Panama apostille for documents

What an apostille is

An apostille is a certificate attached to a public document that confirms the authenticity of the signature and the position of the official who issued it. This allows the document to be used in another country that is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, which abolishes the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. Panama is a party to that convention.

In Panama, the apostille is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some documents must first be authenticated by the issuing institution; we tell you the exact steps for your document.

Documents commonly apostilled

• Birth, marriage and death certificates.
• Certificates and documents from the Public Registry of Panama, such as company certificates.
• Public deeds and notarial documents.
• Academic documents, such as diplomas and transcripts.
• Other public documents issued by Panamanian institutions.

If the destination country is not part of the Hague Convention

When the document will be used in a country that is not party to the convention, it is not apostilled but legalized. Consular legalization requires authentication in Panama and then a procedure at the consulate of the destination country. We confirm which procedure applies before we start.

Before requesting the apostille, check the document

• That names, dates and numbers are spelled correctly: the apostille does not correct errors in the document.
• Whether the receiving institution requires a recent issue date; some only accept recently issued certificates.
• Whether they ask for the paper original, a certified copy, or accept a digital document.
• Whether the translation must be done before or after the apostille, depending on the destination country.

Certified translation

If the country where you will use the document requires a translation, we arrange it with an authorized public translator. And if you need to use a foreign document in Panama, we explain how it must be apostilled or legalized in the country of origin and translated into Spanish.

How we work

You send us the document, or the details of the document you need, and the country where you will use it. We check whether it needs an apostille or legalization and whether a translation is required, and we send you a written quote with the total cost. Once you approve it, we handle the process and deliver the document digitally or in person in Panama, depending on what the receiving institution accepts.