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Legalisation of documents from Bolivia for use in the Netherlands

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To use a document from Bolivia in the Netherlands, you must have it legalised by the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is done with an apostille. This is a simplified form of legalisation which allows you to use your documents in the Netherlands.

Attention: If you want to use a Dutch document in Bolivia, see Legalisation of Dutch documents for use abroad.

Good to know

  • Documents in Spanish must be translated for use in the Netherlands.
  • At present, the Bolivian authorities only legalise documents in Spanish. Documents translated from Spanish into Dutch, English, French or German cannot be legalised until further notice.
  • If you need the document to submit an application to the Dutch embassy in Peru, have the document translated into Dutch or English in Bolivia after legalisation.
  • If you need to use the document in the Netherlands, have the original legalised in Bolivia. Then have it translated in the Netherlands.
  • Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.

Legalisation of documents in Spanish is a two-step process.

Step 1: Having your document translated

If your document is in Spanish, you must have it translated.

  1. Have the document translated into English by a sworn translator.
  2. Have the original document legalised with an apostille. Go to step 2 to find out how and where.

  1. Have the original document legalised with an apostille in Bolivia. Go to step 2 to find out how and where.
  2. Have the legalised document translated by a sworn translator in the Netherlands. You do not need to have the translation legalised.
    You can find a sworn translator on the Legal Aid Council website.

Step 2: Legalisation of your document

Have your document legalised with an apostille.

You can get an apostille from the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 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 get official copies of civil status records from the Bolivian civil status records office (Oficialías de Registro Civil del Servicio de Registro Cívico (SERECI) (information in Spanish). 
You can request official copies of:

  • birth certificates (certificado de nacimiento)
  • marriage certificates (certificado de matrimonio)
  • divorce certificates (certificado de divorcio)
  • death certificates (certificado de defunción)

You can get a certificate of unmarried status (certificado de soltería) in 2 ways:

  • From an examining magistrate (notary). Declare before the examining magistrate that you are not married. You need to bring 2 witnesses with you who will swear to this. 
    Have the signed declaration legalised by a Court of Appeal (Corte Superior) judge.
  • From a civil status records office (Oficialías de Registro Civil del Servicio de Registro Cívico (SERECI)). Ask the office to issue a certificate stating that there is no record of marriage for you.

If you need another type of document, ask the local authorities where you can get this document.

Help with obtaining documents and having them legalised

The Consular Service Centre can assist Dutch nationals with obtaining documents and having them legalised in Bolivia.

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.

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