How Long Does the Apostille Last?

A common question we receive frequently is how long does the apostille last. Apostille certificates do not have an expiry date. Once issued, an apostille remains technically valid indefinitely – there is no date on the certificate by which it expires or becomes void.

However, whether an apostille will actually be accepted is a separate question. Many countries, institutions, and authorities impose their own requirements on how recently the apostille – and the underlying document -must have been issued. In practice this typically means within the last 3 to 6 months, particularly for documents that relate to your current personal circumstances.

The sections below cover which documents are most commonly subject to recency requirements, how different countries approach apostille validity, and what to do if your apostille is considered too old.

The answer depends largely on what the document itself records and how time-sensitive that information is. Below is a guide to the most common document types.

This is the document most commonly subject to strict recency requirements. A potential employer, visa authority, or government body will almost always require that both the criminal record check and its apostille were issued within the last 3 to 6 months. As your record can change at any time, an older check is not considered reliable evidence of your current status.

A Certificate of No Impediment confirms you are free to marry. Countries such as Italy, Cyprus and Greece – which are among the most common destinations for UK couples marrying abroad – typically require that the CNI and its apostille are issued within 3 to 6 months of the wedding date. You should factor this into your planning timeline to avoid needing to reapply.

A marriage certificate does not change, and many institutions will accept an apostille of any age on this document. However, some authorities overseas insist on both a recently issued marriage certificate and a recent apostille.

For example, the Spanish visa authorities will insist the marriage certificate and the accompanying apostille are no more than 3 months old.

Company status can change – directors, addresses, share structures – so apostilles on company documents are more frequently required to be recent. If you are using company documents for overseas contracts or legal purposes, check whether the receiving authority requires a recently apostilled copy.

Yes. While the apostille itself carries no expiry date, individual countries and institutions set their own rules on how recently documents must have been apostilled.

Countries within the Hague Convention accept apostilles as the sole form of authentication – no further embassy legalisation is required. However, the country’s own authorities still decide whether a document is recent enough for their purposes. There is no universal standard across Hague member states: some will accept documents apostilled several years ago, while others require everything to have been issued within 3 to 6 months.

Countries that are not members of the Hague Convention require full embassy legalisation rather than an apostille. If your destination country is not on the Hague Convention list, the document will need to go through the FCDO and then through the relevant embassy. We can assist with both stages of this process.

The safest approach is always to confirm the specific requirements of the receiving institution or local authority before ordering your apostille.

Requirements can vary not just by country but by the type of document and the purpose for which it is being used.

If a receiving authority requires a more recent apostille than the one you hold, we can assist with this.

It is important to check if the receiving authority also expect the underlying document to be recent too. If so, you will need to apply for a replacement or fresh version of the document first.

We can obtain a new, recent apostille within typically 1-2 working days of receiving your application.

If you are working to a deadline, contact us and we will confirm the fastest available option for your specific document.

Apostilles issued by the FCDO can be verified using the UK government’s official apostille verification tool at gov.uk. You will need the apostille reference number printed on the certificate itself. This is useful if a receiving institution wants to confirm authenticity before accepting your document, or if you have any doubt about an apostille you have received.

For apostilles issued in other countries, the issuing competent authority in that country will maintain its own verification system. 

Page last updated 01/04/2026