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If you deal with international documents in Greece—whether for work, study, marriage, or business—you’ve probably heard of the apostille.

It sounds simple… until it isn’t.

In practice, many delays, rejections, and unnecessary trips to public offices happen because of a few very common misunderstandings.

Here are the mistakes I see most often:

1. Assuming all documents can get an online apostille

Yes, Greece now offers e-Apostille via gov.gr, but not for everything.

👉 Many people assume everything is digital now
👉 In reality, only specific government-issued documents are eligible

Paper-based documents often still require the traditional in-person process.

2. Going to the wrong authority

Not all apostilles are issued in the same place.

Depending on the document, you may need to go to:

• Courts
• Decentralized Administrations
• Regional authorities

👉 One of the biggest causes of wasted time is simply going to the wrong office.

3. Using photocopies instead of originals

This is a classic issue.

An apostille is issued for:

• Original documents
• Or officially certified copies

❌ Photocopies are not accepted
❌ Scanned versions are not valid for physical apostille

4. Forgetting the translation step

An apostille makes a document internationally valid—but not necessarily understandable.

Many countries require:

• Certified translation after apostille
  or sometimes
• Translation before submission (depending on the authority)

This step is often overlooked and causes delays later.

5. Confusing apostille with legalization

They are not the same.

• ✔ Apostille → for Hague Convention countries
• ✔ Legalization → for non-Hague countries (includes embassy steps)

👉 Using the wrong process can invalidate your entire submission.

6. Assuming all countries accept apostilles the same way

Even within Hague Convention countries, requirements differ.

Some authorities may still request:

• Additional notarisation
• Specific translation formats
• Recent issue dates

👉 Always check the receiving institution’s rules, not just the treaty.

7. Not checking document eligibility in advance

Not every document automatically qualifies.

Some documents:

• Need prior certification
• Must be issued in a specific format
• Or must be recently re-issued before apostille

👉 This is where most last-minute surprises happen.

💡 Final thought

Greece is moving steadily toward digital document certification, but the system is still a mix of online and traditional processes.

The key is not speed—it’s knowing the correct pathway from the start.

Because in apostille work, most delays don’t come from the process itself…

They come from the assumptions made before it.