Apostille of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
We Save our Clients’ Time – We Obtain an Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Anyone who has had to deal with the civil service in any country knows how much time and stress it can cost to arrange formalities. Thanks to our knowledge and experience we are able to help our Clients with advice, and even to obtain for them a document legalization or an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The golden rule regarding document certification is to find out what type of certification is required by the institution where the document is to be submitted. An apostille on a document is not always enough, sometimes you need to have one placed on a sworn translation as well.
What is an MFA apostille and MFA legalization?
Apostille of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The MFA Apostille usually takes the form of a sheet of paper permanently attached to the document. However, it is not an ordinary sheet of paper, because it contains a table in which it is described who signed the original document and in what capacity this person acted. In other words, it is an official confirmation that the person issuing the document to which the apostille is attached had the right to issue this document.
Therefore, if we submit, for example, a certified translation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,the apostillewill confirmthat the sworn translator who carried out the translation really is a translator sworn at the Ministry of Justice.
In addition, the apostille bears the stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the signature of an official from that Ministry.
Legalisation of the MFA
Legalisation is also a form of confirmation that the person who issued the document we want to legalize had the right to issue such a document. .
However, it differs from the apostille in that it does not have a fixed form. While the apostille issued by different countries always contains the same elements, in the case of legalisation the content of the attestation varies depending on the issuing country.
The more important difference, however, is that legalisation alone is not sufficient for the document to be accepted abroad. It must additionally be certified at the consulate of the country where it is to be submitted.
Apostille or Legalisation
When is an Apostille Required?
The 1961 Hague Convention abolished the requirement of legalisation for foreign official documents exchanged between the countries that signed the Convention.Instead of legalisingthe document, an apostille clause is then used.
The apostille can therefore only be used if the document is to be filed in a country that has signed this convention.
When is Legalisation Required?
Documents intended for use in legal transactions in countries which have not signed the Conventionare legalised. In such situation the certificate obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be additionally confirmed in the embassy of a given country.
Thus, the legalisation of a document involves a more complex process, since its validity must be certified, as it were, by two states and not just one, as in the case of the apostille.
Apostille – Court and Notarial Documents
Documents from Court or Notary
Documents from a district court, or from a notary, must first be certified at a regional court. This is the regional court with jurisdiction over the seat of the district court or notary. Documents from the regional court can be immediately certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Marital Status Records
We certify marital statusrecords directlyat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is worth noting that in the case of European Union countries, an apostille is not currently required on copies of marital status records.
School Documents
School documents are certified differently. They must be referred to the NAWA, the National Agency for Academic Exchange. There they receive the necessary certification.
Sworn Translations
With a sworn translationyou can go directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no additional certification is needed. Translators submit their specimen signatures to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they are verified on the spot.
Apostille Price
The apostillemay be required on the translation, on the document to be translated, or both. In the last two cases it is important to obtain the apostillebefore the translation begins. In Poland it can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or other institutions, depending on the type of document. Sometimes, even before obtaining the apostille, an additional certification from a particular regional court is required. The number of possible procedures and requirements is large; therefore, I support Clients in this complicated process.
I always ask questions to determine whether anapostille or legalisation will be required:
- whatdocument is to be translated?
- which Polish institution issuedthe document?
- are there stamps on the document, if so, what are they?
- in which country the translated document is to be presented?
For obtaining an apostille / legalisation I charge:
- a one-off fee regardless of the number of documents in the amount of PLN 150-250 net (the fee depends on the epidemiological situation in the country, working hours of state authorities),
- an official fee (60 PLN/document).
Do you have any questions?
Feel free to contact me on 22 112 16 68
We work Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. You are cordially invited to contact us!
