NetherlandsWorldwide

Legalisation of documents from the United Kingdom for use in the Netherlands

You can use certain documents from the United Kingdom (UK) immediately in the Netherlands. Others must first be legalised with an (e-)apostille by the British authorities. 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 the UK, seeLegalisation of Dutch documents for use abroad.

Good to know

  • Documents issued by a British embassy or consulate do not have to be legalised for use in the Netherlands.
  • The UK authorities do not issue e-apostilles for civil status certificates and ACRO police reports. You must have these documents legalised with a normal apostille.
  • Documents in English do not have to be translated for use in the Netherlands.
  • Your document must be original and complete. If it refers to other documents or annexes, these must be included.

What documents do not have to be legalised?

The following documents do not have to be legalised for use in the Netherlands.

What documents have to be legalised with an (e)apostille?

The following documents must be legalised for use in the Netherlands.

Documents from British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

The same rules for having documents legalised apply to documents from the following British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies:

  • Anguilla
  • Bailiwick of Guernsey
  • Bailiwick of Jersey
  • Bermuda
  • British Antarctic Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Falkland Islands
  • Gibraltar
  • Isle of Man
  • Montserrat
  • St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • Turks and Caicos Islands

If you have another type of document, find out from the organisation in the Netherlands requesting the document whether it needs to be legalised.

Where can you have your documents legalised?

You can get an apostille from the British authorities. See the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) website for contact details.

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.

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.