Legalisation of documents from Zambia for use in the Netherlands
You want to use a document from Zambia in the Netherlands. You must first have it legalised by the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then you must have it legalised by the Dutch embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Good to know
- Documents in English do not have to 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: Legalisation by the Zambian authorities
Have your document legalised by the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Step 2: Legalisation by the Dutch embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe
Have your document legalised by the Dutch embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.
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 3 working days. The embassy will contact you when your document is ready.
- Legalised documents can be collected on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9.00 and 11.00. You do not need to make an appointment, but first check which days the embassy is closed.
- You can also ask for your document to be returned 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.
Born on or after 1 January 1973
You can get an official copy of a birth certificate from the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages (P.O. Box 32311, Lusaka).
Born before 1 January 1973
You received a birth notification from the hospital when you were born. If you were baptised, you received a baptism certificate. To get an official copy of your birth certificate, you will need at least one of these two documents.
- Take your birth notification and/or baptism certificate to a commissioner of oaths. A family member must accompany you and make a statement under oath (affidavit).
- Take the affidavit, birth notification and/or baptism certificate to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages and have a birth certificate drawn up. You can then get an official copy of this certificate.
There are 3 ways to get a certificate of unmarried status:
- From the Registrar of Marriages at the Civic Centre of Lusaka.
- From the legal department of the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- By getting an affidavit (statement made under oath) from a commissioner of oaths.
For a civil marriage
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate from the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
For a marriage under customary law
You must first register the marriage with the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Then you can get an official copy of the marriage certificate.
For a civil marriage
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate from the High Court where the divorce was granted:
- Registrar of High Court, P.O. Box 50067, Lusaka
- Registrar of High Court, P.O. Box 70004, Ndola
- Registrar of High Court, P.O. Box 60110, Livingstone
For a marriage under customary law
First have your divorce registered. Then ask the Zambian authorities where you can get an official copy of the divorce certificate.
You can get an official copy of a death certificate from the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages (P.O. Box 32311, Lusaka).
If you need to obtain another type of document ask the local authorities where you can get this document.
Help with obtaining documents and having them legalised
The Consular Service Centre can assist Dutch nationals with obtaining documents and having them legalised in Zambia.
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.