Legalisation of documents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo for use in the Netherlands
To use a document from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the Netherlands, you must first have it legalised by the DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Good to know
- Documents in French 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.
- Organisations in the Netherlands only accept official copies or complete official copies of civil status records. An extract (extrait) or declaration (attestation) cannot be used as proof in the Netherlands.
Where can you have your document legalised?
Where you can have your document legalised depends on where you are.
First have your document legalised by the notary public for Kinshasa. Then have it legalised by the DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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.
Have your document legalised by the DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kinshasa or by a body authorised to represent the DRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your province.
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.
The Consular Service Centre in The Hague legalises consular certificates issued by the DRC consulate in Antwerp.
The Dutch embassy in Kinshasa does not legalise documents issued in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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.
You can get an official copy of a birth certificate (copie conforme / copie intégrale d’acte de naissance) from the civil status records office in your place of birth.
Late registration of birth
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo births must be registered within 90 days. If the birth was registered later, permission for registration will have been given by the court in the place of birth. In this case you will be issued with multiple documents.
You will receive the following documents:
- The judgment issued by the court (jugement supplétif)
- A certificate of no appeal (certificat de non appel)
- An official copy of the civil status record drawn up on the basis of the judgment and the certificate of no appeal.
You can get an official copy of a marriage certificate (copie conforme / copie intégrale d’acte de mariage) from the civil status records office in the place where you got married.
You can get an official copy of a divorce certificate (copie conforme / copie intégrale d’acte de divorce) from the court (Tribunal de Paix) in the province where you live.
You can get an official copy of a death certificate (copie conforme / copie intégrale d’acte de decès) from the civil status records office in the district where the death took place.
Late registration of death
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo deaths must be registered within 90 days. If the death was registered later, permission for registration will have been given by the court in the municipality where the death took place. In this case you will be issued with multiple documents.
You will receive the following documents:
- The judgment issued by the court (jugement supplétif)
- A certificate of no appeal (certificat de non appel)
- An official copy of the civil status record drawn up on the basis of the judgment and the certificate of no appeal.
You can get a certificate of unmarried status from the civil status records office in the place where you live.
If you need another type of document, ask the local authorities where you can get this document.
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.