# FAQs: Attesting foreign documents to use in Lithuania

> Frequently asked questions about legalizing foreign documents for submission to authorities in Lithuania - birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal record certificates, academic documents and other documents required for Lithuanian visa and citizenship applications.

**Source** [FAQs - Authenticating document to use in Lithuania](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Lithuania-certify-FAQs)>
**Related:** [Attest Documents for use in Lithuania](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Certify-documents-Lithuania) · [Apostille Lithuanian Documents for international use](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Lithuania-Legalization-Services) · [Get a Quotation](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/Document-Attestation-Inquiry)

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## General Questions

### How can foreign documents be certified for official use in Lithuania?
Documents issued in countries which are signatories to the Apostille Convention can be authenticated for use in Lithuania by obtaining an apostille stamp from the authorities of the country of issue. This Apostille stamp should be recognised directly by Lithuanian authorities as confirming the document’s authenticity. Countries which issue apostilles include United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar
Documents issued in countries which are not signatories to the Apostille Convention must be legalized in the country of issue and additional by the local Lithuanian embassy or consulate.


### Can foreign documents required for submission to Lithuania be authenticated with an Apostille?
Yes - if the issuing country is a member of the Apostille Convention, then an Apostille Stamp issued in the issuing country will be accepted by Lithuanian authorities.Submission within the European Union
Certain documents do not require Apostilles for submission to authorities in Lithuania when they are issued in another European Union Member State (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 an authority of the EU country where the public document is issued, providing a translation aid designed to help the receiving authority to understand a public document which is in a language not accepted by Lithuania.
See: [EU Multilingual standard forms](https://e-justice.europa.eu/35981/EN/public_documents_forms)
Documents not requiring Apostilles for use in Lithuania include birth, death, marriage certificates, absence of a criminal record (a clean criminal record of a citizen of the issuing country), certificates of nationality and residence:
See: [Regulation (EU) 2016/1191](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM%3A230101_2)
Other documents, including academic certificates, still require Apostille certification and certified translation to be valid in Lithuania.
Civil status certificates (multilingual extracts from the civil status registers)
Birth, marriage and death certificates should not require Apostille Stamps for submission in Lithuania when issued in accordance with the conventions of the International Commission on Civil and Civil Status by one of following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Verde, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey


### What is Lithuanian embassy document attestation?
Document attestation by Lithuanian embassies is a procedure to legalize foreign documents that are required for submission to authorities in Lithuania or in support of Lithuanian visa or citizenship applications. Normally the document must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country before being submitted to the embassy for attestation. A certified translation may also be required.
Since Lithuania is a member of the Apostille Convention, documents issued by other countries that are signatory countries of the Apostille Convention can be legalized with an Apostille Stamp issued by the competent authority of the issuing country and do not require attestation by a Lithuanian embassy to use in Lithuania.
[Check legalization procedures by country](https://www.isarey-document-attestation.com/country-list-authentications-apostilles)

## Other documents

### How can I certify a translation of a foreign document for use in Lithuania?
A first option is to carry out a translation of the document in the country of origin. If the country of origin is a signatory to the Apostille Convention, a translation certified under local law can then be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp, giving the translation validity in Lithuania.
If the originating country is not a member of the Apostille Convention and does issue Apostilles, a local translation will need to be certified by the originating country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the Lithuanian embassy or consulate. The Lithuanian embassy may require a translation in any case in order to attest the original document. The embassy may have specific requirements for the translation, otherwise in most countries a locally certified, sworn or notarized translation can be authenticated by the originating country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the Lithuanian embassy, making it valid for use in Lithuania.