Legalization of documents
Legalization of documents for legal transactions with foreign countries
Do you need the legalization of your documents, but don't know how?
Our agency offers translation services in document legalization in 50 languages. Send us an e-mail or contact our hotline and tell us about the documents you need to have translated. We’ll gladly prepare a free, non-committal estimate for You. Carrying out the legalization of documents is not as complicated as it may seem. Read this article and learn what are the exact procedures for legalizing foreign documents. You can use our services and order the legalization of your documents.
What is the differece between Apostille and regular legalization of documents?
Apostille is a certification of legality of documents issued by MSZ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on documents meant for legal transactions with countries who signed The Hague Convention from 1961, which introduced the Apostille system. You can find the current list of signatories of The Hague Convention here.
Regular legalization of documents, that is legalisation without Apostille, however, includes documents meant for legal transactions with countries that didn’t sign the Convention. In case of carrying out legalization of documents in Polish MSZ, the document requires authentication in a diplomatic representation or a consular office of a given country.
How to prepare documents for legalization?
Below, you can find standard document legalisation steps:
Check the requirements of the target country: The first step is checking the specific requirements for legalization in a country where you have documents to send to. Make sure that you know the exact process and type of legalization that is required.
Get the documents: Get all the documents that must be legalized.
Go to the notary: In many cases, the first step is getting the notary authentication, so that he/she certify the signatures on the documents. The notary will check documents legalised by authorized institutions for the authenticity of the signatures and the content of the documents.
Go to a local public office: Notarized documents must be then legalized by a provincial competent authority or court. This official certificate is often called “Apostille” and is required in many countries. However, some countries require legalization of documents by the embassy or the consulate.
Go to the embassy or the consulate: If the target country is not one of The Hague Convention countries (the Convention that regulates the use of Apostille), you may need a further legalization in the embassy or consulate of said country. It can be a more complicated process and may require additional pay.
Remember about the payment: Get ready for completing the payments related to legalisation of documents, such as notary costs, Apostille certificate costs and consulate costs. Make sure that you know the exact prices and methods of payment.
Delivery of the documents: If you’re abroad and need to authenticate documents in your country, think how to deliver you documents to the appropriate institutions, paying attention to security and tracking the package.
Keep the copies: Always keep the copies of all documents and certifications, so you can access them in the future.
What is the cost of legalisation with Apostille of the official documents?
The current cost of Apostille in Polish public offices is 60,00 PLN.
Regular legalization of documents is 26,00 PLN.
Apostille is applied when the country is one ofThe Hague Convention countries from 1961.
It is a simplified process which cancels the necessity of multi-stage legalization.
Apostille is added to the same document or as a separate document. It has a form of special seal or certificate approving the authenticity of the document.
Apostille is accepted by all of the countries which signed The Hague Convention.
If you want to learn more about Apostille, visit the website “How to get Apostille in Poland?”
Documents which most often require legalization
Documents which most often require legalisation service:
Signatories of The Hague Convention
Which countries are the signatories of The Hague Convention from 1961, which introduces the Apostille system?
Below, you can find the list of countries that are the signatories of The Hague Convention from 1961, introducing the Apostille system. Pay attention that the list is based on information up to September 2023, so after this date, there could have been some changes. To get access to more current information, we recommend checking the official sources, such as Ministry of Justice’s websites and dyplomacy of a given country.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia (multinational country)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brasil
- Brunei Darussalam
- Botswana
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Croatia
- Columbia
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Czech Republic
- Cyprus
- Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
- Dominica
- Dominicana
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Greece
- Grenada
- Georgia
- Germany
- Guatemala
- The Guianas
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- India
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malawi
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Mongoli
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Capo Verde
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Republic of Moldova
- Republic of South Africa
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- The United States of America
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
Remember, that the list can be prone to changes, depending on new admissions to The Hague Convention or some countries leaving the Convention. It is worth consulting the official sources in a particular country for more current information.
Legalization of documents for legal transactions with foreign countries.
Most frequently asked questions.
What is the legalization of documents?
Legalization of documents is a process of authentication of documents by the appropriate national or foreign authorities. It is often applied in countries that are not signatories of The Convention which introduced the Apostille system. In case of document legalization, national authorities in the destination country check if the document is authentic and legitimate.
