1. The mechanism
The party receiving the apostille may ask the issuing authority to verify it.
The request goes through the designated national organ.
2. What triggers a challenge
A suspicious apostille.
Inconsistent information.
A pattern identified by the receiving authority.
An alert from the issuing state.
3. The response
The issuing authority confirms whether it issued that apostille to that document.
The receiving authority then accepts or rejects.
4. The practical implication
An apostille is verifiable. It is not anonymous.
5. Where the risk lies
In the notarial act, described in the previous section.
The apostille can be genuine while the underlying notarial act is deficient.
6. The scenario
A receiving bank queried several apostilles from one authority because the certificates shared an unusual format.
The verification confirmed their authenticity. The case was resolved in days, but the payments associated with them were held meanwhile.
7. What to do
Keep records of the notarisation and the apostille together.
Respond to verification requests promptly.
8. Closing view
The challenge mechanism is a feature, not a risk.
It is one of the reasons a party can accept an apostille from a state whose notarial practice it does not know.
*This article is based on the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 and its verification provisions.*