Apostille and legalisation: for documents used in Lithuania or abroad

An apostille certifies that a public document is genuine and was issued by the authority it claims to be from. It works in both directions: foreign civil documents (birth, marriage, court decisions) usually need an apostille to be accepted in Lithuania, and Lithuanian public documents usually need a Lithuanian apostille, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to be accepted abroad. This guide explains what an apostille is, how it differs from full legalisation, and how to obtain it in either direction.