What is the difference between legalization and an apostille?

An apostille is an international standard for legalization and is used between countries affiliated with the Hague Apostille Convention. With a single stamp (the apostille), the document is immediately valid in the receiving country without further legalization.

For countries that are not parties to this treaty, a longer legalization process is required through multiple agencies. For documents between the Netherlands and Morocco, an apostille is usually sufficient.