Document legalization process can include several steps, depending on the country. It may be required to authenticate documents in different institutions, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the consulate, embassy, etc. Finally, the document is certified as authentic, which allows for its legal use in the target country.
What documents are subject to legalization?
Documents required for legalization can differ depending on objective, target country and type of document. Here are a few examples of document types that often require legalization:
Education Documents:
School certificates
University diplomas
Certificates of graduating courses or trainings
Professional documents:
Employment certificates
Professional references
Industry certificates
Civil status documents:
Birth certificates
Marriage acts
Death certificates
Legal documents:
Contracts
Testaments
Power of Attorney
Commercial documents:
Documents related to business activity
Customs documents
Medical documents:
Medical certificates
Results of medical tests
Financial documents:
Dokumenty księgowe i rachunkowe
Payment confirmations
Identity documents:
Identity cards
Passports
Technical documents:
Certificates of products and services
Documents related to real estate:
Sale and purchase agreement of real estate
Notary acts
Documents related to legal and insurance affairs:
Insurance policies
Remember that these are only examples of documents that may require legalization. Real extent of documents that are subject to legalization will depend on the specific objective and legalisation requirements of the destination country. Before carrying out the legalization process, it’s worth getting information from official authority, consulates or embassies in order to determine specific documents and legalisation procedures that are needed in a given case.
What is Apostille?
Apostille is an international certificate confirming authenticity of official and public documents issued in one of The Hague Convention countries. This Convention, from 1961, introduces a standard form called Apostille certificate, which is accepted by all the signatories. Legalisation with Apostille is applied in cases of documents that are to be used in other countries-members of the Convention, making the multi-step legalisation not necessary.
Apostille is issued by the authorities of the issuing country, for example the Ministry of Justice, Education, etc. This certificate confirms the authenticity of the document and the sworn translator’s right to issue the translation. In case of documents legalised with Apostille, the legalisation process is much more simplified and accepted by all The Hague Convention countries. Other countries require document legalization without Apostille that can be a bit more complicated.
Are sworn translations required for legalization and authorization of documents?
Requirement for a sworn translation in the process of legalizing documents depends on the specific regulations of the country you’re submitting documents to. Not all documents require sworn translation during legalization and authorization of documents, but in some cases it may be essential, especially if the documents are in a different language that the official language of the destination country.
Generally, if the document in a language different than the official language of the target country or a country they’re being legalized in, it may be required to translate them into the official language of said country. In many cases, for translation to be accepted, it may be essential to use sworn translator’s services, who has official powers to drafting translations of official and legal character.
Sworn translations are certified by a sworn translator through signing the document and stamping it with a seal, which gives the document the official status. Thanks to this, translation is accepted by official and legal institutions as credible.
In case of legalizing documents, sworn translation may be an important element, if the documents are in a language different than the official language of the target country. It’s always worth it to check the specific requirements for legalisation of documents and translation for a given country or institution you’re submitting documents to, just to be sure you’re meeting all the necessary conditions.
Can legalization of documents expire?
Yes, legalization of documents may expire in some cases. There are circumstances that can influence if the legalisation obtained before is still valid and accepted. Here are some situations in which the legalisation of documents can expire:
Changes in legislation: If legislation and regulations related to accepting the documents in a given country, then the legalisation of documents may expire if it doesn’t comply with current regulations.
Date expiration: In some cases, legalization has a specific expiration date. For example, in some countries, academic or labor documents may require updates every few years.
Changes in information included in the document: If any changes or corrections occur in the original document, legalization may lose its validity without the official attestation of these changes.
Incorrect execution of the legalization: If the legalisation process was carried out incorrectly, for example it missed some required seals or signatures, the document may be rejected and the legalization loses its validity.
Changes in the legal status of the document: If the document lost its validity in the country where it was issued, then the legalization of the document also expires.
It’s important to always keep your document in a current state and monitor any changes in legislation and regulations relating to legalization that may afect its validity. If you have doubts about the validity of the legalization of the given document, you can always consult the appropriate authorities or institutions that are responsible for recognizing documents in a given country.
Can Apostille expire?
Apostille is an international certificate confirming the authenticity of documents issued in one of the countries-signatories of The Hague Convention from 1961. Apostille does not expire on its own, but there are some circumstances that can influence if the document certified with Apostille is still viewed as authentic and valid in a given context. Here are some of the situations that may afect the validity of the document with Apostille:
Changes in legislation: If legislation or regulations relating to accepting documents in a given country or the country you’re handing over your documents certified with Apostille change, then the document may expire if it doesn’t compy with the new requirements.
