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Certification of document authenticity (legalisation) means verification of the signature and seal of a document. Traditionally it is performed by a Consular Officer so that documents drawn up in one country are be legally valid in another one.
 

The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs performs the certification of document authenticity (legalisation) in the Russian Federation.

 

 

Public documents issued in Russian Federation and intended for use in a foreign country

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Before going abroad to work, study or get married etc., a person should clarify in advance what kind of documents will be required and whether the authorities of the relevant country accepts public documents issued in Russian Federation after they have been legalised at the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or other procedures are in place.

 

 

Foreign public documents intended for use in Russian Federation

 

 

For the authorities of the Russian Federation to accept public documents issued in foreign countries, those documents should be legalised at the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a diplomatic or consular mission of the Russian Federation in the respective country, or their authenticity should be certified with an Apostille in a competent institution of said foreign country, unless other procedures are in place between Russian Federation and the respective country.

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Before submitting documents for authentication, it is highly recommended that you consult the diplomatic mission of the relevant country in advance, in order to find out if it is necessary to certify the authenticity of (legalise):

 

1. Only the original document/ a copy of the original document certified by a notary;

2. only the original document;

3. both the original document/ a copy of the original document certified by a notary, and its translation. 

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Documents cannot be legalised if the Consular Department of the Foreign Ministry does not have a specimen signature of the undersigning official and a sample of the relevant seal or stamp at its disposal, or if they do not comply with the document processing requirements specified in legislation (for example, translations or copies are not bound together and sealed, the document is laminated etc.)