Legalization

Foreign documents give the same evidential value as domestic public documents only if they hold the mandatory legalization form on the original documents. There are three types of legalization:  

1. Full diplomatic legalization
2. Legalization by “Apostille”
3. Exemption from any legalization

This mode of legalization means that original documents first have to pass the internal legalization procedure within the country in which they have been issued and the last authority definitely has to be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country. Afterwards the documents must additionally be legalized (over-legalized) diplomatically by the Austrian diplomatic representation (embassy, consulate, honorary consulate) in the respective country.

The following countries are subject to the full diplomatic legalization of documents.

Note: The original document must have the legalization by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country and by the Austrian diplomatic representation (embassy, consulate, honorary consulate) in the respective country.

Documents from countries which are Contracting States to the “Hague Legalization Convention do not need the full diplomatic legalization if they are supplied with the Apostille, which means that for original documents from these countries the legalization in the form of the Apostille is sufficient.

The following countries are subject to the legalization by Apostille.

Note: The original document must have the legalization by Apostille.

This website provides you with the respective authorities.

Documents from countries with which Austria has concluded a bilateral agreement concerning exemption from legalization are exempted from all kind of legalization procedure.

The following countries are subject to the exemption.