Legalisation of documents from Mozambique for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Mozambique in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Mozambican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch embassy in Maputo.
Good to know
- Documents in Portuguese must 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.
Step 1: Having your document translated
If your document is in Portuguese, 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 Mozambique.
- 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 Mozambican authorities
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Mozambican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Step 3: Legalisation by the Dutch embassy in Mozambique
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Dutch embassy in Maputo.
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 usually takes 1 working day.
- The embassy will contact you when your document is ready.
- The embassy does not send documents by post.
- Documents can be collected on Mondays to Thursdays between 09.00 and 12.00. You do not need to make an appointment, but first check which days the embassy is closed.
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 the following documents from the civil status records office in the municipality where the event took place:
- birth certificate (certidao narrativa completa de nascimento)
- marriage certificate (certidao narrativa completa de casamento)
- death certificate (certidao de obito)
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate (certidao de divorcio) from:
- the civil status records office in the municipality where the marriage was dissolved, or
- the court (tribunal judicial) that granted the divorce.
You can get a certificate of unmarried status from the urban district (distrito urbano do bairro) where you live.
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 Mozambique.
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.