Attesting German Documents (FAQs)

Yes - Germany is a member of the Apostille Convention.

German documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When German documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information about Apostille certification in Germany, see:
Germany Apostille Services

Submission within the European Union
Certain German documents do not require Apostilles when they are presented to authorities of other European Union countries (the receiving authority should accept the original or a certified copy).

When applying for certain public documents, a multilingual standard form may be requested to accompany the original. A multilingual standard form must always be issued and signed by a German authority, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority to understand a public document which is in a language not accepted by the receiving EU country.
See: EU Multilingual standard forms

German documents not requiring Apostilles include birth, death, marriage certificates, absence of a criminal record (a clean criminal record of a German citizen), certificates of nationality and residence:
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/1191

Other German documents, including academic certificates, still require Apostille certification and certified translation to be valid in other EU countries.

Civil status certificates (multilingual extracts from the civil status registers)
German birth, marriage and death certificates) issued in accordance with the conventions of the International Commission on Civil and Civil Status should not require Apostille Stamps when being submitted to one of the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Verde, Estonia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

Multilingual certificates of no impediment to marriage
German certificates of no impediment to marriage are exempt from any formality for submission to the following countries (Munich CIEC Convention):
Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey

Exceptions to Apostille Convention (Documents issued in Germany)
Germany has objected to the accession of certain States to the Apostille Convention (including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Tunisia and Morocco), so that the Convention does not apply between Germany and these states. Documents required for these states may also require additional attestation by the embassy of the recipient embassy in Berlin.
For a full list of countries with which the Apostille Convention applies in relation to German documents, see:
Countries where Apostille Convention applies in relation to Germany (in German)

Federal, State and judicial documents can be legalized in Germany with Apostille stamps. These include:

• German civil status certificates
• Certificates of Good Conduct
• German university diplomas
• Documents issued by the administrative authorities of the judiciary
• Commercial documents (certificates of origin, commercial invoices, etc.)
• School and college certificates
• Documents issued or certified by the courts (including court-certified translations)
• Documents certified by a German notary.

To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in Germany, please Contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our German apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of German documents, see:
Germany Apostille Services

Processing times for German Apostilles vary depending on the type of document and the Federal, State or Judicial authority issuing the Apostille Stamp. In most cases, State Apostilles take around 2 weeks, but are sometimes available within 2-3 business days, or in some cases, Apostilles can take 6 - 10 weeks.

German documents can be legalized by Apostille Stamp when the recipient country is a member of the Apostille Convention. However, there are some exceptions, including India, Pakistan and Senegal. See:
Countries where Apostille Convention applies in relation to Germany (in German)

Documents required for all other countries, including India, will need to be attested by the embassy of the recipient country. Before submission to the embassy, documents must be authenticated by the competent State or Federal authority, depending on the type of document, with an "over-authentication" (Uberbeglaubigung).

Additionally, certain embassies require a second or final authentication (Endbeglaubigung from the Federal Agency for Foreign Affairs). The following embassies require a final authentication:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Iran (except for university certificates), Jordan, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon (only for school and training certificates), Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan (Taipei Trade Office, only for certificates from the field of justice), Togo, United Arab Emirates (except for commercial deeds).

Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public German document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a German birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized.

Legalizing a document in Germany certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Germany and confirms the capacity of that official.

• Because Germany is a member of the Apostille Convention, German documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the Hague Apostille Convention
• If a German document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by German authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in Germany or non-resident embassy accredited to Germany).
  See: Document legalization - Wikipedia

Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in Germany including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
• ISAREY reviews on Google

Germany Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of German documents certified with Apostille stamps:

• German Certificate of Good Conduct with Apostille (PDF)
• German Birth Certificate with Apostille Stamp (PDF)
• German Marriage Certificate legalized by United Arab Emirates (PDF)
• German University Diploma with Apostille (PDF)
• German Company Extract with Apostille Stamp (PDF)

See What does an Apostille look like?

German marriage, death and birth certificates (available in German only or in a standard international multilingual format) are available from the German registry office (Standesamt) in the village, municipality or city where the event took place. German civil status certificates are restricted, which means copies can only be obtained by the person named in the certificate or close relative, or otherwise by an authorized representative.

Certificates for births, deaths and marriages occurring outside Germany (and in the former Eastern territories of the German Reich and Prussia) are available from the State Office for Civil and Regulatory Affairs in Berlin:
German civil status certificates for births occurring outside Germany (in German)

For further information about obtaining German Civil Status Certificates and authentication for use abroad, see:
German civil status certificates

To obtain an Apostille on a German death, marriage or birth certificate, the original certificate must be submitted to the State Authority to issue the Apostille. The original certificate must be no more than 6 months old.

For assistance obtaining new certified copies of German civil status certificates, please Contact us, or see:
German civil status certificates

Apostilles are not required when submitting German certificates of marital status to the authorities of another Member State of the European Union.

A multilingual standard form may be requested to accompany the original. A multilingual standard form must always be issued and signed by a German authority, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority understand the certificate when in a language not accepted by the receiving EU country.

EU Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (EU GDPR)

Apostilles are not required when submitting German Multilingual certificates of no impediment to marriage issued to the authorities of a country that has acceded to the Munich CIEC Convention. Members of the Munich CIEC Convention are as follows:
Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

Apostilles are not required when submitting German birth, death and marriage certificates to the authorities of another Member State of the European Union. A multilingual standard form may be requested to accompany the original. A multilingual standard form must always be issued and signed by a German authority, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority understand the certificate when in a language not accepted by the receiving EU country.

