If you hold a Vanuatu passport, have opened a business there, or processed legal documents, sooner or later you will need to confirm their authenticity abroad. In such cases, an apostille is required — an official stamp that makes documents legally recognized in other countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. Without it, neither a bank, nor an immigration service, nor a foreign court will accept Vanuatu documents. Despite its apparent simplicity, the process of obtaining an apostille in Vanuatu has its own specifics, and mistakes can lead to rejection. Our legal team accompanies the procedure from start to finish: from submission to the competent authority of the Republic of Vanuatu to obtaining an apostilled document in paper or electronic form. We work directly with government structures, without intermediaries or delays, and guarantee the authenticity of the obtained apostille.
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Vanuatu is a participant in the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, which simplifies the legalization of foreign documents. Therefore, documents issued in Vanuatu can be recognized abroad without undergoing consular legalization; it is sufficient to obtain an apostille. However, depending on the type of document, the applicant needs to contact different government authorities.
1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade
The Ministry is responsible for affixing an apostille on civil and administrative documents: birth and marriage certificates, academic diplomas and certificates, criminal record certificates, notarized copies of personal documents.
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2. Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, VFSC)
VFSC is authorized to issue an apostille for commercial and corporate documents: certificates of company registration, charters and founding agreements, licenses and permits issued to financial institutions, extracts from the corporate register.
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3. Supreme Court of Vanuatu
Sometimes an apostille is required for court documents or court-issued decisions. The Supreme Court can certify documents related to court decisions, court summonses and orders, and other procedural documents.
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If you plan to use documents issued in Vanuatu abroad, they will need to be legalized with an apostille.
1. Prepare the original document
Before submitting a document for an apostille, it is necessary to ensure its legal validity and proper formatting. The document must be an original, issued or notarized in Vanuatu. It should not contain corrections, damages, or extraneous inscriptions. Depending on the authority, preliminary notarization may be required. It is also important to consider the acceptable languages: English (the main official language of Vanuatu), French, Bislama.
2. Determine the competent authority
Depending on the type of document, different institutions issue the apostille. Verify which authority is responsible for your type of document before submitting an application.
3. Pay the state fee
The size of the fee depends on the format of the document:
Payment is made either in cash when submitted at the institution or by bank transfer if submitted through a representative or remotely. Some authorities accept payment through local banks.
4. Submission of application
To submit an application, you will need:
You can submit an application in person by contacting the relevant government authority or through an authorized representative with a power of attorney. Documents can also be sent and paid for remotely via a courier service.
5. Deadlines for processing
The standard processing time for an apostille request in Vanuatu is 3 to 5 business days for in-person submission and up to 10 business days for remote submission with delivery to the address. During periods of high demand (before tax reporting or the end of the financial year), processing times may increase. It is recommended to submit documents in advance.
6. Obtaining an apostilled document
After completing the procedure, you will receive a document with an official apostille attached to the original. In case of remote submission, delivery to any point in the world is possible at the applicant’s expense. The apostille has legal force in the member countries of the Hague Convention.
If you want to avoid delays and errors, our legal team can handle the entire process: from submission and payment to international delivery of the completed documents. We work directly with the authorized bodies of Vanuatu and ensure maximum efficiency.
Personal documents (apostilled through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates — issued in Vanuatu or notarized copies thereof;
Passports and identity documents (notarized copies);
Academic diplomas and certificates — documents on education issued by educational institutions of Vanuatu;
Certificates of no criminal record — obtained from the police in Vanuatu;
Medical certificates — for example, for visa application or immigration purposes;
Corporate documents (apostilled through VFSC)
Founding documents (Memorandum and Articles of Association);
Certificate of Incorporation
Certificate of Good Standing;
Decisions of the board of directors or the shareholders’ meeting;
Certificates of tax payment and financial reporting;
If you are not sure which authority should apostille your document, our specialists will help determine the correct jurisdiction and complete the procedure without errors. We assist both individuals and international companies processing documents in Vanuatu for use worldwide.
