Understanding Apostille, Diplomatic Legalization, and Certified Translation

Navigating the legalization process for international documents may seem daunting, but it can be simplified by understanding whether the issuing country is an EU member and if it has ratified the Apostille Convention of Hague (1961).

For Non-EU Countries:

1. If the Country Has Not Ratified the Apostille Convention:

When you need to use a public document (such as birth or marriage certificates, certificates of status, or criminal record certificates) issued abroad in Hungary, it must first be legalized. Typically, this involves three steps:

• Certification: Your document is first certified.
• Internal Legalization: Next, it is legalized within the issuing country, usually by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or another designated authority. In many cases, the document must be translated into English by a certified local translator before this step.
• Diplomatic Legalization: Finally, the document receives diplomatic legalization (also known as embassy legalization or consular authentication) from the Hungarian diplomatic representation in the issuing country. If there isn’t an embassy in your country, this step may be completed at a neighbouring country’s Hungarian embassy. This final certification confirms that the signatures and stamps on your document match the official records.

1. If the Country Has Ratified the Apostille Convention:

The process is much more streamlined. Instead of the additional diplomatic legalization, an Apostille Certificate is attached to your document. This certificate serves as proof of the document’s authenticity. For the latest list of contracting states and the issuing authorities, please visit the Hague Conference on Private International Law website.

For EU Member States:

Thanks to European Regulation 2016/1191 on Public Documents, public documents issued by any EU member state are automatically recognized as authentic in other EU countries without the need for an Apostille. This regulation also covers certified copies and translations performed by any EU country, ensuring they are accepted during official procedures. More details on how Hungary implements this regulation can be found on the EU Public Documents webpage.

Certified Translation:

If you need a certified translation, please submit your documents to the Hungarian Office for Translation and Attestation (Országos Fordító és Fordításhitelesítő Iroda, OFFI). Only translations produced by OFFI are accepted as official by Hungarian authorities. For passport submissions, a certified copy suffices—OFFI will photocopy your passport and translate only the relevant pages containing your personal data, stamping the document to confirm its authenticity. For further information, please visit the OFFI website.

This approach is designed to ease the process and ensure your documents are handled with the utmost care and professionalism.