Why it exists at all
An institution in one country has no way of knowing whether the signature and seal on a document from another country are genuine. So a procedure exists by which one state certifies its own document and the other accepts it.
An apostille is a certification, not a translation and not a confirmation of the contents. It says only that the signature and the capacity of the person who signed are authentic.
Which procedure applies to you
It depends on the country the document comes from and the country where it has to be used.
Between states party to the Hague Convention, the apostille applies. One certification, added by the competent authority in the country of origin.
For countries outside it the route is longer and runs through consular legalisation. More steps, more time.
There are also bilateral treaties under which neither is required. So the first question is always which country, not which document.
Translation is a separate step
This is where it most often goes wrong.
An apostille does not translate the document. Translation is done separately and there are requirements about who does it and how it is certified. The order matters too: sometimes the apostille goes first and the translation second, sometimes the other way round. Done in the wrong order, it is repeated from the start.
That is where most wasted trips come from. Someone arrives with a document that is correct in substance but not prepared in the order the counter requires.
Which documents this usually concerns
Birth, marriage and death certificates. Certificates of heirs. Court judgments, divorce decrees included. Powers of attorney. Diplomas. Company registration documents. Criminal record certificates.
If you are abroad
Much of this does not require you to be in Bulgaria. What the institution will actually ask for is established, a list is prepared, and it is collected through representation.
The useful move is the reverse one: before you set out to obtain a document, ask what exactly will be required of it. Five minutes of conversation saves a journey.
Related
Power of attorney from abroad.
What I will need
Which document it is, which country it comes from, and where it has to be used. If you have a written requirement from the institution, bring exactly that. It is more reliable than any general explanation.
This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice on any specific case. Rights and deadlines depend on the facts and the applicable law.