Legalisation of documents

Due to the situation around COVID 19, the legalization department has installed new procedures to ensure safe handling of documents.

This entails that as a general rule we will no longer handle documents at the counter in the Embassy building. The procedure of submitting and returning documents will go through courier service.

Reminder of some basic requirements for documents to be legalized:

• All documents to be legalized must  FIRST be authenticated by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Any document or certificate to be legalized MUST BE A CERTIFIED TRUE COPY from the issuing authority.
• The embassy can only legalize birth certificates obtained from National Population Commission. For anyone older than 18 years, first obtain a court affidavit of age declaration and then use the affidavit to obtain an Attestation of Birth from the same state of the affidavit, then authenticate at Foreign Affairs before bringing all the documents to the Embassy for legalization.
• Please note that the affidavit MUST be sworn by an uncle or aunt (in the absence of parents) that is at least 18years older than the person being sworn for and a copy of his/her valid identity card must be attached.
• Also note that all  Birth Certificates and Attestation of Birth to be legalized MUST first be authenticated by the Headquarters of the National Population Commission in Abuja. Come with a copy of the remita payment receipt and proof of confirmation from National Population Commission.
• All academic certificates to be legalized need also to be authenticated at the Nigerian Ministry of Education, then by Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 
General information

A document that is official and legal in one country is not necessarily official and legal in another. Many documents must therefore be legalised if you wish to use them abroad.

The legalisation process involves checking the origin of the relevant document. Legalisation is official confirmation that the signature of the civil servant that has signed a document, or the seal or stamp on the document, is legitimate.

It is not only the signature of the person that has issued the document that is legalised, the process can also legalise the signature of the legalising registrar. Every signature, every seal and every stamp will be legalised by the person authorised to do so and who is familiar with each signature, seal or stamp. This explains why various legalisations are sometimes required, in a specific order.

A country may have signed up to a legalisation treaty that encompasses agreements about how countries accept one another's official documents. Many countries have signed up to the "Apostille Convention" of The Hague of 5 October 1961. With this, just 1 legalisation is required via an apostille stamp.

Questions and answers about the legalisation of documents:

1. How can Belgian documents be legalised for use abroad?
2. How can foreign documents be legalised for use in Belgium?
3. How can foreign documents be legalised for use abroad?
4. Does the document to be legalised have to be drawn up in French, Dutch or German?
5. What if it cannot be legalised?
6. Can I have my legalised foreign certificate transferred to Belgium?

For legalisation from abroad, you can also consult the website of our representative at the location concerned, i.e. Belgian embassies and consulates.

In order to further refine your question, you can also use the Search criteria.