Legalisation of documents from the United Kingdom for use in the Netherlands
You can use certain documents from the United Kingdom (UK) immediately in the Netherlands. Others must first be legalised with an (e-)apostille by the British authorities. This is a simplified form of legalisation which allows you to use your documents in the Netherlands.
Good to know
- Documents issued by a British embassy or consulate do not have to be legalised for use in the Netherlands.
- The UK authorities do not issue e-apostilles for civil status certificates and ACRO police reports. You must have these documents legalised with a normal apostille.
- Documents in English do not have to be translated for use in the Netherlands.
- Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.
What documents do not have to be legalised?
The following documents do not have to be legalised for use in the Netherlands.
Documents issued by a British embassy or consulate do not have to be legalised for use in the Netherlands.
This includes documents relating to the Crown Dependencies:
- Bailiwick of Guernsey
- Bailiwick of Jersey
- Isle of Man
What documents have to be legalised with an (e)apostille?
The following documents must be legalised for use in the Netherlands.
Civil status records must be legalised with a normal apostille. This also applies to official copies of or extracts from civil status records.
You can request official copies of:
- birth certificates
- marriage certificates
- divorce certificates
Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.
It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius.
Certificates of unmarried status must be legalised with an (e-)apostille.
Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.
It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.
Diplomas and professional and educational certificates must be legalised with an (e-)apostille.
Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.
It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.
A medical document such as a doctor's statement or a medical report must be legalised with an (e-)apostille.
Make sure the document is signed by a doctor registered with the General Medical Council.
Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.
It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.
An ACRO police report (English certificate of good conduct) must be legalised with a normal apostille.
Make sure the statement is signed by someone from the issuing authority.
Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.
It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.
Documents from British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
The same rules for having documents legalised apply to documents from the following British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies:
- Anguilla
- Bailiwick of Guernsey
- Bailiwick of Jersey
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Isle of Man
- Montserrat
- St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Turks and Caicos Islands
If you have another type of document, find out from the organisation in the Netherlands requesting the document whether it needs to be legalised.
Where can you have your documents legalised?
You can get an apostille from the British authorities. See the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) website for contact details.
Once your document has been legalised it is fit for use in the Netherlands.
It is then also fit for use in Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius.
Don’t have the document you need?
Find out below where to obtain a document that you need but do not yet have.
You can usually get civil status records from your municipality.
You can request official copies of:
- birth certificates
- marriage certificates
- divorce certificates
- death certificates
You can get a certificate of unmarried status (known in the UK as a ‘certificate of no impediment’) from your local register office.
The following conditions apply:
- you live in the UK
- you are a British national
- you need the certificate to get married or enter into a registered partnership outside the United Kingdom
Do you live in the UK and you are a Dutch national and you need a certificate to get married or enter into a registered partnership outside the United Kingdom? Then you can apply for a ‘no trace marriage letter’. Please not that in order to use this in The Netherlands it needs to be legalized, please see: Applying for a certificate of marital status in the United Kingdom | NetherlandsWorldwide
If you need to obtain another type of document, find out from the local authorities where you can do that.
After legalisation
Verification of your document in the Netherlands
Legalisation does not prove the authenticity of a document or the truthfulness of its content. A municipality in the Netherlands, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) or another authority may decide to verify these things. Legalisation of your document simply means that your document bears the correct signature.
How recently must your document have been issued or legalised
Organisations have different requirements for how recently your document must have been issued and legalised. For more information, contact the organisation in the Netherlands requesting the document.
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.