Украина становится все более привлекательной для иностранных инвестиций, трудовой миграции и обучения. Вместе с тем, у иностранцев часто возникают проблемы с использованием документов, которые были выданы соответствующим органом иностранного государства, на территории Украины. В частности, возникает потребность засвидетельствовать факт того, что документ оформлен надлежащим образом и подписан должностным лицом, имевшим на это полномочия.
Ukraine is becoming more and more attractive for foreign investment, labor migration and training. At the same time, foreigners often have problems using documents that were issued by the relevant authority of a foreign state on the territory of Ukraine. In particular, there is a need to attest to the fact that the document is properly executed and signed by an official who had the authority to do so.
The procedure for confirming the validity of original official documents or verifying the authenticity of the signatures of authorized officials, as well as the validity of stamps, seals that affix the document is called legalization . As practice shows, in three out of five cases, foreigners learn about the need for legalization after trying to use the document on the territory of Ukraine. Therefore, in order to avoid such situations, in this article we will analyze in detail the procedure for legalizing documents.
In general, “legalization” covers two categories:
- Consular legalization
- Apostille (stamping “Apostille”), that is – simplified legalization.
These procedures are carried out for the same purpose, but differ significantly from each other . Below we present and analyze the differences between these procedures.
Consular legalization:
- This process is quite complicated, since you need to apply to several authorities .
- The procedure for consular legalization of documents depends on the type of document and the country in which this document will be used.
- A document legalized in this way is valid only in the territory of the country for which consular legalization was carried out .
- For consular legalization of documents, you must provide the original document or its notarized copy.
Apostille:
- Affixing the stamp “Apostille” is a simplified way of legalizing foreign documents.
- This procedure is applied only in countries that are parties to the 1961 Hague Convention.
- Unlike consular legalization, the apostille procedure requires much less time, since you only need to apply to one authority .
- Official documents are certified with a special stamp “Apostille”, which is affixed by the relevant authorized body of the foreign state in which this document was issued.
- In addition, apostilled documents can be used not only in one country, but in all member states of the Hague Convention .
- “Apostille” is placed on the original document, its notarized copy or can be issued as an attachment to it.
There are cases when legalization of documents for their use abroad is not needed at all. We are talking about the countries participating in the Minsk Convention, which abolished the requirement of legalization of documents in relations between the parties to the agreement. That is why, in order to use the official documents of these states on the territory of Ukraine, it is enough to translate them into Ukrainian and notarize such a translation.
Member countries of the Minsk Convention:
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Bulgaria
- Macedonia
- Hungary
- Georgia (except for the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and South Ossetia)
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Mongolia
- Poland
- The Republic of Moldova
- Russia
- Romania
- Serbia
- Tajikistan
- Uzbekistan
- Czech
- Estonia
Consular legalization and apostille of documents in Ukraine for their use abroad
Consular legalization:
Documents that are not subject to legalization:
- documents that are contrary to the legislation of Ukraine, may harm the interests of Ukraine, or infringe on the honor and dignity of citizens;
- originals or any copies of passports, military ID cards, work books, documents having the nature of correspondence, permits to carry weapons, vehicle registration certificates (technical passports), driver’s license, identity card, regulatory legal acts;
- documents issued by bodies and officials in excess of their powers.
Documents subject to legalization:
- Originals: certificates of registration of acts of civil status; certificates of civil registration authorities; education documents – diplomas and transcripts (international standard), certificates of specialized training in medicine, diplomas of a candidate and a doctor of sciences; archival certificates issued by archival units of the State Committee of Archives of Ukraine and departmental archives;
- other official documents (for example, documents of a commercial nature, such as enterprise registration certificates or product quality certificates, etc.) after notarization of their copies and registration by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
The procedure for consular legalization depending on the type of document:
- Documents issued by the civil registration authorities must first be certified by the regional departments of justice of the region where they are issued, the department of justice of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city department of justice of the cities of Kiev and Sevastopol, after that – in the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
- To legalize documents on education of an international standard , it is necessary to submit a letter of appeal from the higher educational institution that issued the documents. Such a letter of appeal must be properly certified by the ministry to which the relevant educational institution is subordinate. Further, such a document is legalized in the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
- Archival certificates are immediately sent to the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which certifies the signature of an official of the State Committee of Archives of Ukraine.
- Documents of a commercial nature must first be certified by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine, after which they are legalized in the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The last step in the legalization of any document is its charter in the diplomatic mission of the country where such a document will be used.
Apostille:
Documents that are not subject to apostille:
- documents issued by foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine;
- administrative documents directly related to commercial or customs operations;
- originals of passport documents, military tickets, work books, identity cards, etc.;
- regulations.
