Application for an apostille (Germany)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
The letter asking the competent German authority to issue an apostille under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 for a German public document — a birth or marriage certificate, a notarial deed or a certificate of good conduct — so that it is recognised abroad. It identifies the document, the body that issued it and the country where it will be used, and says how it should be returned. Which authority is competent depends on the document; within the EU, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 removes the apostille for many documents. If the authority offers its own form, you can use that free instead. In German.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Applicant
- Applicant's address
- Authority that issues the apostille
- Address of the authority that issues the apostille
- City
- Date
- Type of document
- Issuer
- Date of the document
- Document number
- Country where the document will be used
- How the document with the apostille comes back
- Phone
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Which authority issues the apostille for a German document?
- It depends on the document. Documents of federal authorities — the certificate of good conduct from the Federal Office of Justice, for example — are apostilled by the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten) in Brandenburg an der Havel, patent-office documents by the office's President. Notarial documents go to the President of the regional or local court (Landgericht or Amtsgericht); civil-status and other Land or municipal documents to an authority of the Land, such as the Bezirksregierung or Regierungspräsidium, which differs from Land to Land.
- Do I need an apostille on a German document that will be used in another EU country?
- Often not. Since 16 February 2019, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 has exempted the public documents it covers — birth and marriage certificates, for example — from the apostille between EU countries. So first find out which authority in which country the document is for, and ask there what it requires.
- What if the country where I need the German document does not apply the Hague Convention?
- Then there is no apostille for that country; it is usually replaced by legalisation through that country's embassy or consulate. Which steps are needed you will learn from the embassy or consulate of the country where the document is to be presented. The letter also asks the authority to say so if another procedure applies for the country named.
- What does a German apostille cost, and must I use the authority's own form?
- Each authority sets its fee under its own fee rules, and some offer their own application form or an online application. Whether one is required and what the apostille costs is on the competent authority's website; a form it offers free can be used instead of this letter. The letter asks the authority to tell you the amount and how to pay if the fee is due before the apostille is issued.
- How do I send the German document in for the apostille?
- Enclose the document the apostille is to be placed on with the signed application and send both to the competent authority. As the document itself is enclosed, registered post is advisable; keep a copy. The apostille is placed on the document itself or on a sheet attached to it, so the document comes back with it.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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