Apostille Documents Expiry Date
A common question that usually arises among people seeking to Apostille their documents is whether or not an Apostille can expire. The answer is no, as long as the provided document is a public document, it can be apostilled and can’t be rejected solely on the grounds of its age. However, this does not prevent the foreign authorities from rejecting the underlying certificate on the basis of their domestic laws because of its age. Certain public documents are stated to be valid for a limited period of time, e.g., Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), provisional court orders, and travel documents. The validity of these documents will be determined as per the rules and regulations set up by the country of origin or country accepting the documents. Hence, after the expiration of these certificates, the apostille also holds no value.
The concept of Apostille was originated in the Hague Convention on 5 October 1961, with an intent to facilitate the worldwide circulation of foreign public documents. The Convention originally did not place any limitations on the effect of an Apostille, and therefore, it is in effect as long as it is identifiable. As per the Section 6 of the Convention, an Apostille comes with a date of issuance. In India, the Ministry of External Affairs issue apostille stamps for all personal, educational, and commercial certificates.
The significance of Apostille makes it a daunting and complicated task. Nevertheless, you can find numerous professional agents rendering document Apostille service in India.
