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Legal certification and translation of documents

Legal certification of a document serves to confirm the authenticity of affixed seals and signatures. Therefore, documents must be certified even if they are presented in the original version. The only exceptions are documents from Austria and from countries with which Austria has concluded an agreement on exemption from certification.

Applicants with documents from the People’s Republic of China must have them additionally legalized by the Austrian Academic Inspection Authority in Beijing (“Österreichische Akademische Prüfstelle – APS”). Information on this can be found on the website of the “Akademischen Prüfstelle/Kulturreferat” of the German Embassy in Beijing.

Translation: Non-German language documents must be translated into German by a sworn translator. Note that all apostille confirmations must be translated too and that the signature of the sworn translator must be certified by the competent authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (except for translations produced by court-certified translators in Austria). Translation and legalized document must be inseparably stitched together!

A. No certification in case of intergovernmental agreements

Certificates from Austria and from the following countries do not have to be legally certified if they are submitted in original version (with official seal or official stamp):

Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.

However, copies must be certified by an authority that bears an official seal (e.g. university, public court) or a notary public. Certifications from a parish office or lawyer are not accepted. Non-German language documents must be translated. 

B. Legal certification by apostille

Documents from the member states of the Hague Authentication Convention require only the special authentication by apostille issued by the respective national authorities. The member states are:

Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China (Macau and Hong Kong only - special status), Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Korea, Lesotho, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Kitts. Christopher and Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Suriname, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, United Kingdom, United States.

According to article 4 of the Hague Convention, the apostille must be affixed to the original document itself. 

C. Double certification

In the case of countries with which no agreement exists (i.e. all countries not listed under A and B), the certifications must first be made domestically in an uninterrupted chain. The final certification is then carried out by the competent Austrian representative authority in the country of issue of the documents.

Unless the original is to be legally certified, the copy must be first legally certified by the authority that affixed the seal and signature to the original document.

1. ISSUING AUTHORITY
   (e.g. school, university, etc.) confirms the authenticity of the copy by seal and signature
2. SUPERORDINATE AUTHORITY
   (e.g. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science) certifies seal and signature of 1
3. TRANSLATION BY TRANSLATOR
   The translation must be inseparably stitched to the legally certified copy
4. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
   certifies seal and signature of 2 and 3
5. AUSTRIAN REPRESENTATIVE AUHTORITY
   certifies seal and signature of 4