Legalisation of documents from Malaysia for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Malaysia in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Good to know
- Malaysia’s official languages are Malay and English. Documents like birth certificates and death certificates are often issued in English.
- Documents in Malay must be translated for use in the Netherlands. Follow steps 1 to 3.
- Documents in English 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 Malay, 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 Malaysia. You can read how this is done at step 2 and 3.
- 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 by the Malaysian authorities
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Go to step 3.
Step 3: Legalisation by the Dutch embassy in Kuala Lumpur
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Dutch embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
To have a document legalised you need to make an appointment online.
The overview of consular fees tells you how much you will have to pay and which payment methods are accepted.
- Legalisation takes 1 working day.
- Documents can be collected from Monday to Thursday between 08.30 and 11.00. You do not need to make an appointment, but first check which days the embassy is closed.
- You can also have your document sent to you by post.
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 National Registration Department at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
You can get a certificate of unmarried status in one of the following ways:
You are a Malaysian national and a Muslim
You can get a certificate of unmarried status from the Religious Office in the district where you live or lived.
You are a Malaysian national and are not a Muslim
You can get a certificate of unmarried status from the National Registration Department at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
You are a Dutch national
You can get a certificate of unmarried status from the Dutch embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Whether or not you are a Muslim is not relevant.
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate in one of the following ways:
You are a Muslim
You can get an official copy from the Sharia court in Kuala Lumpur.
You are not a Muslim
You can get an official copy from the National Registration Department at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate in one of the following ways:
You are a Muslim
You can get an official copy from the Sharia court in Kuala Lumpur.
You are not a Muslim
You can get an official copy from the National Registration Department at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
You can also get an official copy from the court that granted the divorce.
If you need to obtain another type of document, find out from the local authorities where you can do that.
Help with applying for documents and having them legalised
The Consular Service Centre can assist Dutch nationals with applying for documents and having them legalised in Malaysia.
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.