No, e-Apostilles, like paper apostilles, do not have an expiration date. Once issued by the FCDO, an e-Apostille remains valid indefinitely as a verification of the signature on the underlying document.

However, there are important practical considerations that can affect the acceptance of an e-Apostille (or a paper apostille) after a certain period:

The underlying document’s validity:

The e-apostille verifies the signature on the document when it was issued. If the underlying document has an expiration date or becomes invalid for some other reason, the apostille doesn’t change that.

  • Example: A power of attorney might have a specific termination date. The apostille (paper or electronic) only verifies the signature on the power of attorney; it doesn’t extend its validity beyond its stated term.
  • Example: A certified copy of a passport is apostilled. If the passport expires, the certified copy (and its apostille) is effectively no longer valid, even though the apostille itself hasn’t “expired.” The underlying document’s validity is what matters.

Receiving authority’s requirements:

The most significant factor is often the policy of the receiving authority in the foreign country.

While the apostille itself doesn’t expire, the authority (e.g., a university, government agency, or employer) might have rules about how recent the document and its apostille must be.

  • Example: Some countries might require that documents submitted for visa applications be apostilled within the last 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. This is not because the apostille expires but because they want to ensure the underlying document (and the official’s signature) is relatively current.
  • Example: For educational documents, a university might require a certified copy and apostille to be issued within the last year to ensure they are dealing with the most up-to-date record.

E-apostilles, like paper apostilles, do not have an expiration date. The FCDO’s verification of the signature remains valid indefinitely.

However, the acceptance of an apostille (and the underlying document) can be affected by the document’s validity period, the requirements of the receiving authority, and (very rarely) changes in the signatory’s status.

It’s always best to check with the receiving authority for any specific time limits they may impose on the age of documents and apostilles.