Documents to be apostilled.
The Apostille stamp is affixed to official documents issued on the territory of Ukraine and intended for use abroad, namely:
- on the documents of the judicial authorities of Ukraine;
- on documents of the prosecutor’s office of Ukraine, justice authorities;
- on administrative documents;
- on education documents and academic titles;
- on documents executed by public and private notaries;
- on official certificates of registration of a document or fact that existed on a certain date.
Apostille procedure depending on the document issuing authority:
– Diplomas of education, certificates, certificates from educational institutions, curricula and other documents issued by educational institutions or other state bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations that relate to the field of education and science are apostilled by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine .
– Stamp “Apostille” on certificates issued by state registration authorities of acts of civil status, extracts from the State Register of acts of civil status, documents certified by notaries, court decisions and other documents issued by justice authorities, courts, as well as documents drawn up by notaries of Ukraine, is affixed by the Ministry Justice of Ukraine .
– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine apostilles all other types of documents.
Consular legalization and apostille of documents abroad for their use in Ukraine
Consular legalization:
In general, the procedure of consular legalization abroad is carried out according to a similar principle as in Ukraine. However, it is important that in each specific country, and sometimes even in each administrative-territorial unit (province, state, autonomy, etc.), there is its own unique system of state bodies that differ in powers and status. All this, as well as the type of document and the authority that issued it, largely influence where you need to apply for consular legalization. That is, if in one country the document is first certified by the authority that issued it, and then by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then in another country, consular legalization can first be carried out by the judiciary, notaries, prefectures,
In any case, the final stage of the consular legalization of documents abroad for use in Ukraine is their legalization in the diplomatic mission of Ukraine.
Consular legalization is obligatory for the following countries:Algeria, Angola, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Bhutan, Vatican City, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea , Yemen, Zambia, Western Sahara, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Qatar, Kenya, Kiribati, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya ,Mauritania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Maldives, Morocco, Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia , Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Philippines,Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Sri Lanka, Jamaica.
Apostille:
The authorities to which you need to apply, the cost and terms of apostilling documents in each state party to the Hague Convention are different. Below is all the necessary information about the apostille procedure in each of the States Parties to the Convention.
ALBANIA
Date of entry into force: 09.05.2004.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Address: Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Boul Jerj Fisht, June 1000 Tirana, Albania.
Cost: Albanian documents 200 lek (± 1.6 €), foreign documents: “reciprocity” (that is, by agreement of the parties).
ANDORRA
Effective date: 12/31/1996.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Foreign Secretary,
- Coordinator of Bilateral and Consular Affairs,
- Director of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation,
- Head of the Department of General and Legal Affairs.
Address: C / Prat de la Creu 62-64, AD500 Andorra la Vella.
Cost: € 8.58.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Date of entry into force: 01.11.1981.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Clerk of the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda.
Address: Supreme Court, High Street, Parliament Drive, St. John’s, Antigua.
ARGENTINA
Date of entry into force: 18.02.1988.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina has signed an agreement with the Federal Notary Commission, according to which the various Notary Authorities of Argentina have received permission to authenticate signatures when issuing an apostille.)
Address : Exteriores y Culto, Esmeralda 1212, C1007ABR, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cost: $39, notary public bodies charge a maximum fee of $69.
Source: http://www.mrecic.gov.ar/
AUSTRALIA
Effective date: 03/16/1995.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Secretary of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
- Australian embassies,
- High commissions and consulate (except consular offices under the direction of the Honorary Consul).
Address : RG Casey Building, John McEwen Crescent, Barton, ACT 0221, Australia
Cost: 8 0 AUD.
Source: http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-locations/missions/Pages/our-embassies-and-consulates-overseas.aspx
AUSTRIA
Date of entry into force: 01/13/1968.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
Federal Ministry for European Affairs, Integration and Foreign Affairs on all issued by:
- the President or the Office of the President,
- President of the National Council, President of the Federal Council or the Administrative Office of the Parliament,
- federal government,
- federal ministry,
- Constitutional Court or Administrative Court,
- the Supreme Court, the Higher Cartel Court of the Supreme Court, the High Commission for Restoration of the Supreme Court, the High Commission for Restitution of the Supreme Court, or
- Court of Audit.
Address : Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Minoritenplatz 8A — 1014, Вена.
Costs: Fees at regional courts (legal and notarial documents): €13.70, fees at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs: €17.50.
Source: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/travel-stay/documents-and-authentications/authentication/apostille/
BAHAMAS
Date of entry into force: 07/10/1973.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Foreign Secretary
- Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Senior Assistant Secretary of State, Department of Foreign Affairs
- Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- First Assistant Secretary of State, Department of Foreign Affairs
Address : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs East Hill St, PO Box N 3746, Nassau, NP, Bahamas.