EU Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (EU GDPR)

German birth, marriage and death certificates (multilingual extracts from the civil status registers issued in accordance with the conventions of the International Commission on Civil and Civil Status) should not require Apostille Stamps when being submitted to countries that have acceded to the Vienna CIEC Convention. The following countries are contracting states of the Vienna Convention:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Verde, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

To obtain an Apostille on a German Certificate of Good Conduct, the original certificate or a notarized copy is required. For further information, see:
Certificates of Good Conduct

Conviction will not be listed in a German certificate of good conduct when the convicted person may claim to be unpunished and no longer has to disclose the facts on which the conviction is based. Otherwise, the non-inclusion of an entry is only considered in special exceptional cases where it is demonstrated that inclusion of a conviction would constitute undue hardship.

German Certificates of Good Conduct proving an absence of criminal record in Germany (Fuhrungszeugnis) are issued by the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz). Certificates take at least 2 weeks to be issued. Applications may only be submitted for yourself or by a person legally representing you.

Applications for the certificate may be submitted:

• in person at a town hall, municipal office or citizens' office in Germany for forwarding to the Federal Office of Justice.
• online from within Germany and from aboard (with an electronic identity card or electronic residence permit)
  Apply online for a German Certificate of Conduct (in German)
• by post only where the applicant is based outside Germany
  Postal Application form (German Certificate of Conduct) - PDF

Germany issues different types of Good Conduct Certificate:

• Certificate of conduct for personal use: commonly used for submissions for foreign visas, residency and citizenship applications.
• Certificate of conduct for submission to a public authority: when certificates have been requested by a public authority in Germany.
• Extended criminal records check: required by individuals wishing to work with children and young people (applications must include confirmation that this type of certificate is legally required).
• European certificate of conduct: available to German nationals who are also nationals of another EU state or of the United Kingdom. It contains information on any convictions recorded in the applicant's home country, as well as details of the applicant's criminal record in Germany.

Isarey can assist client based outside Germany with the submission of applications for Certificates of Good Conduct to the Federal Office of Justice and with subsequent Apostille and Authentication for use abroad.

For further information, see:
Certificates of Good Conduct

German Certificates of Good Conduct do not expire. But if your certificate is more than 3 months old, you should check with the authority that has requested the certificate that they do not require a new issue.

Apostilles are not required when submitting German Criminal Record Certificates to another Member State of the European Union when the certificate is issued to a German national and when the criminal record is clean (no convictions). In other cases, the recipient Member State may require an Apostille.

EU Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
See: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (EU GDPR)

German degree certificates and course transcripts required for submission to UAE authorities or in support of UAE visa applications need to be attested by the UAE embassy in Berlin.

The first step is to contact the university and obtain a certified copy. This certified copy must have the official seal of the university and must confirm that it is copy is a true representation of the original. The certificate should then be legalized by the responsible State Authority (e.g. District Government, Ministry of Science, State Office for Civil and Regulatory Affairs (Berlin), Regierung von Oberbayern (Munich), Regional Council) with an over-authentication (Uberbeglaubigung) and then with a further final authentication (Endbeglaubigung) from the Federal Agency for Foreign Affairs. Once the final authentication has been applied, the diploma can be submitted to the embassy for final attestation.

To legalize a German degree certificate for submission to the authorities of Taiwan or in support of a Taiwanese visa application, it needs to be attested by the Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany (Taipeh Vertretung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in Berlin. The Taipei Representative Office will attest notarized copies of German certificates authenticated by the Regional Court.

German degree certificates and course transcripts can now be attested for use in Saudi Arabia with an Apostille Stamp. Attestation by the Saudi Cultural Bureau and embassy is no longer required since Saudi Arabia acceded to the Apostille Convention in December 2022.

Apostilles can be applied to notarized copies or university-certified copies.

German degree certificates and course transcripts can now be attested for use in China with an Apostille Stamp. Attestation by the Chinese embassy is no longer required since China acceded to the Apostille Convention in November 2023.

Apostilles can be applied to notarized copies or university-certified copies.

To obtain an Apostille for a Power of Attorney made in Germany, it must be signed in front of a German notary public. An Apostille, confirming the notary's signature and good standing, can then be obtained from the Regional Court. For assistance in arranging notarizations and apostilles across Germany, please Contact us.

To obtain an Apostille on a German passport, driving licence, ID or Residency Document, a certified copy should be made by a German notary. An Apostille can then be applied to the certified copy by the Regional Court.

We can arrange for the notarization and authentication of German ID documents where clients are based outside Germany.

Apostilles on German Certificates of no impediment to marriage are available from the competent State Authority (for example, President of the Government; President of the Administrative District; District government).

Multilingual certificates of no impediment to marriage
German certificates of no impediment to marriage are exempt from any formality for submission to the following countries (Munich CIEC Convention):
Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey

Exceptions to Apostille Convention (Documents issued in Germany)
Germany has objected to the accession of certain States to the Apostille Convention (including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Tunisia and Morocco), so that the Convention does not apply between Germany and these states. Documents required for these states may also require additional attestation by the embassy of the recipient embassy in Berlin.
For a full list of countries with which the Apostille Convention applies in relation to German documents, see:
Countries where Apostille Convention applies in relation to Germany (in German)