![\"Apostille](\"https:\/\/apostille.expert\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Apostille_Germany_Germania.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nA German apostille<\/b> is a stamp whose form, content and purpose are defined by the 1961 Apostille Convention.<\/b> A German apostille contains information in the German language.<\/p>\n
Placing an apostille is a simplified and more direct process, as a consular officer is not involved in the certification procedure.<\/p>\n
Germany signed the Hague Convention on Apostilles on 5 October 1961. The apostille entered into force in Germany on 13 February 1966<\/b>. The Convention initially applied to West Germany, and later to the entire territory of Germany. Documents issued before February 1966 cannot be apostilled. Such documents must be reissued as new-format documents.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that Germany initially did not want to recognise many countries as part of the Apostille system and did not recognise their apostilles.<\/p>\n
Today, Germany does not recognise apostilled documents from certain countries. Such documents are subject only to the consular legalisation procedure:<\/p>\n
the Convention in force in Germany does not apply to documents issued in the following states: Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova, Burundi, Dominican Republic, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic), Liberia, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan<\/b>.<\/p>\nApostille Authorities in Germany<\/h4>\n
Where can you obtain (get, affix) an apostille in Germany?<\/b> It all depends on the documents you wish to have apostilled.<\/p>\n
Federal documents:<\/b><\/p>\n
Federal Foreign Office (from 1 January 2023); Federal Office of Administration (until 31 December 2022)<\/p>\n
Exception: for documents from the Federal Patent Court and the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, the apostille is affixed by the President of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.<\/p>\n
Documents from the German federal states (L\u00e4nder):<\/b><\/p>\n
In the federal states, responsibility is not regulated uniformly. Therefore, in a specific case, it is advisable to inquire with the issuing authority who can affix the “Hague Apostille”. As a rule, for:<\/p>\n
a) documents issued by administrative authorities (except bodies of judicial administration):<\/i>– Ministries (Senate Departments) of the Interior; District Presidents; District President; District Government;
\n– In Berlin: State Office for Civil and Regulatory Affairs;
\n– In Lower Saxony: Police Departments;
\n– In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate: Supervisory Service Department in Kaiserslautern;
\n– In Saxony: Regional Offices in Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig;
\n– In Saxony-Anhalt: State Administration Office in Magdeburg;
\n– In Thuringia: State Administration Office in Weimar;<\/p>\n
b) Acts of judicial administration bodies, courts of general jurisdiction (civil and criminal courts), and notaries:
\n<\/i>– Ministry (Senate Departments) of Justice;
\n– Presidents of Regional (Local) Courts.<\/p>\n
c) Documents from other courts (other than ordinary courts):
\n–\u00a0<\/i>Ministry of the Interior (Senate Departments);
\n– District Presidents;
\n– District Government (local authorities);
\n– Ministry of Justice (Senate Departments);
\n– Presidents of Regional (District) Courts.<\/p>\nWhat does a German Apostille look like?<\/h4>\n
Photo of a German apostille:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Apostille certification is carried out by printing, embossing, or typographic printing, or by affixing a stamp on a paper self-adhesive document.<\/p>\n
(Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)<\/p>\n
1. Country: Federal Republic of Germany<\/p>\n
This public document<\/p>\n
2. Is signed by: ___________________________<\/p>\n
3. in his\/her capacity as: ________________<\/p>\n
4. it is provided with the stamp\/seal of: ________________<\/p>\n
Certified<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0in Verden\/Aller: __________________<\/p>\n
6. on: __________________<\/p>\n
7.\u00a0by the President of the Regional Court: ________________<\/p>\n
8. under no.: ____________________<\/p>\n
9. Seal\/Stamp<\/p>\n
10.\u00a0Signature By proxy ______________________________<\/p>\n
(Hague Convention of 5 October 1961)<\/i><\/p>\n
1. Country: Federal Republic of Germany<\/i><\/p>\n
This public document<\/i><\/p>\n
2. Signed by: __________________ (by whom, surname and first name)
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
3. Acting in the capacity of: _________________ (position)<\/i><\/p>\n
4. Seal:<\/i><\/p>\n
Certified by seal<\/i><\/p>\n
5. Place: _______________ (city)<\/i><\/p>\n
6. Date: __________________<\/i><\/p>\n
7. Organization: ______________________<\/i><\/p>\n
8. No. ____________________<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
9. Seal \/ Stamp<\/i><\/p>\n
(note from BUSINESS LAWYERS SRL: Seal of the authority authorized to certify apostilles)<\/i><\/p>\nWhy is an apostille needed on German documents if they are already certified by German officials?<\/h4>\n
Officials who certify documents, and therefore their signatures and seals, are numerous and change quite frequently. To ensure the authenticity and truthfulness of a document and to avoid forgeries, it is necessary to verify whether the official’s signature matches the samples of their signature and seal.<\/p>\n
Given this volume of documents, it is very difficult to verify signatures and seals on them in a short time. This is especially challenging for those who accept German documents abroad.<\/p>\n
To facilitate the handling of documents, the Apostille procedure was introduced. Several German officials verify the signatures of numerous German civil servants and affix the apostille. This reduces the time for reviewing documents abroad, as well as the waiting time for applicants. In such a system, it is easier for local officials responsible for the Apostille to verify signatures, seals, and the documents themselves (their forms and content).<\/p>\n
There are two procedures<\/b> for such confirmation<\/b>. The first procedure<\/b> – the most secure and verified – is document legalisation<\/b>. A document is signed by one official (who issues it), then the document (the official’s signature) is certified by an employee of a ministry (department, district administration, or other German body), and finally, the last signature is checked and certified by the consulate of the country where the documents need to be submitted. The verification is carried out based on a compiled database of signatures.<\/b> Websites of German consulates can be found via this link >><\/a>.<\/p>\n The second procedure<\/b> is simplified and bypasses at least one link in this chain. This procedure is established by the Apostille Convention of 1961. The Apostille significantly simplifies the procedure for recognizing documents from one state on the territory of another.<\/b><\/p>\n According to the Hague Convention on Apostille, the Apostille stamp cannot be affixed to German documents at a German consulate<\/b>. This does not depend on the country where the consulate is located, be it Georgia, an EU country, Ukraine, Russia, and so on. At a consulate, German documents can only be legalised if the country where you will present them requires such a procedure (the country is not part of the apostille system or Germany does not recognize its apostille).<\/p>\n Unfortunately, Germany does not yet have an online apostille verification procedure in place. This is hindered by the complex system of German authorities that issue apostilles. Such a system is only under development.<\/p>\n Electronic apostille registers were developed to combat fraud and abuse. Using the electronic apostille register, any interested party can visually verify the apostille of a document and the scanned document.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Can an apostille be obtained at a German consulate?<\/h4>\n
Is there an electronic apostille (E-apostille) in Germany?<\/h4>\n