NetherlandsWorldwide

Legalisation of documents from Indonesia for use in the Netherlands

To use a document from Indonesia in the Netherlands, you must have it legalised with an apostille by the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights. This is a simplified form of legalisation which allows you to use your documents in the Netherlands.

Attention: If you want to use a Dutch document in India, see Legalisation of Dutch documents for use abroad.

Good to know

  • Original Indonesian civil status records from before 27 December 1949 do not need to be legalised. You can have your record from the former Dutch East Indies entered into the Register of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Registered Partnerships at the municipality of The Hague’s Foreign Documents Department (Afdeling Landelijke Taken).
  • Original civil status records from the former Dutch New Guinea from before 1 October 1962 do not need to be legalised. You can have your record entered into the Register of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Registered Partnerships at the municipality of The Hague’s Foreign Documents Department (Afdeling Landelijke Taken).
  • Many records from the former Dutch New Guinea from the period 1946 to 1962 are kept at the National Archives in The Hague. You can get an official copy by sending an email to info@nationaalarchief.nl. Include your full name, and date and place of birth.
  • Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.

Step 1: Having your document translated

If your document is in Indonesian, you must have it translated into Dutch, English, French or German by a sworn translator.

Step 2: Legalisation by the Indonesian authorities

Have your document and, if applicable, the translation legalised with an apostille by the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights. 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.

If you need to obtain another type of document, find out from the local authorities where you can do that.

Help with applying for documents and having them legalised

The Consular Service Centre can assist Dutch nationals with applying for documents and having them legalised in Indonesia.

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.