Legalisation of documents from Morocco for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Morocco in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Moroccan authorities. This is done with an apostille. This is a simplified form of legalisation which allows you to use your documents in the Netherlands.
Good to know
- Documents in Arabic must be translated for use in the Netherlands. Documents in French do not have to be translated.
- Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.
Legalisation of documents in Arabic is a two-step process.
Step 1: Having your document translated
If your document is in Arabic, 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 with an apostille.
Go to step 2.
- Have the original document legalised with an apostille in Morocco.
- 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 of your document
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised with an apostille.
You can get an apostille from the Moroccan authorities. See the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) website and the website of the Moroccan government (information in French and Arabic) 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.
If you were married in the Netherlands at a Moroccan consulate, you will have an original marriage certificate in Arabic and a Dutch translation by a sworn translator. Have these documents legalised by the Consular Service Centre.
Proof of marriage required in case of older certificates
Your marriage certificate was signed by the Moroccan consular officer who drew it up. If this was done so long ago that the signature can no longer be checked, the Consular Service Centre cannot legalise the certificate. You can however ask the Moroccan consulate for proof of marriage (attestation de mariage). The Consular Service Centre can legalise this document.
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 from the civil registry (bureau d’état civil) in your place of birth. Ask for a complete official copy (copie intégrale).
Find out from the Moroccan authorities where you can get a certificate of unmarried status.
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate in 3 ways:
- Request an official copy of your marriage certificate from the court that confirmed the marriage.
- Request a complete official copy (copie intégrale) of your birth certificate from the civil registry in your place of birth. The document will list your marriage. For use in the Netherlands the official copy must be no more than 3 months old.
- Request an official copy of the court judgment recognising an existing marital relationship (as laid down in article 16 of the Moroccan Family Code).
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate in 2 ways:
- Request an official copy of your divorce certificate from the court that granted the divorce.
- Request a complete official copy of your birth certificate (copie intégrale) from the civil registry in your place of birth. Your divorce will be noted on this document. For use in the Netherlands the official copy must be no more than 3 months old.
You can get an official copy of a death certificate from the civil registry (bureau d’état civil) in the place of death. Ask for a complete official copy (copie intégrale).
Most documents can be requested by a family member or other person on your behalf. People who are not members of your family will need written authorisation. You must, however, request the following documents yourself:
- a certificate of unmarried status
- a certificate of life
If you need to obtain another type of document, ask the local authorities where you can get this document.
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.