Cost: There is a $20.00 per document fee. If the main document is made in duplicate, the second and subsequent copies are $20.00 each. If multiple copies make up a whole document, then the main document is $20.00 and the rest $20 each. If a single document requires multiple signatures, for example, there are multiple certificates for the same document, the first signature certification is $20.00 and each subsequent signature is $10.00.
Source: http://www.bahamas.gov.bs (Apostille and legalization section)
BARBADOS
Effective date: 11/13/1966.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Attorney General;
- Deputy Attorney General;
- Registrar of the Supreme Court;
- Corporate Registrar;
- Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Protocol leader.
Address : 1 Culloden Road St. Michael, Barbados.
Cost: $50.00
BELGIUM
Date of entry into force: 02/09/1976.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.
Address : rue des Petits Carmes 27,1000, Brussels, Belgium.
Cost: €20 (excluding consular taxes (€10) if proven insolvent.)
Source: https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/legalisation_of_documents/faq
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Effective date: 01/24/1965.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Courts of First Instance of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Municipal Courts of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- The main courts of the Republika Srpska;
- Base Court of Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cost: The price is set depending on the number of documents that the applicant requires to be apostilled.
Source: https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=311
BRAZIL
Date of entry into force: 14.08. 2016.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: National Council of Justice (15,000 notaries are the competent authorities for the apostille procedure in Brazil.)
Адрес : National Council of Justice SEPN 514, block B, lot 7, room 11 Brasilia / DF, Brazil CEP 70095-900
CHINA
The procedure for affixing an apostille and legalizing documents in China may seem too confusing and complicated due to the fact that China provides for affixing both an apostille and consular legalization.
This is due to the fact that the administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China Hong Kong and Macau are independent parties to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1961, the document apostille procedure is applied here, and consular legalization is in effect throughout the rest of the territory.
The apostille stamp in China is affixed to the special authorities of the above administrative regions, the procedure involves affixing either on copies of documents or on originals, depending on the conditions set by the authorities or institutions to which documents must be submitted.
The term for affixing an apostille varies depending on the document and, as a rule, does not exceed thirty days, and for documents from the registry office, a maximum of 10 days.
HONG KONG
Date of entry into force: 04/25/1965.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Secretary of the Supreme Court.
Address: The Registrar, High Court, Room LG115, LG1, 38 Queensway Supreme Court Building, Hong Kong.
Cost: $125 HKD.
Source: http://www.judiciary.hk/en/crt_services/apostille.htm
MACAO
Date of entry into force: 02/04/1969.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Chief executive (executive director)
- Secretary for Administration and Justice
- Director of the Department of Justice
Address:
- Principal Performer, Sede do Governo da RAEM, Avenida da Praia Grande, Macau, China.
- Secretary of Administration and Justice Rua de S. Lourenço, n.º 28 Sede do Governo, 4.º andar Macau, China.
- Director of the Department of Justice
- Legal Affairs Bureau, Rua do Campo, 162
- Administration, Public 19th floor, Макао, Китай.
Cost: free.
Source: http://www.dsaj.gov.mo/ContentFrame_pt.aspx?ModuleName=Content/pt/dj/dj01_pt.ascx
CHILE
Effective date: 08/30/2016
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Deputy Minister of Justice, Regional Ministerial Secretary of Justice.
- Regional Secretaries of the Ministry of Education (Regional Secretaries of the Ministry of Education).
- Regional secretaries of the ministers of health, directors of health services, heads of health workers (secretaries of regional secretaries of health, directors of health services, heads of health workers).
- National Director, Regional Directors of the Citizens Registration and Identification Service (National Director, Regional Directors of the Citizenship Registration and Identification Service).
- Directorate General for Consular and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Director General of Consular and Immigration Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Address: These institutions apostille documents in a decentralized manner throughout Chile, in particular in the respective capitals of the 15 geographical regions of the country. The only exception would be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which does not have regional offices. For this reason, this Ministry only apostilles documents at its headquarters in Santiago.
Cost: free.
Source: http://apostilla.gob.cl/en/caracteristicas-de-la-apostilla-chilena/
COLOMBIA
Date of entry into force: 30.01.2001
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Address : Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Coordination of Legalizations and Apostille, Avenida 19 no. 98-03 pisos 5,6,7 y 8, Edificio Torre 100 B, BOGOTA, DC, Colombia
Cost: 31,000 Colombian pesos.
