Do you have a passport? Check. Ticket for the plane? Check. Visa? It’s likely in the works. But what about those dull papers you thought you’d never look at again, like your birth certificate or college diploma? Your whole strategy for going abroad could fall apart quickly if they aren’t apostilled, finding our additional info for latest update!

You are ready to go to grad school in Paris or get a new job in Tokyo. You’re ready to go and feel like you can’t be stopped. But then someone from immigration or HR says, “Do you have an apostilled version of this document?” Time to panic. No, it’s not a spell. An apostille is a stamp that proves your documents are valid in more than 100 countries.

For students, you may need apostilled transcripts, degrees, or even background checks. If they don’t show up, someone else might get that seat in class. Going to work in another country? Your boss might want to see proof of your degrees or medical records. And yes, that all implies one thing: apostille.

People make mistakes by waiting too long. Depending on where you live and what time of year it is, some papers may take a number of weeks to process. A week late, my friend’s apostilled birth certificate almost cost her her scholarship. Don’t be like that. Make plans early.

Check the prerequisites again as well. Some countries want apostilles for things like marriage licenses, medical forms, and even adoption papers. Get in touch with the school or embassy ahead of time. You could find up stuck with a useless stack of unstamped paper if you guess.

Tip: Scan everything. At least you’ll have a backup ready to transmit if the originals get lost in the shuffle.

Apostille documents aren’t pretty, but they’re necessary in the middle of getting ready to live abroad. If you do things perfectly, you’ll be able to get through foreign offices like an expert. If you miss them, even the best trip can get stuck at the starting line.