Legalisation Rules by Document Type
By document
Legalisation Requirements by Document Type
What your document needs depends first on who issued it. A federal record skips two whole stages. A certified vital record skips the notary. A private document needs all of it. Pick the document you are actually holding.
Vital record
Court record
Notarised document
Academic
Federal record
Commercial
Other
Requirements on this page were last checked against official sources on .
Questions people actually ask
Does each document need its own chain?
Yes, and fees are charged per document at every stage, including twenty dollars per document federally. Five documents means five federal fees.
Can I photocopy a document and legalise the copy?
Only if the copy is notarised as a true copy, and only where the destination accepts that. Vital records almost always have to be certified copies issued by the registrar.
How recent does the document have to be?
It varies. Police checks, single-status affidavits and good-standing certificates are commonly required to have been issued within the last three to six months. Birth and marriage certificates usually have no limit, though some missions ask for a recent reissue.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
