Apostille is a French word that means "certification" in English. The Houston apostille certificate came about because of the Hague Convention. This deal between more than 100 countries made it possible for documents from one country to be accepted in another. Most people who live in their home country, get married to someone from that country, and work there aren't likely ever to have to deal with this.
But if you decide to move to another country permanently or temporarily for work, get married in another country, or have a child with dual citizenship, you may need to show proof of who you are. A German registrar, for example, wouldn't be able to tell if an Irish birth certificate was genuine because they don't have access to Irish records. To do this, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ensures they are real UK documents signed, stamped, or sealed correctly and then gives them an apostille Houston. Attached is a simple piece of paper with an official stamp on it. A government official then signs the document.
Before the convention, there were no set rules, and each country had its own rules, procedures, time limits, and costs for making documents legal. This led to a lot of confusion and trouble, and it also took longer than expected for some countries to process documents through the courts. In 1961, the convention was put into place as a solution. Not all countries have signed the papers, but there are ways for the embassies and consulates of the countries that haven't signed to use them.
You might be asked to show documents that have been legalized, attested, notarized, or certified. When people talk about legalizing documents, they often use the wrong words. In the end, the Houston apostille services certificate makes the document legal so that it can be used in a Hague Convention country other than the one it was made in. People in other countries, where the notary system is different from the UK's, often get mixed certification and notarization. Before notarizing your documents, you should always double-check with the people who want them. Notarizing papers can get very expensive, especially when it's not necessary.
When a country isn't part of the Hague Convention, documents are usually legalized with an apostille and then sent to the local embassy to be processed. The embassy will then add more certifications or stamps to ensure the document is valid in their own country.