Consular legalisation
Consular legalisation of documents worldwide
We obtain the document in the country of issue and take it through every certification the receiving country requires: notary, ministry, consulate. Translation and delivery are part of the same chain.
We work under a power of attorney: no need to travel to the country of issue.
Online check
Legalisation chain
Legalisation depends on the pair of countries. Select both to see every certification in order, or to learn that an apostille is enough.
- We check the order of certifications before work starts
- We work under a power of attorney, without you travelling
- Every fee is shown on a separate line
Select the country of issue and the receiving country: we will show the chain of certifications and the timing.
41
countries outside the Hague Convention in our directory
Up to 5 stages
of certification in one chain
No travel
under a power of attorney in the country of issue
4-12 weeks
guide for pairs of countries we have verified
Situations
When you need consular legalisation
Legalisation is needed when the country of issue or the receiving country is not party to the Hague Convention.
- Work and business
Diplomas, certificates and corporate documents for the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and other countries outside the Convention.
- Company and bank
Articles, register extracts and powers of attorney to register a company or open an account.
- Marriage and family
Birth and marriage certificates for registering a marriage or family abroad.
- Study
Diplomas and transcripts for admission and recognition of education.
- Transactions and courts
Powers of attorney, judgments and notarial documents for another country.
- Residency and visas
Police certificates and civil status certificates for migration authorities.
Differences
Apostille or consular legalisation
The form depends on the pair of countries and the document type.
- Apostille
- One certificate from the authority of the issuing country. It works when both countries are party to the Hague Convention.
- Consular legalisation
- Several certifications in a row: notary, ministry of the issuing country, consulate of the receiving country. Sometimes also a foreign ministry stamp on arrival.
- A treaty between the countries
- Legal assistance treaties, such as the 1993 Minsk Convention, remove legalisation. A translation is then enough.
Four steps
How we work
We fix the order of certifications and translation before starting: the wrong order means redoing the work.
- 01Checking the chain
The pair of countries, the document type, the recipient's requirements, the order of translation.
- 02Obtaining and certifying
We obtain the document and certify it with a notary and the ministry of the issuing country.
- 03Consulate
We file with the consulate of the receiving country and pay the consular fee.
- 04Translation and delivery
Translation in the required form, a check of the set, dispatch by courier.
Result
The document is with youThe document with all its stamps, ready to file in the destination country.
Cost
What the costdepends on
We send the estimate before work starts.
- Number of stages
- Notary, ministry, consulate: each stage has its own fee.
- Consular fee
- The tariff of the receiving country's consulate, sometimes dependent on the document type.
- Translation
- The language and the form of certification the receiving country requires.
- Delivery
- Courier between countries when the document moves from one to another.
Itemised estimate
There is no single price for legalisation: every fee and stage is shown on a separate line.
To get started
- The document or the details needed to obtain it
- A power of attorney to file on your behalf: we draft the text
- The receiving country and the recipient's requirements, if any
LegalisationThe essentials
Questions and answers
Did not find your answer? A lawyer will reply on your situation.
An apostille is one certificate from the authority of the issuing country, recognised by Hague Convention countries. Consular legalisation applies when an apostille does not: the document goes through several certifications and receives a stamp from the receiving country's consulate.
The form depends on the pair of countries and the document type. Select both countries in the check at the top of this page: it will show the chain, and a lawyer will confirm it before work starts.
As a rule, yes: we work under a power of attorney through partners in the country of issue. We draft the text and send it to you for signing at a notary.
Often yes: a notarised or official copy, if the country of issue allows that format and the recipient accepts it. We check this before work starts.
It depends on the country: some consulates require a translation before filing, others after. We fix the sequence before starting.
Longer than an apostille, because there are several stages. For pairs of countries we have verified the guide is 4 to 12 weeks; we give the exact timing after checking the chain.
On the number of stages: certifications, ministry and consular fees, translation, notary, delivery. Each item is a separate line of the estimate.
Yes. Documents for the applicant, spouse and children go in one request with a shared timeline and estimate.
Updated 2 November 2026.
TeamWorking with documents
Your specialists
BRIDGES specialists who check the requirements, handle the filing and stay in touch with the authorities in the country of issue.
ServicesDocuments
All document services
Order any service on its own or combine several into one request.
Documents01 / 08ApostilleFor the 130 states of the Hague Convention. Issued in the country of the document, without you travelling.Details 
Documents02 / 08Police certificateFrom any country where you have lived, timed to your filing date.Details 
Documents03 / 08Sworn translationTranslation certified in the form the receiving country accepts.Details 
Documents04 / 08Civil status certificatesBirth, marriage, divorce, death and change of name: reissued documents and extracts.Details 
Documents05 / 08Document retrievalReissued copies and extracts in the country of issue when the original is gone.Details 
Documents06 / 08Archive researchBirth and marriage records of ancestors for citizenship by descent.Details 
Documents07 / 08Education recognitionDiplomas and transcripts prepared for recognition abroad.Details 
Documents08 / 08DocumentsOrder any service on its own or combine several into one request.Details What clients say
Reviews from clients we have supported in different countries.
ViktorInvestor
I did everything correctly: chose the fund, invested the money, and waited for my residence permit. Then it turns out the fund's certificate has an error, and because of that I might be denied. The money is invested, but the paperwork is flawed - and I'm the one who suffers!
Read the case
DanielOwner of a car dealership chain
I compared four companies and stayed with the one that told me about the risks in my case first and about prices second. Compliance went through without a single additional request.
Read the case
FadiFrom Beirut
Ziraat wanted me to freeze a deposit. Nikos showed that with property the accounts could be opened without it. The accounts are open, residence granted.
Read the caseINITIAL ASSESSMENT
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