What is an Authentication and/or Apostille certificate?
Some foreign authorities require Australia to issue your document with an Apostille or an Authentication certificate. This is called ‘legalisation services.’
Legalisation describes the process where the Embassy verifies the signature, seal or stamp on an original Australian public document. When the Embassy confirms the signature and/or seal on your document matches our records, we will issue the Apostille or Authentication certificate.
Do I need an Authentication or an Apostille certificate?
The Apostille certificate and the Authentication certificate serve the same purpose. The country receiving the document decides which certificate they will accept. Each country has different requirements. The Embassy cannot advise clients of foreign requirements.
What documents will the Embassy issue with an Apostille or Authentication certificate? The Embassy will issue original Australian public documents with an Authentication or Apostille. Australian public documents are issued by:
· Australian government agencies or officials, or
· Australian notary public lawyers.
The Apostille or Authentication certificate will verify the signature and/or seal of the officer, agency or notary public lawyer who has issued the document.
The Embassy will only accept original documents. The Embassy will not accept laminated, framed and damaged documents. You will need to arrange a replacement document.
Please take the time to read the below table. It describes what documents we can accept, and what additional steps you may need to take.
Type of document |
Requirements and other information |
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Government documents |
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Australian birth certificates, including ceremonial certificates and extracts |
Submit the original certificate issued by the state/territory Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. |
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Australian marriage certificates |
Submit the original certificate issued by the state/territory Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. We cannot accept the ceremonial certificate that you get on the day of your marriage ceremony. | ||
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Australian death certificates |
Submit the original certificate issued by the state/territory Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. |
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Court documents (including Divorce certificates) |
Submit the original documents issued by a state, territory or federal court. Click here for information about electronic documents if your original court document is electronic. |
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Police Criminal Record Checks or Fingerprint Reports |
Submit the original document issued by the Australian Federal Police or a state or territory police force. |
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Photocopies or certified copies of documents. |
An Australian notary public lawyer needs to notarise your document. We cannot accept certification from a Justice of the Peace, pharmacist, or police officer etc. |
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Education Documents |
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Primary and Secondary School documents |
An authorised officer from the relevant Australian state or territory government education body needs to sign the document before we legalise it. We cannot accept documents signed by the school administration. Visit smartraveller for government education contacts. | ||
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TAFE and CIT documents |
We will accept your original documents. |
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Australian University documents |
You need to contact your University to verify your degree as a "true and accurate record" before we can legalise it. This could be available via an online portal. Visit smartraveller for information on how to verify University documents. Once verified, we can accept your documents. This includes photocopies of University documents notarised by an Australian notary public lawyer. The Authentication or Apostille will be placed directly on your degree or academic transcript. |
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Australian Private Schools and Colleges |
An Australian notary public lawyer needs to notarise your document. |
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Photocopies of Australian education documents |
An Australian notary public lawyer needs to notarise photocopies of documents. |
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If the type of document you need legalised is not listed above, please visit smartraveller.gov.au for more information.
Electronic Documents
If your original document is electronic, you must provide your document in its original electronic form. The Embassy can only issue an Authentication or Apostille certificate on a copy we have printed ourselves directly from the source. We will ask you to forward the email sent to you by the issuing authority or, if the original electronic document is accessible through a web portal, you will have to log on to this portal using your mobile device.
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