Changes in information included in the document: If any changes or corrections are introduced to the document after giving Apostille, the document may lose its validity if it doesn’t have an official attestation.
Changes in legal status of the document: If the document expired in the country where it was issued, then the Apostille on that document can also expire.
Date expiration: In some cases, Apostille has an expiration date. If the document is not used in a specified time, institutions may require current Apostille.
Losing the physical document: If you lose your physical document certified with Apostille or if it’s stolen or destroyed, it may be required to issue a new Apostille on the certified copy of the document or on the new document.
It’s important to always keep your documents certified with Apostille in a good condition, monitor any changes in legislation and respect expiration dates if they exist. If you have doubts regarding the validity of your document with Apostille, it’s always worth it to consult the appropriate authorities or institutions in the target country that are responsible for accepting Apostille in documents.
When the legalization of documents is necessary?
Legalisation of documents is necessary in situations where the documents issued in one country are to be accepted as authentic and valid in the other country. The goal of this process is to confirm that the documents are in compliance with the law and the standards of the destination country. Below, there are some of the cases when the legalisation process may be necessary:
Studies abroad: If you’re planning to study abroad, universities may require legalizing your education documents, such as school certificates or university diplomas for the verification of document.
Work abroad: If you’re applying for a job abroad, employers may require legalization of documents such as work certificates or references in order to be certain of your qualifications and experience.
Getting married: If you’re planning to get married abroad, some countries may require standard legalization of documents confirming your civil status, such as birth certificate or marriage act.
Legal affairs: In legal proceedings such as inheriting or buying a property abroad, it may be necessary to legalize documents to confirm their validity.
Visas and citizenship: In some cases, in order to get a visa or a citizenship in another country, it may be necessary to legalize documents such as certifcate of clean criminal record or other identity confirming documents.
Business activity: If you’re planning to open your own company or run a business activity abroad, documents regarding the company may require legalization.
It’s worth noting that the necessity of legalizing documents may differ depending on the country and the type of documents. The process of legalizing foreign and international documents may include different steps and institutions, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ), the consulate, the embassy or other authorities. Before taking any steps relating to legalization of documents, it’s always worth it to consult the appropriate institutions or experts to make sure you’re meeting all the requirements and procedures.
How long it takes to receive Apostille in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
The waiting time for receiving official Apostille certificate in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs may differ depending on the amount of work in the Ministry, season or other circumstances. In usual situations, the Apostille service in the Polish MSZ may last from several days to several weeks. However, it is recommended to check the current information on the MSZ’s website to get more detailed and current knowledge on the processing time of legalization.
It is possible to plan the visit for receiving Apostille only after making an appointment in the e-Konsulat system.
If you’re planning to receive Apostille in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, below are the steps you may take on:
Preparatory documents: Make sure that you have all the necessary documents that require official Apostille certificate. It includes education documents, civil status acts, professional documents, contracts, and others depending on the objective.
Check the requirements: Before going to MSZ, check their website or contact them to learn about current requirements, costs and legalisation procedures.
Submitting the documents: Deliver your documents to MSZ and submit the application for receiving Apostille.
Payment: Issuing the appropriate payment for receiving Apostille is often required. Make sure that you know how much you have to pay and if it’s required to bring cash or if you can also pay by card.
Processing time: Processing time may differ depending on the amount of work in MSZ and the type of the document. If you need a quick Apostille service, it’s worth asking competent authorities if there’s an option of speeding up the procedure for an additional cost.
Collecting the document: After receiving Apostille, you will be able to pick up your legalized document.
Remember that the information above may be insufficient or may change depending on the current situation. We always recommend checking the current information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website or contacting the Ministry directly in order to receive up-to-date and precise information on acquiring Apostille.
Where can I find the application for receiving the legalization of documents?
You can download the application under this link: Application
Legalization of documents for legal transactions with foreign countries.
How to receive legalization for specific documents?
Legalization of School Certificate
Diplomas received in Polish schools and Polish universities may, in some cases, not be approved aborad, especially, if Poland didn’t sign an appropriate international contract with a given country. In such case, it is required to legalize the diploma or the certificate.
