Before ordering anything again, ask the recipient which document it needs, how recent that document must be and which event starts the permitted period. A rule may refer to the date on a certificate, the application date or the appointment when the papers are lodged. It does not necessarily refer to the date on the apostille.
There is no universal period for every country, document and procedure. The rules and official links in this guide were checked on 30 July 2026. Follow the recipient’s current written instructions and ask it to clarify any ambiguous wording before you pay for a replacement document.
| What are you checking? | Is there one universal period? | Practical conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| The apostille itself | Its effect does not end merely because of its age | Do not replace an old apostille automatically |
| The underlying document | This depends on the document and the rules under which it was issued | A certificate or extract may become unsuitable for a particular application |
| The recipient’s requirements | The recipient may impose its own age limit | Check the exact procedure and the date from which the limit is calculated |
| Translation and certification | There is no single international expiry period | A new document or apostille normally requires a translation of the new complete set |
Dates that are often confused
The first date appears on the apostille. It records when the competent authority authenticated the origin of the public document. The apostille certifies the signature, the signer’s capacity and, where appropriate, the seal or stamp. It does not confirm that the information in a certificate is still current.
The second date belongs to the underlying document. A criminal record certificate, company extract, medical report or power of attorney speaks to a particular point in time. A degree certificate or birth certificate records a different kind of fact. Applying the same number of months to every document gives the wrong answer.
The third date comes from the recipient. A public authority, court, bank, university or employer may accept only a document issued within a stated period before the application. Some count back from the online filing date, while others use the in-person appointment. An instruction may even refer loosely to a “recent apostille” when the operational concern is the age of the whole document package. Confirm the meaning before commissioning work.
Do not confuse validity with processing time. The Russian Ministry of Justice says its apostille service normally takes three working days and may take up to thirty working days where a signature, seal or official capacity must be verified. Those figures describe how long the service can take. They do not tell you how long the finished apostille may be used.
What the HCCH guidance says
The HCCH Apostille Handbook (opens in a new tab) gives a direct answer. A validly issued apostille has effect for as long as it remains identifiable and attached to the underlying public document. A recipient should not reject it solely because it is old.
The Handbook also preserves the destination authority’s right to apply time limits to the underlying public document under its domestic law or policy. An old apostille can therefore continue to authenticate the origin of a document even though the document is too old for a particular application.
The reason is simple: an apostille has a narrow purpose. Article 5 of the Apostille Convention (opens in a new tab) concerns the signature, the capacity in which the signer acted and the identity of the seal or stamp. It does not require a foreign authority to treat a certificate as permanently current, confirm the facts stated in it or give it any particular evidential value.
The physical condition of the package matters too. If an allonge has come away, the attachment has been damaged or the certificate cannot be read, the issue is no longer age alone. Do not glue or staple it back yourself. Show the complete package to the issuing authority or recipient and ask how it should be dealt with.
How the underlying document changes the answer
A table of fixed validity periods would be convenient, but it would also be unreliable. Recipients set rules for their procedures rather than for apostilles as a category.
| Document | What may change over time? | What should you ask the recipient? |
|---|---|---|
| Civil status certificate | The event remains recorded, but the recipient may ask for a recent extract, reissued certificate or particular format | Which form is accepted and whether there is a cut-off based on the issue date |
| Degree certificate and transcript | The qualification does not disappear because the paper is old, but an archive letter, university verification or current transcript may be required | Whether the original is accepted and how the institution will be checked |
| Criminal record certificate | The certificate reports a person’s record as at its issue date | Which countries and periods must be covered, and how recent it must be when filed |
| Company or marital-status extract | The underlying information may change after issue | Which cut-off date appears in the procedure’s rules |
| Medical or bank certificate | The document may contain an express period or quickly lose practical relevance | Whether the stated period is enough or the recipient applies a stricter one |
| Power of attorney or other notarial instrument | The authority may expire, be revoked or end for another reason | Whether continuing authority must be proved separately |
Our guide to an apostille on a birth certificate covers the document format, destination and translation questions. For police documents, see the page on obtaining an apostille for a Russian criminal record certificate, where the certificate’s issue date is one of the main checks.
For example, the UK immigration rules set their own limit for certain applicants. A certificate from the latest country of residence will normally be accepted if issued no earlier than six months before the application. That is a rule for a defined UK immigration procedure. It is not an international expiry period for a Russian apostille, and another application may use a different test.
Why a document with an old apostille may be refused
A refusal does not necessarily mean that the apostille has “expired”. Other explanations include:
- the underlying document predates the recipient’s cut-off;
- its information could have changed after issue;
- the recipient wants an original but the apostille authenticates a notarised copy;
- the Convention does not operate between the relevant states or does not cover the document;
- a treaty removes the apostille requirement altogether;
- the apostille is damaged, detached or illegible;
- the translation omits the apostille, reverse side or attached sheet;
- the spelling of a name differs from the passport or related documents;
- the document comes from the wrong authority or covers the wrong period.
