What are apostilles and legalizations?

Apostilles and legalizations are supplementary attestations that confirm the authenticity of a stamp or seal, the original signature of a private person or notary on a document, or the authenticity of a copy of a document.

These additional attestations are needed to make the document legally valid and officially recognized abroad. The certifications are issued by the state chancelleries of the Swiss cantons.

The country where the document is needed, determines whether you require an apostille or legalization. How should a layman proceed to get his document certified for himself or his company?

The quickest way is to search on Internet. Within a few clicks you will find professional and international providers of this service, like www.docsbase.ch, who will advise clients about the procedure. But naturally also Ministries and notaries will provide you with accurate information on the procedure.

THE COUNTRY OF DESTINATION IS THE DECIDING FACTOR FOR APOSTLLES OR LEGALIZATIONS.

Documents need an apostille when they are used in countries that have signed the treaty of the convention in The Hague. The Federal Chancellery provides a frequently updated list of the member states of the Hague convention. Here the state offers a listed of all cantonal authorities and a data sheet to download. The apostille needs to be made in the canton where the document was issued.

The legalization is required, when the country in question is not among those in the Hague list. In this case the state chancellery of the canon is never the last stop. The required recognition in the destination country is only possible if the document is also legalized by the embassy of the country in Switzerland. Foreign embassies only accept documents that were extra certified by a state chancellery and maybe also by the federal chancellery.

You can find out which authorities are needed for which document from a professional or federal office. Attention is required for the distinction between private and business documents.

Do you have any questions about this subject or do you need an apostille or legalization? We -Bornpower GmbH- are your contact for document legalization. You can reach us 24/7 by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone +41 41 410 61 61.