You should follow the law of the country you’re going to. It’s best to get advice in this area in the embassy of a given country.
If the country you’re going to is one of the members of The Hague Convention from 1961, then the document you’ll be using abroad requires receiving Apostille. If the given country is not one of the signatories of The Convention, it is required to receive the legalisation without Apostille.
Certificates issued by schools in Poland should be first authenticated in the Ministry of National Education. Only after the authentication of the document, you can receive legalization or Apostille.
Certificate of graduating primary school or high school, based on external exams, baccalaureate, annex to the baccalaureate, certificate of professional qualification, diplomas and certificares, issued by the District Examination Board (OKE), should be first authenticated by OKE. Only after certification can you receive legalization or Apostille.
Promotion certifcate and cetrficate of graduating issued by a school, a continuing education institution or practical training institution should be first authenticated in the appropriate Board of Education, based on the location of the school. Only after authentication of the certificate, can you receive legalization or Apostille.
Legalization of university diploma
Apostille on the document issued in relation with course or graduating university is being issued by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). You can find more information on the NAWA website.
In NAWA, you can certify following documents:
university diploma and a supplement to the diploma
copy of the university diploma and a copy of the supplement to the diploma
duplicate of the university diploma and a duplicate of the supplement to the diploma
certificates of graduating university
The remaining documents are being certified by the issuing university. In case of a necessity of meeting the other country’s requirements or in other justified cases, documents can also be certified by the director of NAWA.
ATTENTION: There is no possibility of issuing Apostille on a copy of the document.
Diploma of graduating Gdynia Maritime University and Maritime University of Technology in Szczecin must be legalized first in the Ministry of Infrastructure
Diploma of graduating a medical university must be legalized first in the Ministry of Health
Diploma of graduating a military academy must be legalized first in the Department of Education and Military Education
Diploma of graduating an art university must be legalized first in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Diplomas of remaining universities must be legalized in NAWA
Remember that after certifying the document in NAWA or other Ministry, you should make sure that there’s no requirement for legalizing the higher education idioma in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or in the embassy. It happens in cases where the country where we want to use the document is not one of the signatories of The Hague Convention.
Legalization of business and export documents
You’re running export, commercial or service activity abroad? Your contractor is requesting legalization of business documents?
The goal of presenting such documents may be confirming the fact that you’re running a commercial activity in Poland. Legalizing these documents confirms authenticity of issued documents. Learn which exact documents your foreign contractor requires.
Commercial documents must be legalized beforehand by the Polish Chamber of Commerce or a regional Chamber of Commerce, appropriate for the place of running a commercial activity. Only after receiving certification from PCC (KIG in Polish), can you apply for Apostille on your commercial document.
ATTENTION: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not legalize attestations for compliance with the original issued by regional Chambers of Commerce.
Legalization of medical documents
In many cases, especially if you want to use these documents abroad, you’ll have to contact the consulate or the embassy of the country you’re submitting documents to. Usually, you can get there information on the legalisation procedure and costs related to it. Legalizing medical documents is a process that can be carried out by different institutions and competent authorities, depending on the country and the type of the document.
In some countries, procedures related to legalizing medical documents, especially if they are being issued by public institutions, can be carried out by the appropriate Ministry of Health or other appropriate government body.
Legalization of notary documents
If you want to legalize a notary document, it must be legalized first by the President of the District Court the given notary is subjected to. After receiving your attestation from the District Court, you may apply for Apostille on your notary document.
Notary documents that are subject to this process are:
Contract
Power of Attorney
Or copies of notary documents such as:
Passport
Identity card
Medical certificates
Car registration
For the Apostille to be issued, the notary document must be first attested by the appropriate District Court. Only courts have templated of signatures and seals of the notaries, essential for legalizing public documents.
Legalization of National Court Register (KRS) or excerpt to CEIDG (Central Register and Information on Commercial Activity)
How to receive Apostille of KRS?
If you want to legalize documents from National Court Register, it will be necessary to receive a document from a Commercial Court or the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology.
If you want to legalize or receive Apostille of KRS on the excerpt from CEIDG, remember that it should bear the seal of the Minister of Development and should be additionaly given a genuine signature by a public official from said Ministry. Only the excerpts containing the seal and the signature can receive legalization or Apostille.