The apostille issued by the official authorities of Vanuatu is a legally recognized method of document legalization for use abroad. It is valid in more than 120 countries — all participants of the Hague Convention. Documents that have undergone apostille in Vanuatu do not require additional certification in embassies or consulates. This significantly speeds up and simplifies the process of recognizing the legal validity of a document.
The authenticity of an apostille can be verified by contacting the relevant authority that issued the document. Verification is also possible using the unique apostille number if it has been registered in an electronic database. The apostille itself does not have an expiration date; however, its legal validity depends on the relevance of the main document to which it is attached. For example, if the apostilled power of attorney has a limited term, the apostille remains valid, but the document itself does not.
An apostille from Vanuatu can be used in a variety of situations: from opening foreign bank accounts to submitting documents for permanent residence, studying, or participating in international tenders. The main condition is that the country where the document is submitted must be a member of the Hague Convention.
Vanuatu is a participant in the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Documents issued in another country that is a party to the Convention and certified with an apostille are recognized as valid in Vanuatu without the need for further legalization through consulates. After an apostille is affixed, the document can be submitted to institutions in Vanuatu for conducting business, applying for citizenship, or opening bank accounts.
Documents issued in the USA can be apostilled either at the state level or at the federal level:
If the document is issued in a country that is not a participant of the Hague Convention, consular legalization is required. The procedure includes the following steps:
For countries without diplomatic representation of Vanuatu, the procedure may take more time and require additional steps through third jurisdictions.
Our lawyers have practical experience in working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vanuatu and the Financial Services Commission, which allows us to ensure fast and reliable apostille processing for any purpose. We handle the entire process: from document verification to their submission and obtaining certified copies. If necessary, we arrange official translations, authentication, and the delivery of apostilled documents abroad via courier mail.
We pay special attention to corporate clients: we apostille charter documents, registration certificates, licenses, and financial reports. We assist individuals with the legalization of diplomas, birth certificates, marriage certificates, powers of attorney, and other documents. We also provide consultations on the recognition of apostilles in clients’ jurisdictions and verify the requirements of the receiving country.
If it is important for you that the documents are prepared correctly and on time — entrust this to professionals. We work quickly, maintain confidentiality, and provide support at all stages.
No, it is not necessary. An apostille is a simplified form of international recognition of the authenticity of a document, valid in the member countries of the Hague Convention of 1961. It replaces consular and diplomatic legalization. Therefore, a document with an apostille issued in Vanuatu is immediately recognized in other member countries of the Convention without additional stamps and certifications from the embassy.
If the document was issued in the USA and you plan to use it in Vanuatu, it is necessary to obtain an apostille from the competent authority in the USA. For most documents, this will be the office of the Secretary of State of the respective state where the document was issued. However, if it concerns federal documents, the apostille is issued by the U.S. Department of State. After being apostilled, the document can be used in Vanuatu without additional procedures.
An apostille is recognized only in countries that have signed and ratified the Hague Convention of 1961. If a country is not a party to the Convention (Canada, China, UAE, Kuwait, and others), then documents intended for use in these countries are subject to full consular legalization. This includes notarization, confirmation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and certification at the embassy of the destination country.
In Vanuatu, an apostille can only be issued by authorized government bodies. For most official and personal documents, this is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and for corporate documents, it is the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC). These bodies certify the authenticity of the signature, seal, and stamp on the original document or a notarized copy.
No. U.S. embassies are not authorized to issue an apostille. Apostille certification is carried out exclusively within the country by competent state or federal authorities. If you are abroad, you can send documents to the U.S. by mail or through an authorized representative.
Notarial certification is the confirmation of the authenticity of a signature and the content of a document by a notary operating within their jurisdiction. Apostille is the next step: it certifies the authenticity of the notary’s or official’s signature, as well as the compliance of the document for use abroad.
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