Source: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/
COSTA RICA
Date of entry into force: 06.04.2011
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture of Costa Rica, Department of Authentication
Адрес : Department of Authentication, Directorate General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture of Costa Rica 7-9 Avenue, 11-13 Street, South Africa, South Africa.
Cost: ¢ 625.00 (= €1)
Source: https://www.rree.go.cr
CYPRUS
Date of entry into force: 30.04.1973
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus.
Address: 125, Athalassas Avenue, 1461 Lefkosia Nicosia, Cyprus.
Cost: € 5.00.
Source: http://www.mjpo.gov.cy
CROATIA
Date of entry into force: 01/24/1965
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Municipal courts or the Ministry of Justice and Administration.
Address: Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia, Ulica grada Vukovara 49, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Cost: The Ministry of Justice charges 30 kunas for each Apostille. This price is set by the law on administrative taxes in Croatia.
Municipal courts charge a court tax of 50 to 60 Croatian kunas in accordance with the Law on Tax in Court (the price depends on if the text is in Croatian – 50 kunas – if a translation is needed – 60 Croatian kunas.)
Source: https://pravosudje.gov.hr/
DENMARK
It should be noted that this convention does not apply to Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Date of entry into force: 29.12.2006.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legalization Office, Asiatisk Plads 2, DK, 1448 Copenhagen, Denmark
Cost : 195 DKK.
Source: http://um.dk/da
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Effective date : 30.08.2009
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Service of the Dominican Republic
- Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs and Migration
Адрес : Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Service Ave. Independence No. 752 Estancia San Gerónimo, South Africa, South Africa
Cost: 620 Dominican pesos
Source: http://www.mirex.gov.do/
ECUADOR
Date of entry into force: 02.04.2005.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Head of Legalization Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Address : Carrión E1-76 y 10 de Agosto, QUITO, Ecuador.
Cost: 20 US dollars.
Source: http://www.cancilleria.gob.ec/
EL SALVADOR
Date of entry into force: 05/31/1996
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Адрес : Calle el Pedregal, Chancellery Boulevard, Old Cuscatlan, Cape Town.
Cost: free.
Source : https://rree.gob.sv
FIJI
Date of entry into force: 10.10.1970
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Address: Levels 1 & 2, South Wing, Bose Levu Vakaturaga Complex, 87 Queen Elizabeth Drive, PO Box 2220, Government House, Suva, Republic of Fiji.
Cost: free.
Source: http://www.foreignaffairs.gov.fj
FINLAND
Date of entry into force: 26.08.1985
Competent authorities and authorized persons Civil Registry Offices.
Address: –
Cost: € 13.00
Source: http://www.maistraatti.fi/en/
FRANCE
Date of entry into force: 01/24/1965
Competent authorities and authorized persons: “Prosecutors General in the Courts of Appeal”
Address: list of addresses (https://assets.hcch.net/docs/e7b31b40-450f-42d6-bb53-95e02f8e9976.pdf)
Cost: free.
GERMANY
Date of entry into force: 02/13/1966
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- For federal documents: Federal Office of Administration (exception: for the Federal Patent Court and documents of the German Patent Office, the Apostille is issued by the President of the German Patent Office).
- For German public documents: documents of administrative authorities (except judicial administrative authorities):
- Ministries of Internal Affairs (senate departments), regional commissioners, regional administration;
- in Berlin: State Office for Housing and Regulation;
- Lower Saxony: police headquarters in Braunschweig, Göttingen, Hannover, Lüneburg, Oldenburg and Osnabrück;
- in Rhineland-Westphalia: supervisory and service department in Kaiserslautern;
- in Saxony: state directives in Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig;
- in Saxony-Anhalt: state administrative office in Magdeburg;
- in Thuringia: state administrative office in Weimar.
- Documents of judicial administrative bodies, courts of general jurisdiction (civil and criminal courts) and notaries: ministries of justice (senate departments), chief judges of state (administrative) courts.
- Documents of courts other than those with general jurisdiction: ministries of internal affairs (senate departments), regional commissioners, regional administrations, ministry of justice (senate departments), chief judges of state (administrative) courts.
Cost: Tariffs are set based on the value of the certificate. The costs incurred by the applicant are a minimum of 10 euros and a maximum of 130 euros. On average, the cost of services is from 10 to 20 euros.
Source: https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=322
GREECE
Date of entry into force: 05/18/1985
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Regional government for all documents issued by their services / offices.
- Decentralized administrations for all documents issued by:
- Public services of regions that do not belong to the competence of regional self-government;
- Legal entities of public law;
- Local self-government organizations of the first degree;
- Registry department.
- For court documents, the trial court of the region where the issuing authority is located.
