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Request notarisation of public documents for abroad
There are two types of certification, the apostille and legalisation.
In the case of legalisation, the competent authorities in Germany check and confirm the
- Authenticity of the signature on the document,
- Authorisation of the signatory to issue the document and
- The authenticity of the official seal ("coat of arms seal") of the issuing authority.
You normally have to present notarised documents abroad in the following cases: You want to
- work there,
- get married,
- adopt a child or
- employ an employee in a foreign branch office.
Apostille
Certain countries have acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. For these countries, it is sufficient to provide the required document with an apostille. With this apostille, the competent German authority confirms the authenticity of the German public document. The consular officials of the corresponding foreign state no longer need to be involved. This document is recognised there.
Legalisation
Legalisation is necessary for countries that have not acceded to this agreement. Documents required there must be pre-certified by the competent German authority. The authenticity is then confirmed by the consulate of the country in which the document is to be used. Only then can the document be used abroad.
In addition to the pre-authentication described above, some countries require final authentication by the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs. Following the preliminary legalisation by the German office, the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs notarises the signature of the German public document on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office.
Responsible department
for the issue of the "Apostille"
for federal documents:
- the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs for documents of all federal authorities and federal courts
- the President of the German Patent Office for documents of the Federal Patent Court and the German Patent Office
for documents of the Land:
- the Ministry of Justice for public documents issued
- of the Ministry of Justice,
- the Higher Regional Courts and
- the public prosecutor's offices at the higher regional courts
- the presidents of the regional courts for public documents issued in their district
- the other ordinary courts and public prosecutors' offices,
- the authorities to which tasks of the ordinary courts are assigned
- the notary's offices and for
- Translations and
- other documents of the administration of justice
- the regional councils for the public documents issued in their district by all administrative authorities (except the judicial administrative authorities)
(e.g. district administration, municipal administration of the city district, tax office, chamber of industry and commerce, chamber of crafts)
The regional council in Tübingen is also responsible for the public documents issued by the ministries of the state of Baden Württemberg with the exception of the Ministry of Justice. - the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs for certificates from the school sector
(e.g. certificates from the regional councils (formerly: secondary school authorities), certificates from state-recognised schools, school attendance certificates) - the Ministry of Science for documents from the university sector
(e.g. matriculation certificates, diploma certificates, certificates from university clinics)
for pre-certification for legalisation:
- the Ministry of Justice for public documents issued by the following authorities:
- Higher Regional Courts,
- Public prosecutor's offices at the higher regional courts,
- Presidents of the regional courts and prisons
- the presidents of the regional courts for the public documents issued in the district of these courts of the
- other ordinary courts and public prosecutors' offices,
- Authorities to which tasks of the ordinary courts have been transferred,
- the notary's offices and
- Clerks and registrars
- the regional councils for the public documents issued in their district by all administrative authorities (except the judicial administrative authorities)
(e.g. district administration, municipal administration of the city district, tax office, chamber of industry and commerce, chamber of crafts)
The regional council in Tübingen is also responsible for the public documents issued by the ministries of the state of Baden-Württemberg with the exception of the Ministry of Justice. - the Ministry of Culture for certificates from the school sector
(e.g. certificates from the regional councils (formerly: secondary school authorities), certificates from state-recognised schools, school attendance certificates) - the Ministry of Science for documents from the higher education sector
(e.g. matriculation certificates, diploma certificates, certificates from university hospitals) - the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs for certificates of good conduct
for legalisation:
- the diplomatic or consular mission (embassy or consulate in the Federal Republic of Germany) of the country in which the document is to be used
for final legalisation/over-legalisation for selected countries:
- the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs
It can only issue the final legalisation if the document has already been pre-certified.
Details
Prerequisite
You would like to have a public document notarised.
These are for example
- court and notarial deeds
- Documents and certificates from administrative authorities (e.g. certificates)
- Civil status documents; these are documents issued by the registry office (e.g. birth, marriage and death certificates)
- registration certificates from the mayor's office (e.g. residence and registration certificates)
- private deeds (e.g. informal powers of attorney or purchase contracts) that are only recognised as public documents after notarisation by a notary or public authoritycustomers
Note: If you require a civil status certificate for use abroad, you can apply to the registry office for the issue of an "international civil status certificate". This can be used directly without further legalisation in countries that have acceded to the Convention of the International Civil Status Commission (CIEC) convention.
Procedure
Contact the responsible foreign representation in your home country. They will tell you whether your document needs to be legalised or apostilled and which requirements must be met. Then contact the competent German office.
You cannot always bring your documents to the relevant office in person to have them notarised. Please contact the relevant office by telephone in advance. You can also send your documents by post. In the accompanying letter, state your address and telephone number in case of queries, your request and the country of destination of the document.
Please note: Many foreign countries insist that the date of issue must not be more than six months ago. Please enquire at the relevant diplomatic mission abroad.
Deadlines
must be obtained from the competent authorities
Required documents
- Original document, signed and bearing the official seal ("coat of arms stamp") of the issuing authority or body
- possibly certified copies (information can be obtained from the competent notarisation office)
Note: Electronically issued documents with an electronic signature and an electronic official seal (e.g. electronic registration certificates, electronic certificates from the tax office, etc.) cannot be notarised.
- The documents must bear an original signature and an original official seal!
Costs
varies depending on the responsible office
Note: Enquire about the payment method with the responsible office in advance.
Processing time
depending on the process
Miscellaneous
none
Legal basis
Konsulargesetz (KG)
- § 14 Bestätigung der Echtheit inländischer öffentlicher Urkunden
Gesetz zur Ausführung des Gerichtsverfassungsgesetzes (AGGVG)
- § 19 Beglaubigung zum Zwecke der Legalisation
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart, 02.09.2024