Legalisation: when an apostille is not enough
Last updated: April 2026
Why consular legalisation?
The 1961 Hague Convention simplifies the international recognition of official documents between signatory countries. However, some countries have not ratified it, such as Algeria, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of Congo or China.
For a document issued in or destined for a non-signatory country, the process is longer: this is known as consular legalisation.
Two-step legalisation procedure
Legalisation by the issuing authority
The document must first be authenticated by the competent local authority in the issuing country (Ministry, notary, prefecture or Court of Appeal, depending on the country).
Legalisation by the Belgian embassy or consulate
The Belgian embassy or consulate in the country of origin then legalises the document so that it is recognised in Belgium.
Translating your document via Certus
Once the legalisation of your document is complete, you can have it translated by one of our sworn translators. The process on Certus is the same: upload your document and our translator handles the rest.
For questions about the specific procedure for your country, contact us at admin@certus-app.com.