Address:
Decentralized Administrations (https://assets.hcch.net/docs/cc3ac3f9-737f-4749-95b6-408275d59a76.pdf)
Courts of First Instance (https://assets.hcch.net/docs/8056af52-3fab-4515-a3fb-2e948f3e0a33.pdf)
Cost: free.
Source: https://diavgeia.gov.gr/
HONDURAS
Date of entry into force: 30.09.2004
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Address: Government Public Center, Presidential House, Bul. Kuwait, which adjoins the Supreme Court building, TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras
Cost: Lps.150.00 (about 5-6 euros).
Source: http://www.sre.gob.hn/
INDIA
Date of entry into force: 14.07.2005.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of India.
Address: CPV Division, Patiala House Annexe, Tilak Marg, New Delhi 110001, India.
The cost is 50.00 Indian rupees.
Source: http://www.mea.gov.in
IRELAND
Date of entry into force: 09.03.1999.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Department of Foreign Affairs.
Address :
- Consular Section, Department of Foreign Affairs, Hainault House, 69-71 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, Ireland.
- Consular Services, Department of Foreign Affairs, 1a South Mall, CORK, Ирландия.
Cost: The price set by the Apostille Stamp Department is 20 euros. For the adoption package, which can contain up to 300 documents, the Department charges 50 euros for the admission package.
Source: https://www.dfa.ie/
ISRAEL
Date of entry into force: 08/14/1978.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel
- Registrars of court cases and civil servants appointed by the Minister of Justice under the law on notarial activities.
Address:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 9 Yitzhak Rabin Blvd., Kiryat Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem 91035, Israel.
Registrars of Court Cases and Civil Servants Appointed by the Minister of Justice under the Law on Notarial Activities, 1976, Judicial Administrations, 22 Kanfey Nesharim St., Jerusalem 95464, Israel.
Cost: 35 shekels.
Source: http://mfa.gov.il
ITALY
Date of entry into force: 02/11/1978.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- In the case of court documents, civil status documents and notarial deeds, the prosecutor in the courts in which the documents were issued;
- In the case of all other administrative documents provided for by the Convention, the prefect with territorial competence, for the Valle d’Aosta, the President of the Region, and for the provinces of Trent and Bolzano, the plenipotentiary of the government.
Address: in each case, the address can be found at this link: https://www.giustizia.it/giustizia/it/mg_4.wp?facetNode_1=3_2&selectedNode=3_2_13
JAPAN
Date of entry into force: 07/27/1970.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.
Address: Kasumigaseki 2-2-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8919, Japan.
Cost: free.
Source: http://www.mofa.go.jp
LIECHTENSTEIN
Date of entry into force: 09/17/1972
Competent authorities and authorized persons: State Chancellery of the Princely Government.
Address: State Chancellery of the Princely Government, Government Building, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
Cost: CHF 30 (approx. € 20.00).
Source: https://www.llv.li
LIBERIA
Date of entry into force: 08.02.1996.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputies and Assistant Ministers;
- Minister of Justice, deputies and assistant ministers;
- Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Supreme and District Court(s)
- Registrars and Deputy Registrars of Corporations;
- Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs or their special agents.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Capitol Hill, Monrovia, Republic of Liberia
Source: http://www.mofa.gov.lr
LUXEMBOURG
Date of entry into force: 06/03/1979.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Department of Passports, Visas and Legalization), 43 Roosevelt Boulevard, L-2450 Luxembourg
Cost: € 20.00.
Source: http://www.mae.lu/
MALAWI
Date of entry into force: 02.12.1967.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Attorney General or Advocate General;
- Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Government;
- Clerk of the Supreme Court;
- General Secretary;
- Government agent;
- Notary;
- Resident Magistracy
Address:
- Attorney General, Secretary General and Secretary of Justice, Department of Justice Headquarters, Capital Hill, Private Bag 333, Lilongwe 3, Malawi.
- General Secretary, Fatima Arcade, Hailey Cellezey Road, P.A. Box 100, Blantyre, Malawi.
Source: http://www.sdnp.org.mw
MALTA
Date of entry into force: 03/03/1968.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Address : Palazzo Parisio, Merchants Street, Valletta CMR 02 Malta.
Cost: €20 (commercial), €12 (non-commercial).
Source: https://foreignaffairs.gov.mt .
MARSHALL ISLANDS
Effective date: 08/14/1992.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands,
- Attorney General and Executive
- duties of the Attorney General
- Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court,
- Registrars and Deputy Registrars of Corporations,
- The Shipping Administrator and his Special Agents,
- Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner for Maritime Affairs or their special agents.
