What is the difference between an Apostille and a notarization?

When you need to use a document in another country, you may need to get it apostilled or notarized. But what is the difference between these two processes? An Apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document. It is issued by the competent authorities of the country where the document was issued. The Apostille Convention, which was adopted in 1961, created a simplified system for authenticating documents for use in other countries that are party to the Convention. A notarization is a process in which a notary public witnesses the signing of a document and certifies that the signer is who they say they are. Notarization does not verify the contents of the document, but it does ensure that the signature is genuine. The main difference between an Apostille and a notarization is that an Apostille is used to authenticate the origin of a document, while a notarization is used to authenticate the signature of a document. Here is a table summarizing the key diff...