Ask the recipient to identify the exact reason. “The apostille is too old” may be shorthand for a rule about the certificate’s issue date. Save the official link or a copy of the current instructions. Advice from an intermediary does not replace the recipient’s requirements.
Age also tells you nothing about whether the Convention applies. Check both states in the current HCCH status table (opens in a new tab), then confirm that the Convention is in force between them and covers the document. Our apostille service page explains which Russian authorities handle different kinds of public document.
When a new apostille is needed
If the recipient accepts the underlying document, the apostille is legible, remains securely attached and can be verified, an old date alone does not normally justify another apostille. Send a scan for approval first. This can avoid spending money on a step that the written procedure never requested.
A new apostille is needed when you obtain a new underlying document. The certificate attached to an old police certificate cannot be moved to a new one. It is tied to a particular public document and authenticates that document’s origin.
Replacement may also be necessary if the package is damaged or the apostille can no longer be identified. The competent authority should decide what can be reissued or corrected. Do not transfer, reproduce or reattach a certificate yourself.
Sometimes the required object changes rather than the date. A recipient may first appear to accept an apostille on a notarised copy and later ask for one on the original. These are different authentication chains. The apostille on the copy authenticates the notarial certification, not the public official’s signature on the original.
Once a new apostille adds text to the document, the old translation is no longer complete. Give the translator every page of the new package. Our guide to apostille translation explains the usual order, and the document translation service describes the source material needed for a reliable quotation.
How to check the time limit before filing
Check the time limit in this order:
- Identify the destination state, recipient and exact procedure.
- Find the recipient’s official document checklist.
- Copy the wording of the time limit without paraphrasing it. Check what must be “issued”, “valid” or “received” within the stated period.
- Identify the calculation date: online application, appointment, physical filing or decision.
- Compare the rule with the date of the underlying document before looking at the apostille date.
- Check that the apostille is attached to the required document and that the Convention applies between the states.
- If the document must be renewed, obtain the replacement and its apostille before translating the complete package.
If the instruction is unclear, send a short question: “Please confirm whether the time limit applies to the issue date of the underlying document or to the apostille date, and the date on which it is calculated.” Include the document type, state of origin and expected filing date. Keep the reply with your application records.
Do not obtain a time-sensitive certificate too early. If issue, apostille, translation and appointment scheduling take several weeks, the permitted window may close before filing. Work backwards from the appointment date and allow time for corrections.
Examples from different documents
A criminal record certificate was issued eight months ago
The apostille was issued one week later. The procedure requires a certificate issued within six months before the application. The apostille has not lost its effect through age, but the underlying certificate fails the recipient’s test. The applicant needs a new certificate, a new apostille for it and a translation of the new complete package.
An old birth certificate already has an apostille
The fact of birth does not become less true with time. The registrar may nevertheless require a reissued certificate, registry extract or particular format. Send the existing package to the recipient before ordering another apostille and ask whether that version is accepted.
A degree was awarded many years ago
The age of the degree certificate does not itself establish a need for a new apostille. A university or professional recognition body may accept the original, verify it through a register, or ask for an archive letter and current transcript. Apostilling every related document before receiving the checklist creates avoidable work.
Common questions
Can I obtain an apostille in advance?
Yes, if you already know the destination, procedure and accepted document format. For certificates subject to a recency rule, early issue can shorten the useful filing window. Check which document and date the recipient will assess before starting.
Does an apostille on a degree need renewing?
Age alone is not a reason to renew it. Check the package’s condition and the requirements of the university, employer or recognition authority. If it asks for a new document from the awarding institution, obtain an apostille for that new document.
How long does an apostille on a birth certificate last?
It does not cease to have effect simply because it was issued a long time ago. The recipient may still request a newly issued certificate, registry extract or different format. That request concerns the evidence required for the procedure, not an international expiry date for the apostille.
What if the instructions require an apostille issued within six months?
Ask for the official rule and confirm what the limit applies to. If the authority genuinely measures the apostille’s age, follow its written requirement or request an accepted alternative. Do not move an old apostille onto a new document.
Does a translation expire?
There is no universal expiry period for translations. A translation does, however, belong to a particular version of a document. A replacement certificate or new apostille changes the package, so the new text must be translated and certified in the form accepted by the recipient.
Official sources
The facts and links in this guide were checked on 30 July 2026:
- the HCCH Apostille Handbook (opens in a new tab), paragraphs 28 and 306 on old apostilles and the age of the underlying document;
- the full text of the 1961 Apostille Convention (opens in a new tab), especially Article 5 on the limited effect of an apostille;
- the Russian Ministry of Justice apostille service (opens in a new tab) for the scope and processing period of its service;
- the HCCH status table for the Convention (opens in a new tab);
- the UK Home Office guidance on overseas criminal record certificates (opens in a new tab) as an example of a time limit set by a particular recipient.