Source: https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=373
MEXICO
Date of entry into force: 08/14/1995.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: they fall into two categories:
Apostille for federal documents (issued by such bodies as “Dirección de Coordinación Política con los Poderes de la Unión” and “Subdirección de Formalización y Control”)
Apostille for government documents (issued by 32 different authorities, information about which can be found at the link – https://assets.hcch.net/upload/auth12contact_mx.pdf)
Cost: 710 Mexican pesos for an apostille on federal documents.
Source: http://dicoppu.segob.gob.mx/
MONACO
Date of entry into force: 31.12.2002.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Department of Legal Services.
Address: Department of Legal Services, Palace of Justice, 5, rue Colonel Bellando de Castro
98000 Monaco, BP 513, MC 98015 Monaco Cedex.
Cost: € 5.
NAMIBIA
Date of entry into force: 30.01.2001.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Clerk of the Supreme Court of Namibia.
- Ministry of Justice (Permanent Secretary).
Address:
- Clerk of the Supreme Court of Namibia, Supreme Court Building, Luderitz Street, Private Bag, 13179, Windhoek, Namibia.
- Ministry of Justice Justice Building, Independence avenue, 3rd floor, Private Bag 13302, WINDHOEK, Namibia.
Cost: free.
NETHERLANDS
Date of entry into force: 08.10.1965.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: district courts.
Address: in order to choose the nearest court, you can use this link (https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie-en-contact/Organisatie/Rechtbanken/)
Cost: 20 euros for an apostille.
Source: https://www.rechtspraak.nl
NEW ZEALAND
(Does not apply to Tokelau)
Date of entry into force : 22.11.2001.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Department of the Interior, Authentication Department.
Address:
- Authentication Unit, 120 Victoria Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.
- Authentication Unit, PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Cost: NZ$32 per Apostille ($15 for each additional Apostille, for documents submitted simultaneously). Any number of documents issued by the same authority can be included in one Apostille.
NORWAY
Date of entry into force: 07/29/1983.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- District governors.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs7. juni-plassen / Victoria Terrasse, PO box 8114 Dep., 0032 Oslo, Norway.
Cost: free.
Source: https://www.regjeringen.no
OMAN
Effective date: 01/30/2012.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Consular Section).
Address: PO Box 252, 113 Muscat, Oman.
PANAMA
Date of entry into force: 04.08.1991.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- With regard to documents issued by the competent judicial authorities or officials, the Secretary of the Supreme Court or his legal deputies.
- Regarding documents issued by a notary or private documents certified by a notary, officials of the administrative department of the Ministry of Justice.
- With regard to other documents issued by any central government authority, any autonomous or semi-autonomous authority, municipal or police authority, government ministry – officials of the consular and legalization department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- For all public documents, any of the three previous procedures is allowed .
Price:
- Clerk of the Supreme Court: free.
- Department of Justice Department of Administrative Services 2 balboas (equivalent to $2)
- Consular and legalization department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 2 balboas (equivalent to 2 US dollars).
Source: https://www.mire.gob.pa .
PARAGUAY
Effective date: 30.08.2014.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Directorate of Consular Affairs.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General of Consular Affairs Authentication Department, 14 de Mayo e / Estrella y Palma, Asunción – Paraguay.
Cost: 40.312 Guarani ± 33 US$.
Source: http://www2.mre.gov.py/
PERU
Date of entry into force: 30.09.2010.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Адрес : Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru © 2017, Jiron Lampa 545, Lima 1, Peru.
Cost: € 6.70.
Source: http://www.rree.gob.pe
PORTUGAL
Date of entry into force: 02/04/1969.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Attorney General of the Republic;
- Attorney General for Porto, Coimbra and Évora and Assistant Attorneys General with representatives from the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and Azores.
Address: Attorney General of the Republic, (Procuradoria Geral de República): Rua da, Escola Politécnica, 140, 1269-103 Lisbon, Portugal.
Cost: € 10.20.
Source : http://www.ministeriopublico.pt/
SAMOA
Date of entry into force: 09/13/1999.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, PO Box L1859, Apia, Samoa.
SAN MARINO
Date of entry into force: 13.02.1995.
Competent authorities and authorized persons Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Адрес : Registry and Registry Office, Via 28 Luglio, 196, 47893 Сан-Марино.
Cost: € 5.00 .
Source: http://www.esteri.sm
SEYCHELLES
Date of entry into force: 03/31/1979.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or any person appointed and officially authorized by him;
- The Attorney General or any person appointed and officially authorized by him;
- Cabinet Secretary;
- Clerk of the Supreme Court.
