to documents issued in Brazil for use in over 120 member countries of the Hague Convention.
• Birth, marriage, and death certificates, diplomas, public powers of attorney, and notary acts can be apostilled directly at registries authorized by the National Council of Justice (Conselho Nacional de Justiça — CNJ).
• Private documents require prior signature notarization (reconhecimento de firma) of the signing authority before the apostille can be issued.
• Applying an apostille simplifies procedures for dual citizenship, employment abroad, international studies, marriages, and real estate transactions outside national territory.

What is a Hague Apostille at a notary office and what is it used for?

The Hague Apostille at a notary office (apostilamento de Haia em cartório) is the administrative procedure through which an extrajudicial registry authenticates the signature, capacity, and seal of the issuing authority of a Brazilian public document (Law No. 8,935/1994 / Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 1º). This certification grants full legal effectiveness to the document in all signatory countries of the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Hague Apostille Convention).

When you intend to use a document issued in Brazil in another country — such as a birth certificate to obtain citizenship, a university diploma for a master's degree, or a public power of attorney for representation abroad —, foreign authorities require official confirmation of the authenticity of that declaration. The Hague Apostille at a notary office serves this purpose by affixing a standardized single certificate containing identification data and a QR code for instant verification to the document.

By performing a Hague Apostille at a notary office, the requirement to travel to embassies or departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministério das Relações Exteriores) is eliminated, centralizing authentication within the notary and registry delegated system (Law No. 8,935/1994 / Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 6º Lei nº 8.935/1994, art. 6º).

FAQ

What is a Hague Apostille at a notary office and what is it used for?

A Hague Apostille at a notary office is a certificate issued by authorized registries attesting to the authorship and authenticity of a signature on a Brazilian public document. This act guarantees the effectiveness and legal recognition of the document in over 120 signatory countries of the Hague Convention.

Which documents can be submitted for a Hague Apostille at a notary office?

Public certificates issued by Civil Registry of Natural Persons officials, deeds drafted at notary offices, school diplomas, transcripts, court decisions, and administrative documents can receive an apostille. Private documents require signature notarization before receiving an apostille.

What is the difference between consular legalization and a Hague Apostille at a notary office?

Consular legalization requires prior validation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and subsequent authentication at the consulate of the destination country, applying only to non-signatory nations. A Hague Apostille at a notary office replaces this bureaucratic chain with a single electronic certificate containing a QR Code.

How much does a Hague Apostille at a notary office cost and how long does it take?

The fee for a Hague Apostille is established by the state fee schedule of each State Court of Justice. The issuance time usually ranges from immediate to 5 business days, depending on document volume and the need for public seal signature verification.

Base legal

• provimento_cnj 149 2023 — Provimento CNJ nº 149/2023
• lei_federal 8.935 1994 — Lei nº 8.935/1994
• lei_federal 8.935 1994 — Lei nº 8.935/1994

Próximos passos

Apostilamento de Haia · Registro Civil / Notarial · Ver todos os conteúdos