Guideline of The Legalization of Documents for Netherlands

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The legalization (certification) of documents for the Netherlands proves that your document is authentic. For your Netherlands visa, you need to legalize (certify) a few of your documents, such as a birth certificate, marriage license, degree, certificate, etc. 

Steps to the Legalization of Documents for Netherlands

Legalization of documents for Netherlands works in two steps:

• The document is verified by the respective authority that issued the document. After verifying, the administration puts a seal/sticker that shows it is certified. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or a Notary Public, in your country might do this work.

• Your country’s Dutch authority (Embassy/Consulate) verifies and puts another sticker/seal on the document that shows the Dutch authority verifies the document. The Dutch Embassy in your home country or Honorary Consul generally checks this work.

Which People Don't Require the Legalization of Documents for Netherlands

If your country has signed the Apostille Convention, you don’t need to verify your documents.

Countries that signed the Apostille Convention-

Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi

Cabo Verde, Chile, ng Kong), China (Macao), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic

Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana

Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Republic of Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg

Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal

The Republic of Moldova, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland

Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela

Since Canada is not a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, one can get one's documents certified by a Notary Public and then take them to the Dutch authority.

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