What is an apostille?
The apostille was introduced by the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Between member states it replaces the lengthy diplomatic legalisation with a single certificate confirming the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the signatory and, where applicable, the seal on the document.
Who issues apostilles in Austria?
It depends on the type of document. Court and notarial documents are generally handled by the president's office of the competent regional court (Landesgericht); documents from administrative authorities by the provincial government or the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), for example. We determine the responsible authority in your case so you never make a trip for nothing.
Apostilles for documents from abroad
If a foreign document is to be used in Austria, the apostille must be issued in the country where the document was issued. Through our international network we obtain apostilles locally and then produce a certified German translation.
Often not needed within the EU
EU Regulation 2016/1191 exempts certain public documents – such as those on birth, marriage, name or residence – from the apostille requirement between EU member states. Multilingual standard forms can also make a translation unnecessary. We tell you whether this applies to you.