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs PO Box 656, ‘Maison Quéau de Quinssy’, Mont Fleuri, Mahé, SEYCHELLES
SLOVAKIA
Date of entry into force: 17.02.2002.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- All regional courts (“Krajský súd”) for: a) public documents issued or certified by district courts, notaries or judges within their territorial jurisdiction; b) translations made by official (elected) translators or conclusions of official experts;
Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic (“Ministerstvo spravodlivosti Slovenskej republiky”) for all documents coming from the judiciary other than the documents mentioned above (i.e. documents coming from courts other than district courts).
- Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic (“Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky”)
for public documents received from bodies within its competence, with the exception of the documents specified in the paragraph below;
- Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic (“Ministerstvo školstva Slovenskej republiky”) for public documents coming from authorities within its jurisdiction;
- Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky) for public documents issued by authorities under its jurisdiction;
- Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic (“Ministerstvo obrany Slovenskej republiky”) for public documents coming from authorities within its competence;
- District department (obvodný úrad) for: a) extracts from the registers of births, deaths and marriages, with the exception of decisions relating to civil status; b) documents issued by autonomous local authorities;
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic (“Ministerstvo zahranièných vecí Slovenskej republiky”) to any other public document issued in the Slovak Republic that is not listed above.
Price:
- Ministry of Justice: 10 Euro;
- Ministry of Health: 10 Euro;
- Ministry of the Interior: 10 Euro;
- Ministry of Education: 10 Euro;
- Ministry of Defense: 10Euro;
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 20Euro.
SLOVENIA
Effective date: 01/24/1965.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia (to authenticate signatures and seals of notaries, district judges and court interpreters on public documents);
- District courts in Slovenia (to verify the authenticity of signatures and seals of notaries, judges (except district judges), government agencies, organizations and individuals performing public functions and legal entities on public documents – all district courts in Slovenia).
Price:
- The Ministry of Justice charges an administrative tax for the issuance of an apostille for public documents in accordance with the Law on Administrative Taxes. The administrative tax for the issuance of each Apostille is € 3.00.
- District courts in Slovenia, as judicial authorities under the Law on Legal Costs, – 2.46 euros per Apostille if the state document is in Slovenian, and 5.00 euros when the state document is in a foreign language.
Source: http://www.arhiv.mp.gov.si
SPAIN
Date of entry into force: 09/25/1978.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Administrative Documents:
1) Managing Secretary of the High Courts of Justice.
2) Head of division of the Ministry of Justice (or his deputies)
3) Heads of territorial departments
4) Deans of notarial colleges.
- Judicial:
- Secretariat for the Supreme Court.
- Head of the division of the Ministry of Justice in the field of information and assistance to citizens.
- Managers of territorial management bureaus.
- Notarial: Deans of notarial colleges or those who act in their place, regardless of where in Spain such documents were issued.
- Acts of higher courts: Only the Secretary of the Office of the relevant court for documents issued by the relevant court or his deputies, as well as officials to whom such powers can be delegated.
- Public documents: At the choice of the citizen, both on paper and in electronic form, by any of the authorities authorized to apostille administrative documents.
Price:
The High Courts of Justice and the Ministry of Justice do not charge fees for issuing an Apostille.
Professional association of notaries – from 3.50 to 7.50 euros
SOUTH AFRICA (REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA)
Date of entry into force: 30.04.1995.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Any magistrate or additional magistrate (judge)
- Any registrar or assistant registrar of the Supreme Court of South Africa;
- Any person appointed by the Chief Justice;
- Chairman for International Relations and Cooperation.
Cost: free.
Source: http://www.dirco.gov.za/
SWEDEN
Effective date: 05/01/1999.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: all public notaries.
Cost: SEK 250 (approximately €27).
SWITZERLAND
Date of entry into force: 03/11/1973.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
Federal Chancellery.
Cantonal (local) authorities.
Address: The following link provides a list of the aforementioned authorities and the corresponding address https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=349
Cost: The price varies from 15 to 30 Swiss francs (€10 – €20).
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
(Does not apply to countries that have left the UK and have not signed the Convention)
Date of entry into force : 24.01.1965.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office;
- Legalization Office.
Address: Office of Legalization, PO Box 6255, Milton Keynes MK10 1XX, United Kingdom.
Price:
- Businesses and members of the public pay £30 for an Apostille issued.
- Premium service in Central London costs £75 per document.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised
TURKEY
Date of entry into force: 29.09.1985.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
Administrative documents: a) in the provinces: governor, chief district officer, chief secretary; b) in the cities: the chairman of the District Office.
Judicial Documents: Presidents of judicial commissions where there are high criminal courts.
Cost: free.
Source: http://www.adalet.gov.tr/
USA
Date of entry into force: 15.10.1981.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- The United States of America has three levels of authority competent to issue an Apostille certificate.
