Apostille Replace Red Ribbon Authentication

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Republic of the Philippines has replaced the Red Ribbon Authentication of documents with Apostille stamps or seals. The DFA Offices all over the Philippines will no longer release the red ribbon as an authentication method. What is this new method of authentication? Continue reading to find out!

What is Apostille?

The Hague Apostille Convention is an international method of authenticating documents. It comes very handy for Filipinos who are planning to work abroad. It can be used to lessen the hassle and the question of the authenticity of most documents. This treaty was drafted by the Hauge Conference on Private International Law. It was signed back on October 5, 1961, and started effectively by January 14, 1965.

Red Ribbons V.S. Apostille Stamp

With the Apostille, the aforementioned document will no longer require legalization by the Foreign Embassy if the country of destination is already a Member of the Apostille Convention. Once Apostillized, the document can be validly used in any and all Apostille Countries.

It streamlines the whole authentication procedure of documents for use abroad resulting in more convenience, less cost and processing time for the applicants. Before this, a Philippine document to be used abroad needs a Certification called by the relevant government agency or office, Authentication by the DFA and Authentication (Legalization) by the Embassy of the country of destination.

Apostille Stamp & Seal in the Philippines

The Philippines deposited the instruments of Philippine accession to the  Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Since May 14, 2019, red ribbons were no longer used as a means of authentication. The Philippine Apostille will apply to the same types of documents that are subject to authentication by the DFA prior to the effectivity of the Apostille Convention in the Philippines.

However, a stamp may never be used for the recognition of a document in the country where that document was issued. Apostilles are strictly for the use of public documents abroad. Therefore, if your document is to be used in the Philippines, it cannot be submitted to the DFA for Authentication/Apostillization.

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