Legalisation of documents from Ghana for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Ghana in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Good to know
- 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.
Where can you have your document legalised?
Follow these steps to have your document from Ghana legalised:
Take your document to a notary public. The notary will provide your document with:
- a stamp
- a signature
- a seal
By doing this, the notary confirms that your document:
- is an original document from Ghana
- has been signed by an authorised official.
Get a cover note from the Judicial Service. This cover note confirms that the notary public’s signature is authentic.
Finally, have the cover note legalised by the Ghanaian 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 or death certificate from the Registry of Births and Deaths in Accra.
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate in the place where you got married. This place is stated on the marriage certificate.
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate (divorce order) for a civil marriage (ordinance marriage) from the court.
You can get a certificate of unmarried status by having an affidavit drawn up. An affidavit is a declaration that you make under oath in the presence of a notary. One of your parents, the head of the family or a direct family member can have an affidavit drawn up on your behalf.
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 Ghana.
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.