Legalisation of documents from Madagascar for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Madagascar in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Madagascan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Good to know
- Documents in Malagasy must be translated for use in the Netherlands. Follow steps 1 to 3.
- Documents in French do not have to be translated for use in the Netherlands. Follow steps 2 and 3.
- Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.
Step 1: Having your document translated
If your document is in Malagasy, you must have it translated into Dutch, English, French or German by a sworn translator.
- Have the document translated by a sworn translator.
- Have the original and the translation legalised.
Go to step 2.
- Have the original document legalised in Madagascar.
- 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.
Go to step 2.
Step 2: Legalisation by the Madagascan authorities
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Madagascan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Step 3: Legalisation by the Dutch embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Hand in your document to the Dutch consulate in Antananarivo, Madagascar. They will send your document to the Dutch embassy in Dar es Salaam to be legalised. You can collect it again in Antananarivo.
To have a document legalised you need to make an appointment by email.
The overview of consular fees tells you how much you will have to pay and which payment methods are accepted.
Legalisation usually takes around 1 month. The consulate will contact you when your document is ready.
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 these documents from the mayor’s office (mairie) in the municipality where the event took place.
You can get this document from the mayor’s office (mairie) in the place where you live.
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate (jugement de divorce) from the court of first instance (Tribunal de Première Instance) in the province where the divorce was granted.
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.