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Legalisation of documents from Peru for use in the Netherlands

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To use a document from Peru in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is done with an apostille. This is a simplified form of legalisation which allows you to use your documents in the Netherlands.

Attention: If you want to use a Dutch document in Peru, see Legalisation of Dutch documents for use abroad.

Good to know

  • Documents in Spanish 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.

Legalisation of documents in Spanish is a two-step process.

Step 1: Having your document translated

If your document is in Spanish, you must have it translated into Dutch, English, French or German by a sworn translator.

  1. Have the document translated by a sworn translator.
  2. Have the original and the translation legalised with an apostille.

Go to step 2.

  1. Have the original document legalised with an apostille in Peru.
  2. 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

Your document was issued in Spanish by the Peruvian consulate in Willemstad (Curaçao): 

  • Have the document translated into Dutch, English, French or German by a sworn translator. 
  • If you have the document translated by a sworn translator in Curaçao, have the translation legalised.
  • If you have the 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 Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. See the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) website 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.

Attention: Documents issued by the Ecuadorian consulate do not get an apostille but are legalised in a different way. Find out below how to arrange that.

Your document was issued by the Peruvian consulate in Willemstad (Curaçao):

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 civil status records from the civil status records office (Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil (RENIEC)) or from the provincial council (concejo provincial) or district council (concejo distrital) in the province or district where the event took place.

You can request official copies of:

  • birth certificates (partida de nacimiento)
  • marriage certificates (partida de matrimonio)
  • death certificates (acta de defunción)

You can get a certificate of unmarried status (certificado de soltería) from the civil status records office (Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil (RENIEC)) or from the municipality where you live.

You can use any of the following 3 documents:

  • a written judgment issued by the family court (sentencia de divorcio)
  • a divorce certificate issued by the municipality (resolución de alcaldía)
  • a notarial act stating that you are divorced

If you need 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.

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