Red Ribbon no more, DFA welcomes Apostille

Department of Foreign Affairs announced on their official Facebook page that they will no longer use red ribbon for authentication of documents instead they will affix an Apostille.

The Philippines is officially a party of Apostille convention last May 14, 2019. An apostille is issued by a country that is a party to the Apostille Convention to be used in another country which is also a party to the Convention.

What is an Apostille and when do I need one?

An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document. Authentication is still required for all Philippine documents to be used abroad, but this time with an Apostille instead of an Authentication Certificate (“red ribbon”) as proof of authentication.

After authentication (Apostillization) by the Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA), as Competent Authority, there is no more need for authentication (legalization) by the Foreign Embassies or Consulates except for countries that have not acceded to the Convention and countries that objected to the Philippine accession.

Countries that Accept Apostille documents

Source: DFA

To see the list of countries included click Here

If your public document is to be used in a country where the Apostille Convention does not apply, you should contact the Embassy or Consulate of the country where you intend to use the document in order to find out what your options are. This usually means that you need to present your documents to the said country’s Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines for its authentication/legalization.

You may also ask the intended recipient of your document whether an Apostille is necessary in your particular case.

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The payment for the DFA-OCA’s Authentication Service is the same: Php100.00 for Regular Processing (i.e., released after four working days) and Php200.00 for Expedited Processing (to be released the following business day).

Source: www.dfa.gov.ph

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