Some foreign authorities require your document to be issued with an Apostille or an Authentication certificate. We call this "legalisation services". Legalisation describes the process where the signature, seal or stamp on an original Australian public document is verified. If the signature and/or seal on your document matches our records, we will issue the Apostille or Authentication certificate. The document can then be presented to your foreign authority.
Kindly note only Australian public documents are issued with an Apostille or Authentication.
Only original documents will be accepted, we do not accept laminated, framed and damaged documents. Should your document be laminated, framed or damaged you will need to arrange a replacement document. Examples of some of the documents which can be apostilled or authenticated are Australian Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates, Court documents (including divorce certificates), Police Criminal Records Checks or Finger Print Reports etc.
When we apostille or authenticate a public document we are NOT verifying the contents of the document or making any endorsement that the contents are correct. We are only confirming that the signature, seal or stamp that appear on the public document match the record of the signature, seal or stamp held in our database.
The Apostille certificate and the Authentication certificate both serve the same purpose. The country receiving the public document decides which certificate they will accept.
Countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention of 05 October 1961 on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (also known as the Hague Apostille Convention), accept Apostille certificates. India is a signatory to the Hague Convention of 05 October 1961 on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.
Kindly note Apostille certificates have no expiry date, if a document is presented already bearing an Apostille certificate verifying the underlying signature on the document, a second Apostille certificate cannot be issued. A second Apostille certificate can only be issued on a single document if we are verifying a second signature, seal or stamp on that document.
Educational Documents
To be accepted for legalisation, education documents must have been issued by an Australian accredited education institution.
Primary and Secondary Schools
The Australian Consulate-General can legalise original education documents from Australian primary schools and secondary schools, as long as the document has been verified and signed by an authorised officer from the relevant state or territory government education body, not the school administration. The Apostille or Authentication certificate that we issue will verify the signature/seal/stamp of the authorised officer from the relevant state or territory education body.
We can also legalise Australian education documents from Australian primary schools and secondary schools which have been notarised by an Australian notary public. The Apostille or Authentication certificate that we issue verifies the signature/seal/stamp of the Australian notary public.
Private Schools and Colleges
The Australia Consulate-General can legalise education documents from Australian private schools and colleges which have been notarised by an Australian notary public. The Apostille or Authentication certificate we issue verifies the signature/seal/stamp of the Australian notary public.
In some Australian states and territories, the Department of Education may also verify and apply their departmental seal to original education documents issued by private schools and colleges. In these circumstances, we can issue an Apostille or Authentication certificate which verifies the signature/seal/stamp of the authorised officer from the relevant state or territory education body.
If your education document was issued by an institution in a foreign country, it will need to be authenticated by that country.
This service takes two standard business days. The document(s) can either be collected or be sent to you by mail.
Fees paid for notarial services are non-refundable.