Venezuela is a member of the Hague Convention of 1961, meaning it can issue apostilles for documents intended for use in other countries that are also signatories of the Hague Convention.

Steps to Obtain an Apostille in Venezuela:

1. Prepare Your Document:
   • The document you want to apostille must be an official or public document issued by a Venezuelan authority. Examples include birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic diplomas, notarial acts, and court documents.
   • If your document is not in Spanish, it may need to be translated into Spanish or the required language of the destination country.
2. Notarization (if necessary):
   • If your document is a private document (e.g., a contract), it may need to be notarized by a Venezuelan notary public before it can be apostilled.
3. Submit the Document to the Relevant Authority:
   • In Venezuela, the authority responsible for issuing apostilles is the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs (Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores).
   • Apostilles are processed by the Ministry’s Legalization Directorate, which handles the apostille of official documents.
4. Required Documents for Apostille:
   • The original document that you want to apostille.
   • A valid ID (e.g., Venezuelan national ID card or passport).
   • If you are not submitting the document in person, a notarized power of attorney or written authorization may be required for a third party to act on your behalf.
5. Apostille Process:
   • Submit your document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for verification of authenticity. Once verified, the Ministry will attach an apostille to the document, certifying its authenticity for use in other Hague Convention countries.
6. Fees:
   • The fees for obtaining an apostille in Venezuela can vary. However, you can generally expect to pay around VES 2,000 to 4,000 (Venezuelan Bolívar) or more depending on the document type and processing time. Fees are subject to change, and it is best to confirm the current fee when submitting the document.
7. Receiving the Apostilled Document:
   • After the apostille is applied, you can either pick up the apostilled document in person at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or arrange for it to be mailed to you.

Important Notes:

• Translation: If your document is not in Spanish, it may need to be translated into Spanish or the required language of the destination country before it can be apostilled.
• Hague Convention Countries: The apostille will be valid only in countries that are members of the Hague Convention. For countries that are not part of the Hague Convention, you will need to go through consular legalization instead.
• Legalization vs. Apostille: For use in non-Hague Convention countries, you will need to go through the consular legalization process, which requires the document to be authenticated by the embassy or consulate of the destination country.

By following these steps, your document from Venezuela will be properly apostilled and recognized for use in other Hague Convention countries.