Legalization and Translation Guidelines

Legalization guidelines

Legalization confirms the authenticity of documents and signatures. Foreign original documents need to be legalized in most cases.

Types of Legalization:

• No legalization is required
• Legalization in the form of the Apostille
• Full diplomatic legalization

Please note that the legalization process can take up to several weeks or months.

Please find your country here:

Required documents for legalization

International applicants have to provide legalized documents (Originals and translations in English):

1. Complete Secondary school leaving certificate or general university entrance qualification
2. Bachelor's degree certificate
3. Transcript of Records (list of all attended/completed courses with indication of grades, contact hours and ECTS Credits)

Apostille

Documents from countries which are contracting States to the “Hague Legalization Convention” do not need full diplomatic legalization if they are supplied with the Apostille, which means that for documents from these countries the legalization in the form of the Apostille is sufficient.

Competent authorities
Only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, in some cases, specially empowered authorities in the respective foreign country are authorized to do the legalization in the form of the Apostille.

Authorities in countries empowered to do legalization in the form of the Apostille are stated in the instruments of ratification of the Hague Legalization Convention, that have been deposited in The Hague

Please note:

• If your documents were issued in a language other than German or English, they have to be translated by an officially certified translator.
• Possible translations have to be done before the legalisation.
• The Apostille must appear on both documents (Original and translation).

Full diplomatic legalization

Full diplomatic legalization is required for documents from all countries which are neither bound to Austria by a bilateral agreement on legalisation, nor member countries of the Hague Legalization Convention.

Steps:

1. First step: Legalization by the competent sectorial Ministry (e.g. Ministry of Education) of the country of origin;
2. Second step: 'Overlegalization' by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of origin;
3. Third step: Austrian diplomatic representation in the country of origin.

Please note:

• If your documents were issued in a language other than German or English, they have to be translated by an officially certified translator.
• Possible translations have to be done before the legalization.
• The full diplomatic legalization must appear on both documents (Original and translation).

Translation guidelines

If your documents were issued in a language other than German or English, they have to be translated by an officially certified translator.

Please note:

• Possible translations have to be done before the legalization.
• The original documents and the translations must have all required legalization stamps (Apostille or full diplomatic legalization).