Full diplomatic certification (= legalisation) and translation
Whether the documents you use to apply for admission to a degree programme have to be diplomatically certified (legalised) and translated, depends on the country in which you have completed your secondary-school certificate/ studies. The diplomatic legalisation must be made before the translation and has to be certified on the original documents. Only then you can apply for admission.
In the following table you will find the legalisation regulation ordered by country.
Apostille
If you need a legalisation by Apostille, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country that issued your documents. In several countries instead the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Education is responsible for an Apostille. The Apostille needs to confirm the signature on the original document not the signature of the notary.
Translation
All for the application process necessary documents have to be translated (after the legalisation), if they are not issued in German or English. This translation has to be done by a court sworn translator after the documents were legalised, as the legalisation has to be translated as well.
Full diplomatic certification (= legalisation)
For a full diplomatic certification, you first require a national certification
- by the Ministry of Education and
- additionally by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or in some countries Ministry of Justice)
of the country responsible for the issuance of the documents.
Last, the Austrian representation (embassy or consulate) responsible for the country of issuance of the documents has to authenticate these national certifications.
For some countries, this authentication by the Austrian representation is suspended. If that is the case, only the national certifications by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are required.
Applicants from China (People's Republic) have to additionally present a certificate by the Academic Evaluation Centre (Akademische Prüfungsstelle - APS) of the German embassy in Peking.
Legalisation per country
Country | Type of Legalisation |
---|---|
EU/EEA | no legalisation |
Afghanistan | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Albania | Apostille |
Algeria | full diplomatic certification |
Andorra | Apostille |
Angola | Apostille |
Antigua and Barbuda | Apostille |
Argentina | Apostille |
Armenia | Apostille |
Australia | Apostille |
Azerbaijan | Apostille |
Bahamas | Apostille |
Bahrain | Apostille |
Bangladesh | full diplomatic certification |
Barbados | Apostille |
Belarus | Apostille (currently not required) |
Belize | Apostille |
Benin | full diplomatic certification |
Bhutan | full diplomatic certification |
Bolivia | Apostille |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | no legalisation |
Botswana | Apostille |
Brazil | Apostille |
Brunei Darussalam | Apostille |
Burkina Faso | full diplomatic certification |
Burundi | full legalisation (currently not required) |
Cabo Verde | Apostille |
Cambodia | full diplomatic certification |
Cameroon | full diplomatic certification |
Canada | full diplomatic certification |
Central African Republic | Full diplomatic certification |
Chad | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Chile | Apostille |
China | Apostille and certification by APS |
China (Hongkong) | Apostille |
Colombia | Apostille |
Comoros | Apostille (currently not required) |
Congo | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Congo (Democratic Republic) | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Costa Rica | Apostille |
Côte d'Ivoire | full diplomatic certification |
Cuba | full legalisation |
Democratic People's Republic of Korea | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Djibouti | full diplomatic certification |
Dominica | Apostille |
Dominican Republic | Apostille |
Ecuador | Apostille |
Egypt | full diplomatic certification |
El Salvador | Apostille |
Equatorial Guinea | Full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Eritrea | full diplomatic certification |
Eswatini | Apostille |
Ethiopia | full diplomatic certification |
Fiji | Apostille |
Gabon | full diplomatic certification |
Gambia | full diplomatic certification |
Georgia | Apostille |
Ghana | full diplomatic certification |
Grenada | Apostille |
Guatemala | Apostille |
Guinea | full diplomatic certification |
Guinea-Bissau | full diplomatic certification |
Guyana | Apostille |
Haiti | full diplomatic certification |
Honduras | Apostille |
India | Apostille |
Indonesia | Apostille |
Iran | full diplomatic certification |
Iraq | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Israel | Apostille |
Jamaica | Apostille |
Japan | Apostille |
Jordan | full diplomatic certification |
Kazakhstan | Apostille |
Kenya | full diplomatic certification |
Kiribati | full diplomatic certification |
Kosovo | full diplomatic certification |
Kuwait | full diplomatic certification |
Kyrgyzstan | full diplomatic certification |
Laos | full diplomatic certification |
Lebanon | full diplomatic certification |
Lesotho | Apostille |
Liberia | Apostille |
Libya | full diplomatic certification |
Macau | Apostille |
Madagascar | full diplomatic certification |
Malawi | Apostille |
Malaysia | full diplomatic certification |
Maldives | full diplomatic certification |
Mali | full diplomatic certification |
Marshall Islands | Apostille |
Mauritania | full diplomatic certification |
Mauritius | Apostille |
Mexico | Apostille |
Micronesia | full diplomatic certification |
Moldova (Republic) | Apostille |
Monaco | Apostille |
Mongolia | full diplomatic certification |
Montenegro | no legalisation |
Morocco | Apostille |
Mozambique | Apostille |
Myanmar | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Namibia | Apostille |
Nauru | full diplomatic certification |
Nepal | full diplomatic certification |
New Zealand | Apostille |
Nicaragua | Apostille |
Niger | full diplomatic certification |
Nigeria | full diplomatic certification |
Niue | Apostille |
North Macedonia | no legalisation |
Oman | Apostille |
Pakistan | full diplomatic certification |
Palau | Apostille |
Panama | Apostille |
Papua New Guinea | full diplomatic certification |
Paraguay | Apostille |
Peru | Apostille |
Philippines | Apostille |
Qatar | full diplomatic certification |
Republic of Korea | Apostille |
Russia | Apostille (currently not required) |
Rwanda | full diplomatic certification |
Samoa | Apostille |
San Marino | Apostille |
São Tomé und Príncipe | Apostille |
Saudi Arabia | Apostille |
Senegal | full diplomatic certification |
Serbia | no legalisation |
Seychelles | Apostille |
Sierra Leone | full diplomatic certification |
Singapore | Apostille |
Solomon Islands | Apostille |
Somalia | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
South Africa | Apostille |
South Sudan | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Sri Lanka | full legalisation |
St. Kitts and Nevis | Apostille |
St. Lucia | Apostille |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Apostille |
Sudan | full diplomatic certification (currently not required) |
Suriname | Apostille |
Switzerland | no legalisation |
Syria | full legalisation |
Taiwan (China) | full diplomatic certification |
Tajikistan | full diplomatic certification |
Tanzania | full diplomatic certification |
Thailand | full diplomatic certification |
Timor-Leste | full diplomatic certification |
Togo | full diplomatic certification |
Tonga | Apostille |
Trinidad and Tobago | Apostille |
Tunisia | full diplomatic certification |
Türkiye | Apostille |
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus | Apostille |
Turkmenistan | full diplomatic certification |
Tuvalu | full diplomatic certification |
Uganda | full diplomatic certification |
Ukraine | Apostille (currently not required) |
United Arab Emirates | full legalisation |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | no legalisation |
Uruguay | Apostille |
USA | no legalisation |
Uzbekistan | full diplomatic certification |
Vanuatu | Apostille |
Vatican City | full diplomatic certification |
Venezuela | Apostille |
Vietnam | full diplomatic certification |
West Bank and Gaza Strip | full diplomatic certification |
Yemen | full diplomatic certification |
Zambia | full diplomatic certification |
Zimbabwe | full diplomatic certification |