KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on Monday began the process of issuing Apostilles to Jamaicans who need to have documents authenticated for overseas use.

This has been made possible by the Hague Apostille Convention which came into effect on Saturday and the Authentication [Foreign Public Documents] Act which became effective on Monday.

Some 20 countries are signatories to the Convention.

Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, told the Senate on Friday that Apostilles can be obtained at her ministry for a fee of $3,500 per document for a five-day processing service.

“Although this is an increase in the fee paid to the ministry, this new process will remove the additional costs that have been associated with the authentication and legalisation of documents by foreign embassies and consulates. The implementation of this service will, therefore, be a major improvement and will result in significant savings and convenience to our clients,” said Johnson Smith in a follow-up press release on Monday.

Johnson Smith emphasised that Apostilles can only be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

“Whether for authentication or obtaining an Apostille, certifying entities will continue to play an integral role in the process. For example, Notaries Public will continue to perform their traditional notarial acts,” Johnson Smith explained.

“So, a document that would have in the past required notarisation and then would have been subject to the authentication and legalisation procedure, if intended for use in a country that is a member state to the Apostille Convention would still require notarisation,” she continued. “Instead of the authentication and legalisation procedure however, the Ministry would now simply affix an apostille to that notarised document.”

The application form can be obtained by emailing ‘apostille@mfaft.gov.jm’. It will also be available at the reception area at the ministry, now located at 2 Port Royal Street, downtown Kingston. Participating countries can be found through a quick search on an internet search engine, but officially through ‘www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/statustable/?cid=41’.

Persons overseas need to submit the completed application form, proof of payment and the documents to be apostilled, to the nearest Jamaican High Commission, embassy or consulate, or they may send directly, via courier, to the Consular Affairs Department at the foreign affairs ministry.

Those in Jamaica can visit the reception desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade where they will be directed to pay the requisite fee. After payment, they should return to the reception desk to submit the completed application form, receipt, TRN and the document(s) to be apostilled.

Common documents that generally need authentication include birth, marriage, death and educational certificates; medical documents certified by the Ministry of Health and Wellness; declarations, shipping documents; statements and similar documents signed before a justice of the peace or notary public.