Documents from KRS and CEIDG downloaded online are not official documents, thus making the legalisation not possible. Only documents received directly from the institutions mentioned above are subject to legalization.
ATTENTION: There is no possibility of issuing Apostille on the copy of the document.
Legalization of court documents
What does legalisation process of court documents look like?
Every court document that is about to be subject to legalization or receiving Apostille must be authenticated first by the President of the appropriate District Court. Only after receiving authentication from the District Court can you apply for legalizing documents or issuing Apostille on the document in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Legalizing of the civil status act
A document issued by the Civil Register must bear a round seal of the office, a personal stamp of the official issuing the document and their signature. Only such document can be legalized in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and receive Apostille.
Legalization of the certificate of clean criminal record
You can receive the certification of clean criminal record in information points of National Criminal Register in District and Regional Courts.
ATTENTION: There is no possibility of issuing Apostille on the copy of the document or the printout from the epuap platform.
Legalization of Master's certificate or Journeyman's certificate
If you want to legalize or get Apostille certificate for your Master’s certificate or your Journeyman’s certificate, then said certificate must be authenticated first by the Polish Crafts Association in Warsaw.
Legalization of doctorate or habilitation diploma
Doctorate or habilitation diplomas issued by education institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences and international education institutes created on the basis of different regulations but working on the territory of the Republic of Poland must have the attestation of the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences – only after receiving it is it possible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue Apostille.
Doctorate or habilitation diplomas issued by the research institutes must be attestated by the Ministry supervising the institute – only after receiving it is it possible to issue Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ATTENTION: There is no possibility of issuing Apostille on the copy of the document.
Other official documents
For the document to receive Apostille, it must bear the seal of the office, the signature of the empowered official and his personal stamp. Remember! There is no possibility of issuing Apostille on the copy of the document or the printout from the epuap platform. It is required to provide the original document.
What is the cost of legalization of documents in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
Apostille costs 60 PLN for every certified document.
However, costs of legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) may differ depending on the type of document, procedures in the country where the legalization is being done and other circumstances.
Costs of legalization may relate to its process, as well as additional services, such as translating documents or carrying out the procedures in the express mode. It’s worth contacting the Ministry directly or the appropriate branch to get the most current information on costs.
Costs of legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be different for different types of documents, such as education and professional documents or documents confirming the civil status. In some cases, you may pay for each document separately.
Remember that the costs may change, so it’s always worth it to check the current information on the Ministry’s website in order to get the specific and current information on costs related to legalization.
Does the already legalized document by MSZ require additional authorization?
After legalisation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it’s usually not required to additionaly authorize the legalisation in the issuing country. However, it depends on the target country and the type of the document. Each country has its own regulations on accepting foreign documents, so it’s worth consulting the consulate or the embassy of a given country to get precise information. Sometimes it may required to additionaly certify the document, especially if the document is relatively complicated or if there are doubts on its authenticity.
How does the stamp from MSZ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) look like?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ stamp may differ depending on the country and the period of time, but generally, this stamp is the official symbol confirming the authenticity and legality of documents that are being used in the international context. Below is the general description on typical Ministry seal:
Ministry’s name: The Ministry’s stamp usually contains the whole name of the Ministry in the country’s language, for example “Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych”, “Ministère des Affaires Étrangères”.
National symbols: Many countries include national symbols in the Ministry’s seal, such as national flag or emblem.
National emblem: In some cases, the Ministry’s seal can contain the national emblem or other symbols related to the country.
Text in the official language: The seal usually contains text in the official language, for example “République Française” for France or “Rzeczpospolita Polska” for Poland.
Text in the foreign language: If the document is to be used in the international context, the Ministry’s seal can also contain text in foreign languages, such as English or French to confirm the authenticity of the document.
Date: Often, there is a space on the stamp for filling in the date the stamp was issued at.
Number of the seal: Every Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ seal is usually marked with number or ID which can be used for identification and tracking of the document.
Wax or ink seal: Traditionally, the Ministry’s seal is made of wax that is put onto the document; it is also possible to use the ink stamp.
It’s worth noting that the look of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ seal may change in time and differ depending on the country. If you need precise information on how the Ministry’s seal looks, we recommend contacting the appropriate consulate or embassy of the country or visiting the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a given country where you can usually find necessary information.
SEO optimalization: Marcin Matusik
