Apostille in the Netherlands: what it is and how to get one

An apostille is a standardised certificate that authenticates a Dutch public document for use in another country. It confirms the signature, the official capacity of the signatory and the seal or stamp on the document. It does not verify the content. The certificate exists under the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a single sheet, in a fixed international format, attached to a public document. It is the simplified form of legalisation that the Hague Apostille Convention (1961) created. The treaty lets member countries accept each other's documents without a long chain of stamps.

The apostille certifies three points: that the signature is genuine, that the person who signed acted in their official capacity, and that any seal or stamp is authentic. It says nothing about whether the content is correct. A birth certificate with an apostille is proven to come from a real Dutch registrar, but the apostille does not confirm any fact written inside it.

Public documents are records issued by a government body or a court: civil-status certificates, court rulings, notarial deeds, extracts from public registers and diplomas from recognised institutions. A private document, such as a contract between two companies, usually needs a notary's signature first before it can carry an apostille.

When do you need an apostille (and when legalisation instead)?

Whether you need an apostille or full legalisation depends on the destination country, not on the document.

If the country where you will use the document has joined the Hague Apostille Convention (1961), one apostille is enough. The receiving authority accepts the document on that certificate alone, with no further steps.

If the country has not joined the Convention, the apostille route is closed. You then need legalisation, a longer chain in which the document is confirmed by De Rechtspraak or the relevant ministry, and afterwards by the embassy or consulate of the destination country. We explain that path on our legalisation page.

The difference between the two routes, and which documents follow which, is set out in our comparison of the apostille and legalisation.

How to get an apostille on a Dutch document

In the Netherlands the apostille is issued by De Rechtspraak. You request it at a district court. Most courts handle apostilles for documents from anywhere in the country, so you are not tied to your own region.

The document must already carry an official signature and seal before the court will apostille it. A court cannot apostille a plain printout or a photocopy. For civil-status records this means a recent certified extract from the municipality; for court and notarial documents it means the original signed instrument.

Apostille on a birth or marriage certificate

For a birth, marriage or death certificate, request a fresh certified extract from the municipality where the event was registered. An older extract may be refused because the registrar's signature can no longer be matched. With a current extract, the district court can apostille it directly.

Apostille on a diploma, VOG or KvK extract

A diploma usually needs a prior step: a Dutch education authority confirms the signature before the court can apostille it. A certificate of conduct (VOG) is a government document and can normally be apostilled once it bears the issuing signature; see our page on the certificate of conduct. An extract from the Business Register is issued by the Chamber of Commerce, and we cover that document on our Business Register extract page.

Apostille and translation: which comes first?

When a document needs both an apostille and a translation, the order matters. Get it wrong and you may have to redo the work.

The usual sequence starts with the original source document. Place the apostille on that source first, then have a sworn translator translate it. Because the apostille is part of what the foreign authority sees, the translation should include the apostille text. In some cases the destination authority also wants an apostille on the translation itself, which is added last.

Not every country expects the same order, and IND guidance for immigration files may differ from what a foreign authority asks. The IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) publishes its own requirements for documents submitted in the Netherlands, so check those before you order if your file is for a Dutch residence or naturalisation procedure. For background on how sworn translation works here, see our knowledge-base article on sworn translation in the Netherlands. If you are unsure which type of translation you need, read our note on certified versus sworn translation.

How long does an apostille take and what does it cost with us?

We can arrange the apostille for you alongside the sworn translation, so you deal with one provider for the whole file.

An apostille is €99 per document, optional and all-in: the €99 covers the court fee and the court application, with no separate charges afterwards. You add it per document, not per page.

The base price of the translation is separate. A sworn translation starts from €39 between Dutch and English or French (first page), and €59 for other language pairs, with each additional page at €75. That base price covers the translation, the sworn translator's certification, the official stamp and our acceptance guarantee. It does not include delivery or a digital copy. Registered shipping within the Netherlands is €9.95 (free from €299). A digital copy by email is an optional add-on of €9.95. An apostille, where you need one, is the €99 per document described above.

Standard turnaround is 5-7 working days. On a tight deadline, faster delivery is available as a paid option: express adds 50% with a minimum of €55, and same-day adds 100% with a minimum of €75, for Dutch↔English or French orders placed before 12:00. The court's own handling time for the apostille applies on top of the translation work, so allow extra days when an apostille is part of the order.

See our apostille service page for an overview, or the apostille in the Netherlands page for the country-specific detail. More background articles are in our knowledge base.

Frequently asked questions

What is an apostille in simple words?

An apostille is an official certificate attached to a document that proves the signature and seal on it are genuine, so another country will accept it. It does not check whether the content is correct. It only works between countries that joined the Hague Apostille Convention (1961).

What is the purpose of the apostille?

The apostille replaces a long chain of stamps with one standard certificate, so a Dutch public document is recognised abroad without each authority verifying it again. It confirms the origin of the document: the signature, the official capacity of the signatory and the seal. For countries outside the Convention you need legalisation instead.

How much does an apostille cost in the Netherlands?

With us an apostille is €99 per document, optional and all-in, which covers the court fee and the court application. The translation is priced separately, from €39 between Dutch and English or French (first page) and €59 for other language pairs, with each additional page at €75. Registered shipping within the Netherlands is €9.95 (free from €299). A digital copy by email is an optional add-on of €9.95.

How quickly can I get an apostille?

Standard turnaround for the translation work is 5-7 working days, and the court's own handling time for the apostille is added on top. Faster delivery is available as a paid option: express adds 50% (minimum €55) and same-day adds 100% (minimum €75, for Dutch↔English or French orders placed before 12:00). Tell us your deadline and we will say what is realistic.

Which documents are required to be apostilled?

Whether a document needs an apostille depends on the destination country and the authority that asks for it, not on a fixed list. Common cases are birth, marriage and death certificates, diplomas, a certificate of conduct (VOG) and extracts from the Business Register, when these are used in a country that joined the Hague Apostille Convention (1961). Always confirm the requirement with the receiving authority, and check the country status through Netherlands Worldwide (Nederland Wereldwijd).

Which comes first, apostille or translation?

In most cases the apostille goes on the original source document first, and the sworn translation is made afterwards so it includes the apostille. Some authorities also want an apostille on the translation itself, which is added last. If your file is for a Dutch procedure, check the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) requirements before you order.