Legalization guidelines

Your documents and their translations require an apostille. The country that issued your documents is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.

The apostille is issued by the appropriate national public authorities designated by the individual countries that are party to the Apostille Convention

Please note:

• The apostille must appear on the original document or on a sheet attached to it.

• Please note that we can only accept documents in which the national public authority have confirmed the authenticity of the signature of the person who has issued the document. Documents in which the notary public or the national public authority have confirmed only that the copy is identical to the original cannot be accepted.

• Only official documents can be legalized by apostille. Each individual contracting state defines independently which documents are regarded as official and which as private.

Private documents must be authenticated e.g. by the appropriate education authority or a notary public before being legalized by apostille. The education authority or the notary public must confirm the authenticity of the signature of the person who has issued the document.

We do not accept documents in which is confirmed only that the copy is identical to the original.

Translation guidelines

You can present your documents either in German or in English. If the documents were issued in a language other than German or English, they have to be translated by an officially certified court interpreter.

Please note:

• The original document must have all the required legalization stamps before it is translated.

• All stamps/seals and legalization notes on the document (including e.g. items on the back of the page) must be translated as well. The apostille itself does not need to be translated.

• The translation must be permanently attached to the original document by the interpreter.

Required procedure for translations done in Austria:

1. Legalization of the original document by apostille

2. Translation of the legalized original document
   Click here for a list of all Austrian certified court interpreters (in German)

 

Required procedure for translations done in the issuing country:

1. Legalization of the original document by apostille

2. Translation of the legalized original document

3. Legalization of the translation attached to the original document by apostille