- The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Services, Vital Records Division issue Apostilles on birth, death, and marriage certificates of U.S. citizens abroad, as well as birth and death certificates issued from early 1904-1979 by the Panama Canal Zone government .
- Clerks and deputies of the Federal Courts of the United States are authorized to issue an Apostille on documents issued by those courts. Alternatively, the US Department of Justice may certify with the seal of the Federal Court, and the US Government Authentication Office will then place an Apostille over the seal.
- Public documents issued by the US states, the District of Columbia, and other US jurisdictions may be apostilled by the designated authorities in each jurisdiction, typically the Secretary of State.
- However, in each state, it is necessary to clarify the details and features of the apostille procedure.
Price:
- The U.S. Government Authentication Service Department costs $8.00 per document.
- The US Department of State, Passport Services, Office of Vital Records do not charge a fee for issuing an Apostille on a document bearing the seal of a US Embassy or Consulate.
- Fees are charged in individual US states, ranging from $3 to $20.
Source: for more information: https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=353
URUGUAY
Date of entry into force: 14.10.2012.
Competent authorities and authorized persons: General Directorate of Consular Affairs.
Address: Colonia 1206 str., Montevideo, Uruguay.
Cost: Uruguayan Pesos $392.
Source: http://www.mrree.gub.uy
VANUATU
Effective date: 07/30/1980.
Competent authorities and authorized persons:
- Department of Foreign Affairs;
- Financial Services Commission for public documents that fall under its jurisdiction.
Address: Financial Services Center, Bouganville Street, PMB No. 9023, Port Vila.
Cost: Single sided document – $50; Double-sided document – $100; and certificate for a copy of 25 USD (Apostille of an identical document / same issuing authority).
Source: http://www.vfsc.vu/
Typical mistakes in preparing documents legalized abroad and how to avoid them:
- The sheet with the stamp “Apostille” is not attached to the document.
Usually the stamp “Apostille” is affixed to the place of the document free from the text or on its reverse side. However, there may be cases when the apostille is affixed on a sheet separate from the document. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the official who affixes the apostille affixes the sheet with the apostille and the document itself to prevent cases of their separation. The number of bound sheets is confirmed by the signature of the official who affixes the apostille.
- Mistakes in translations.
To solve this problem, we advise you not to translate documents abroad, but to translate directly in Ukraine. This will not take much time, but it will greatly facilitate the use of documents in Ukraine and reduce the risks of detecting errors at the stage of information processing.
- Use in Ukraine of a document that has been legalized through consular legalization for another country.
It should be remembered that even if the document was legalized by consular legalization and used in the country of destination, it cannot be used in Ukraine, because the procedure for consular legalization of the document clearly provides for the country in which the document will be used.
Frequently asked questions among foreigners.
- Is it possible to legalize a document of a foreign state on the territory of Ukraine?
Yes, it is possible to do this at the diplomatic representation of a foreign state on the territory of Ukraine with subsequent legalization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. However, it is worth noting that not all countries have their diplomatic missions in Ukraine, and not all diplomatic missions can perform such a function on the territory of Ukraine. For more detailed information on each specific country, you need to find out at the embassy or consulate of the corresponding foreign state.
- Is it possible to certify several documents at once with one Apostille stamp?
No. The Apostille stamp is affixed to only one document. We are talking about the fact that 2 or more documents cannot be sealed with one “Apostille”, even if they are issued by the same body or official. As our experience shows, even when a foreign state body or an official of a foreign state has apostilled several documents with one stamp, they will by no means be valid on the territory of Ukraine.
- What documents are subject to legalization?
Official documents are subject to legalization , namely: certificates; documents issued by public authorities and their officials, local governments and their officials; court documents; documents on education and other documents after their notarization.
However, documents of a commercial or customs nature are not subject to legalization; originals / copies of passports, work books, driver’s licenses; regulatory legal acts, as well as documents that contradict the legislation of Ukraine or are issued in excess of the powers of officials or bodies.
- What is better to legalize: originals or notarized copies of documents?
Legalization can be carried out both for originals and, in certain cases, for notarized copies of official documents. However, the legislation of Ukraine quite often contains a requirement to present exactly the original documents . Thus, we advise you to legalize only the original document .
- Where can I apply for legalization of documents in Ukraine? Can the Consulate of Ukraine do this?
No , the diplomatic missions of Ukraine do not legalize documents issued by authorities of foreign states for their use in Ukraine . In addition, if we are talking about an apostille, then, as already noted, it is affixed by the competent authorities of the relevant foreign state in which such a document was issued. If we are talking about consular legalization, then the diplomatic missions of Ukraine abroad only carry out the final stage of such legalization, but do not have the authority to independently legalize the document.
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