Legalisation of documents from the Cameroon for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Cameroon in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Cameroonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Good to know
- Documents in French or 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.
Where can you have your document legalised?
Have your document legalised by the Cameroonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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 an official copy of a birth certificate (une copie intégrale récente des deux côtés du registre de naissance) from the municipality. To get this official copy legalised, you must also show the original birth certificate. Your parents or guardians received this document when you were born.
Important: a photocopy (copie conforme) of the original birth certificate will not be accepted in the Netherlands.
Late registration of birth
If your birth was not registered on time, permission for registration will have been given by the court. To get an official copy of your birth certificate you will need the original birth certificate and the court judgment.
You can get the court judgment from the court that gave permission.
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate from the civil status records office in the municipality where you got married.
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate from the court that granted the divorce.
You can get an official copy of a death certificate in the municipality where the death occurred.
You can get an extract from the register of births. This document gives information about all your registered life events. If you are unmarried, the document can be used as a certificate of unmarried status.
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 Cameroon.
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.