Legalisation of documents from Qatar for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from Qatar in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch embassy in Doha.
Good to know
- Documents in Arabic 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 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.
Go to step 2.
- Have the original document legalised in Qatar.
- 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 Qatari authorities
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Step 3: Legalisation by the Dutch embassy in Doha
Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised by the Dutch embassy in Doha.
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 up to 2 working days. The embassy will try to legalise your document the same day, but this is not always possible.
- The embassy will contact you when your document is ready.
- Documents can be collected on Tuesdays between 10.00 and 12.00.
- The embassy does not send documents 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 Ministry of Public Health in Doha.
You can get a certificate of unmarried status from a Sharia court. You will need two witnesses to swear that you are not married.
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate or divorce certificate from the Sharia court in Doha.
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 the Palestinian Territories.
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.