The e-APP
The Hague Conference’s electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP), launched in 2006, has two pillars:
- e-Apostilles — apostilles issued electronically, signed with a digital certificate, typically delivered as a PDF that embeds the underlying document.
- e-Registers — online registers where a receiving authority can verify an apostille’s number and date without contacting the issuing office by phone or letter.
Dozens of countries and many U.S. states participate in one or both pillars. The Convention does not distinguish between paper and electronic apostilles; the ten fields are the same.
U.S. states issuing e-apostilles
As of November 2026, the states whose official apostille pages describe issuing electronic apostilles are Connecticut, Kentucky, Utah. Online request portals (where the paper certificate is still mailed) exist in 15 jurisdictions, and several more states maintain online verification registers without issuing e-apostilles. Each state page notes the current status.
The U.S. Department of State does not currently issue electronic apostilles for federal documents; the FBI’s digitally signed Identity History Summary must be printed and apostilled on paper.
Acceptance abroad
Acceptance is the practical limit. Authorities in countries that participate actively in the e-APP (Spain, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Georgia, Moldova, New Zealand, and parts of Mexico among them) routinely accept e-apostilles delivered as PDFs. Others, including many civil registries in Italy and much of Asia and the Middle East, still expect paper. Before choosing an e-apostille, confirm in writing with the receiving office that a PDF with a digital signature is acceptable; otherwise request a paper apostille.
What an e-apostille package contains
- The underlying electronic document (for example, a remotely notarized POA as a PDF with the notary’s digital signature and seal).
- The apostille certificate as a page or attachment, signed with the competent authority’s digital certificate.
- A verification code or URL to the state’s e-register.
Printing an e-apostille produces a copy, not an original — the digital signature cannot be verified on paper. Receiving offices that want paper need a conventional apostille instead.
Remote online notarization and e-apostilles
RON documents are native electronic records, which is why they pair naturally with e-apostilles. Some states (Florida among them) apostille a RON document only in electronic form or require the notary to produce a paper certificate; practice varies and is noted per state.
Verification
An e-apostille is verified by checking the digital signature in the PDF viewer and consulting the issuing state’s register. See how to verify an apostille.
Frequently asked questions
Is an e-apostille valid for immigration or citizenship?
Where the receiving authority accepts electronic apostilles, yes. Many immigration offices in Latin America and Spain accept them; many European civil registries still want paper. Confirm first.
Can I get an e-apostille on a paper document?
Generally no. Most states issue e-apostilles only on electronic documents. A scanned paper document is not an electronic original.
Can a federal document get an e-apostille?
Not currently. Federal apostilles are issued on paper by the U.S. Department of State.
