Legalisations

Legalisations (Authentications and Apostilles)

Some foreign authorities may request a document to be issued with an Apostille or an Authentication certificate before it will be accepted by that foreign country. This is referred to as ‘legalisation’. Legalisation verifies that the signature, stamp, or seal on it is genuine. We can legalise Australian documents for use overseas.

 

Authentication or Apostilles

The Australian government legalises documents by issuing either an apostille or authentication certificate. We apply either an apostille or authentication certificate to the original document you supply (we cannot legalise copies of documents). The apostille or authentication certificate verifies the signature, stamp, or seal on the original document, or that of the Australian Notary Public for documents they have notarised. We cannot advise which one you need. You must ask the receiving authority overseas which one they will accept.

 

Documents we can legalise

We can legalise many types of documents for use overseas. Documents must be Australian public documents. This means documents that are:

• originals issued by an Australian government agency or official
• originals issued by an Australian educational institution
• copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public

We can only legalise private documents once they have been notarised by an Australian Notary Public. If a document is notarised, it becomes a 'public document'. Please visit Smartraveller for more information on the types of documents we can legalise.

 

Preparing your documents

• Ask the overseas/foreign authority which documents they need and which ones you must also get legalised. Consulate staff cannot advise clients of foreign requirements.
• Find out if you will need either an apostille or an authentication for your documents. Consulate staff cannot advise.
• Confirm the documents are eligible for legalising by DFAT. If in doubt, contact us first.
• If your documents are not eligible as-is, you may need to get them notarised first. Find a Notary Public in Australia. Send your document to them. Once notarised, we can legalise it.

 

Is an Appointment required?

Most legalisations can be completed by mail/post (excluding, digital certificates or documents).

• Print and Complete the Notarial Services Request and Payment Form. 

The processing time is two business days. Your documents can either be mailed to you (postage fees apply) or collected in-person at an appointment.

If you require us to legalise a digital certificate or document, accessible via an online portal, you must come to an in-person appointment.

 

How to book an appointment

All notarial appointments are held in Geneva only (not Bern) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The current waiting time for an appointment is 1-2 weeks - please advise us if your request is urgent.

Appointments can only be made by sending an email to: [email protected]

Please provide the following in your email:

1. Title your email subject with: “Last name”, “First Name” – Notarial Appointment
2. Your full name, contact phone number and email address
3. The full name of anyone else requiring the same service
4. Preferred 'day' (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) and ‘time’ (morning/afternoon preference)
5. Where you will be coming from
6. Specific details of the notarial service you require – Full instructions from the requesting authority must be provided before an appointment can be scheduled - please attach these details to your appointment request email.

 

Electronic Documents

If your original document is electronic, you must provide your document in its original electronic form. DFAT can only issue an Authentication or Apostille certificate on a copy we have printed ourselves directly from the source. You will be asked to log in to the online portal while at an appointment to prove the authenticity of the document or have the issuing authority send the document directly to us before your appointment. Scanned copies are not electronic documents for our purposes and cannot be accepted. More information can be found on Smartraveller: Documents we can legalise

 

Educational Documents

Special rules apply to the legalisation of educational documents. More information can be found on Smartraveller: Documents we can legalise