Legalisation makes documents suitable for use in another country. To legalise a document, the competent authorities sign and stamp it. Several different steps may be needed to complete the process. Most countries have agreements for this.

What is legalisation?

Legalisation makes documents from foreign countries suitable for use in the Czech Republic. Documents that can be legalised include civil status documents, court orders and diplomas. Legalisation shows that:

• the document was issued by a competent and expert authority
• the signature, seal and/or stamp on the document are genuine
• the document’s format is correct

 

How does legalisation work?

The steps you must take to have a document legalised vary by country. It depends on the agreements made between the Czech Republic and the country the document comes from.

What steps need to be taken when legalising documents?

Legalising a document involves taking certain steps in a certain order. ‘Country A’ is the country the document comes from:

Step 1 (called legalisation)

A competent authority in Country A checks that the document has been signed by the correct authority or authorities in Country A. This is usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Country A. After approval, a stamp or sticker is placed on the document. This shows the Czech authorities that the document has been issued by a competent authority in Country A.

Step 2 (called superlegalisation)

The Czech authorities check the document and place another stamp or sticker on it. This is usually done by the Czech embassy, consulate-general or honorary consul in Country A.

UAE documents need to be superlegalised to be used in the Czech Republic.

A number of countries have made agreements saying that not all these steps are required. Or that they are not required for certain types of documents. The Apostille Convention is one of these agreements.

Ask the Embassy what agreement your country has with the Czech Republic in order to know what steps you need to take.