# FAQs: Attesting Bahamas Documents > Frequently asked questions about obtaining Apostille in the Bahamas and to legalize Bahamas documents for use in other countries - birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal record certificates, academic documents and more. **Source** [Bahamas](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-attestation-FAQs)> **Related:** [Apostille Bahamas Documents for international use](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-Legalization-Services) · [Apostille Bahamas Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-attest-birth-marriage-certificates) · [Bahamas Incorporation Documents](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-apostille-incorporation) · [Get a Quotation](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Document-Attestation-Inquiry) --- ## General Questions ### Can Bahamas documents be legalized by Apostille? Yes - The Bahamas is a member of the Apostille Convention. Bahamas documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp from the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country. When Bahamas documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Qatar - Thailand - Taiwan - Vietnam they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country accredited to the Bahamas (e.g. UAE and Qatar embassy in Havana). For further information about Apostille certification in the Bahamas, see: [Bahamas Apostille Services](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-Legalization-Services) ### What types of documents can be legalized in the Bahamas for use abroad? Bahamas Apostille stamps from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are provided to authenticate official documents issued in the Bahamas, including: - Bahamas Marriage certificates issued by the Registrar General's Department - Birth and death certificates - Police Character References issued by the Royal Bahamas Police Force - Certificates of Good Standing (Certificates of Compliance) - Certificates of Incorporation - Other documents certified by the Registrar General's Department of the Bahamas or a notary public (e.g. powers of attorney). - To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in the Bahamas, please [Contact Isarey](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/contact-Isarey) and Isarey’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about Isarey's Bahamas apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Bahamas documents, see: [Bahamas Apostille Services](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-Legalization-Services) ### How long does it take to obtain an apostille on a document in the Bahamas? Expedited Apostilles are obtained from the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs in **2-3 business days** (BAHAMAS: Expedited Apostilles from the Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs can normally be obtained on the same day. NOTE: All processing times are estimated. Actual processing time is dependant on the authentication authority and is subject to change without prior notice.) ### Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Bahamas Attestation and Apostille Services? You can see reviews from past clients who have used Isarey's attestation and apostille services: - [ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/isarey-document-attestation.com) - [ISAREY reviews on Google](https://goo.gl/maps/cuvbEYN25Xg5b8jg7) ### How can I legalize Bahamas documents for use in the United Arab Emirates? Bahamas documents required for submission in the United Arab Emirates or in support of UAE visa applications should be legalized in the Bahamas by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then attested by the [UAE Embassy](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/missions/havana/contact-Isarey/faqs) in Havana. ### How can I legalize Bahamas documents for use in Qatar? Bahamas documents required for submission in Qatar or in support of Qatari visa applications should be legalized in the Bahamas by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then attested by the Embassy of Qatar in Havana. ### How can I legalize Bahamas documents for use in Taiwan? Bahamas documents required for submission to the authorities of Taiwan should be legalized in the Bahamas by the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then attested by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami. ### Who issues apostilles in the Bahamas? Bahamas Apostille Stamps are issued by the Consular Division of the [Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://mofa.gov.bs/consular-services/apostilleslegalization-of-documents/) ### What is a Bahamas Apostille Stamp and why would I need one? A Bahamas Apostille is a certificate that is affixed to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in the Bahamas and confirms the capacity of that official. Bahamas Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Bahamas document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in the Bahamas (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the [Hague Apostille Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention) For more information on Apostilles, see: [The ABCs of Apostilles (PDF)](https://assets.hcch.net/upload/abc12e.pdf) ### What is document legalization in the Bahamas? Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public Bahamas document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a Bahamas birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized. Legalizing a document in the Bahamas certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in the Bahamas and confirms the capacity of that official. - Because the Bahamas is a member of the Apostille Convention, Bahamas documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the [Hague Apostille Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention) - If a Bahamas document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by Bahamas authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in the Bahamas or non-resident embassy accredited to the Bahamas). See: [Document legalization - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document_legalization) ### What services does Isarey Certification Services provide in the Bahamas? Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in the Bahamas including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services. ### What do Bahamas Apostilles and legalizations look like? Bahamas Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of Bahamas documents certified with Apostille stamps: - [Bahamas Marriage Certificate with Apostille stamp](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/dc/Bahamas-marriage-certificate-Apostille-stamp) - [Bahamas Certificate of Good Standing with Apostille](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/dc/Bahamas-Certificate-Good Standing-Apostille) - [Bahamas Birth Certificate with Apostille Stamp](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/dc/Bahamas-birth-certificate-Apostille-Stamp) See [What does an Apostille look like?](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/FAQs-Document-Attestation#faq_236_s) ## Birth, death and marriage certificates ### How can I obtain a copy of a Bahamas birth, marriage or death certificate? Bahamas birth, death and marriage certificates can be obtained from the obtained from the [Registrar General's Department](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/contact-Isarey) Bahamian citizens applying for death certificates or their own birth certificates or marriage certificates can apply online. A proxy can be appointed to collect the certificate from the Registrar General's Department in Nassau. - [Order a certified copy of a marriage certificate](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/certified-copy-of-a-marriage-certificate) - [Order a ceritified copy of a birth certificate](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/birth-certificate) - [Order a certified copy of a death certificate](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/certified-copy-of-a-death-certificate) - Isarey can obtain Bahamas marriage certificates and other civil status certificates for overseas clients requiring Apostille authentication of legalization. Please [Contact Isarey](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/contact-Isarey) for assistance. ### How can I obtain an apostille for a Bahamas birth, death or marriage certificate? Apostille stamps to authenticate Bahamas marriage certificates, death and birth certificates are obtained from the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An original certificate is required from the Registrar General's Department. For further information about Bahamas Apostilles, see: [Bahamas birth, death and marriage certificates](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Bahamas-attest-birth-marriage-certificates) ### I need an apostille for my Bahamas birth, death or marriage certificate - do I need to provide an original certificate? To obtain an Apostille, an original certificate is required from the Bahamas Registrar General's Department. For assistance in obtaining Bahamas marriage certificates and other vital records, please [Contact Isarey](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/contact-Isarey) ## Corporate documents ### How can I obtain a Certificate of Good Standing for a company in the Bahamas? Certificates to certify that a Bahamas company is in Good Standing can be obtained from the [Registry of Companies](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/request-documents-or-certificates). ### How can I obtain a Certificate of Incorporation for a company in the Bahamas? Certificates of Incorporation for Bahamas companies can be obtained from the [Registry of Companies](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/request-documents-or-certificates). ### What certificates are available to certify the status of a company in the Bahamas? A Company Profile (Search Report) can be obtained online. The search report provides basic details about a Bahamas company including the company's current registration status, but does not serve as a certificate of good standing. [Search for Bahamas Company](https://pub.rgd.gov.bs/services/company_search)A Bahamas Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Compliance) certifies that a company: - is duly active under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act;LI#is still on the Register of International Business Companies and has no outstanding fees and penalties;LI#i is not in the process of being wound up; - i is not the object of proceedings to strike the name of the Company off the Register.LI#Certificates of Good Standing can be obtained from the [Registry of Companies](https://www.rgd.gov.bs/service/request-documents-or-certificates) ## Criminal record certificates ### How can I obtain an Apostille on a Bahamas criminal record certificate? Apostilles to authenticate Police Character Certificates issued by the Royal Bahamas Police Force can be obtained from the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ## Notarized documents ### How can I obtain an apostille for a Bahamas Power of Attorney? Powers of attorney executed in the Bahamas must be certified in the Bahamas by a notary public. An Apostille Stamp can then be obtained from the Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.