We provide a comprehensive range of services in the field of document legalization (authentication) and translations – including express processing.
When using official documents abroad, it is essential to ensure that your documents are properly authenticated (legalized) before being submitted to foreign authorities or other official institutions. Due to various international agreements, the required procedure may differ from one document to another – even for the same destination country. In many cases, the relevant documents, including their authentication, must also be accompanied by an official / certified translation.
A higher form of document authentication used for countries that are members of the Hague Convention.
Required for documents intended for use in countries that are not members of the Hague Convention and with which the Czech Republic does not have agreements on mutual recognition of documents.
If a public document issued or certified by a Czech authority, or signed before such an authority (hereinafter the “document”), is to be recognized abroad, most countries require not only its proper translation into the official language of the destination country, but also its legalization. This means the document must first be authenticated by the relevant Czech authority and subsequently superlegalized by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country in which the document will be used. Exceptions to the requirement of superlegalization arise from international treaties.
If the country where the document will be used is a signatory to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, the final authentication is carried out in a simplified form known as an apostille. If the country is not a party to the Convention, the entire superlegalization process must be completed, including the final verification by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country in which the document will be used.
For further questions about document legalization, you can also visit our dedicated Apostille and Superlegalization pages. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us by phone, email, using the inquiry form or visit us in person at Washingtonova 5, Prague 1. Frequently asked questions and answers are also available in the FAQ section.