One SAL certificate for Hague countries
Need a Singapore document accepted in China, India, Vietnam, the UK, the USA, Australia or Europe? Our apostille services Singapore clients use replace the embassy step with a single SAL apostille certificate.
We check that your destination applies the Hague Apostille Convention, have private papers notarised by our partner Notary Public, and lodge everything with the Singapore Academy of Law, including e-Apostilles for ACRA Business Profiles and Business Certificates.
Tell us the document and where it is going, and we confirm the apostille route and price before any work starts.
WHERE AN APOSTILLE IS ACCEPTED
Since Singapore joined the Apostille Convention in September 2021, an SAL apostille is enough for any member country. Families moving to China, for example, now need only an apostille for China instead of a Chinese embassy visit. Common cases we handle:
China has accepted apostilles since 7 November 2023, so work permits, family visas and company set-ups no longer need the Chinese embassy.
Indian banks, courts and property offices accept a Singapore apostille on powers of attorney, affidavits and civil certificates.
Vietnam has applied the Convention since 11 September 2026, so the old embassy route is replaced for most documents.
Universities, licensing boards and immigration offices in these countries expect an apostille on Singapore degrees and certificates.
Most European states, including France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, accept an apostille for marriage, residence and job applications.
Both are Convention members, so workers and families returning home can skip their embassy in Singapore.
These Gulf states joined the Convention, unlike the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, which still require embassy attestation.
Singapore firms opening branches, bank accounts or tenders in member countries apostille their ACRA records and board papers.
APOSTILLE OR EMBASSY ROUTE
Choosing the wrong route costs time and fees. This table shows whether a Singapore apostille is accepted in the countries our clients ask about most.
| Destination | Apostille accepted? | Route from Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| China | Yes, since 7 Nov 2023 | Notary if private → SAL apostille |
| India | Yes | Notary if private → SAL apostille |
| Vietnam | Yes, since 11 Sep 2026 | Notary if private → SAL apostille |
| UK, USA, Australia, most of Europe | Yes | Notary if private → SAL apostille |
| Thailand | From 28 Feb 2027 | Embassy legalisation until 27 Feb 2027, apostille after |
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait | No | Notary → SAL → embassy → foreign ministry |
| Malaysia, Egypt, Taiwan | No | Notary → SAL → embassy or representative office |
Documents going to a non-member country need full embassy legalisation instead, and papers due in Thailand before 28 February 2027 follow the Thailand document legalisation route.
FROM SCAN TO APOSTILLE
Compared with embassy legalisation, the apostille route is short: there is no foreign mission queue and no second certificate.
We confirm the destination applies the Convention and ask the receiving body whether it wants the original, a copy or a translation apostilled.
Private documents, copies and signatures are notarised by our partner Notary Public, while Singapore government papers skip this step.
We submit the document to the Singapore Academy of Law, which attaches an apostille certificate confirming the signature and seal.
For ACRA Business Profiles and Business Certificates, SAL can issue a digital e-Apostille sent by email instead of a paper one.
You collect the apostilled document in Singapore, or we courier it to you anywhere in the world with tracking.
DOCUMENTS
Singapore government documents usually go straight to SAL, while private papers need our partner Notary Public first. Clients sending papers to Vietnam for apostille or other members most often bring the following:
Birth, marriage and divorce certificates issued in Singapore can be apostilled directly for visas, marriage registration and citizenship.
Degrees, transcripts and employment letters are apostilled for foreign universities, licences and job offers, often via a notarised certified true copy.
Powers of attorney and affidavits are signed before our partner Notary Public, and police certificates of clearance go straight to SAL.
ACRA Business Profiles can receive an e-Apostille, while board resolutions and trade papers are notarised or chamber-certified before SAL.
NOT SURE IT QUALIFIES?
Share a photo of the document and the destination, and you get the apostille route, price and timing in writing before you pay anything.
PRICES
Apostille pricing depends on whether the document goes straight to SAL or needs our partner Notary Public first. SAL government fees are already inside the prices below.
Priced separately: certified translation (quoted per page and language), urgent handling (quoted with your deadline) and international courier.
TIMING
Without an embassy queue, the apostille route is usually finished within a few working days of receiving your original.
Overseas delivery adds courier time, and you can read how other clients found our turnaround in our client reviews.
BEFORE YOU SEND IT
Having these ready lets us lodge your document for an SAL apostille without a second trip:
An apostille confirms the signature and seal on a Singapore document, but it does not check the content or translate it.
Some receiving offices in China, Vietnam or Europe still ask for a local-language version, so we arrange a certified translation in the right order before the apostille.
AVOID A WASTED TRIP
Apostille requests usually fail because of the route or the document chosen, not the paperwork itself. These are the slip-ups we catch:
✕ Paying for embassy legalisation in a Hague country
✓ We check the HCCH status first, so you never pay for an embassy step that is not needed.
✕ Expecting the UAE to accept an apostille
✓ We route Gulf documents through UAE embassy attestation instead, because the UAE is not a Convention member.
✕ Apostilling a laminated original
✓ We ask the issuing agency for a certified extract or true copy, since SAL cannot apostille laminated papers.
✕ Translating after the apostille
✓ We confirm whether the receiving office wants the translation apostilled too and set the order before lodging.
FAQ
Short answers for anyone about to order an apostille. Ask us on WhatsApp if yours is not here.
Ask On WhatsAppThe apostille itself has no expiry date. Some receiving offices set their own time limit, such as three or six months from issue, especially for police certificates, so tell us their rule and we time the lodgement to fit it.
Ask them to confirm it in writing, as staff are sometimes unaware that their country now accepts apostilles. Send us their reply on WhatsApp and we check what, if anything, is still needed before you pay for another step.
Each SAL apostille carries its own number and issue date. The receiving office can check these online with the Singapore Academy of Law, which keeps a record of every apostille it issues.
The apostille is valid in every Convention country, but the office you hand it to usually keeps the document. If you need it in two countries, we apostille two documents, such as two certified true copies, in the same order.
No. The apostille is fixed to the page it confirms, and separating them can make the receiving office reject both. Ask us for scans before courier if you need copies for your records.
Sometimes. Some offices in China, Vietnam and parts of Europe want the apostille page translated along with the document, so we can include it in your certified translation quote.
Not always, as some banks and offices still ask for paper. Check with them before you order, and tell us if they insist on paper so we quote that route before anything is lodged.
Forward the PDF file exactly as you received it, without editing, merging or re-saving it. Changing the file can break its digital signature, so keep a backup copy and print it only if the receiver also accepts a printout.
Send a scan and the destination, and we confirm whether an apostille is enough before any fee is charged. For routes beyond the Hague list, see our full document legalisation and apostille services in Singapore.