Apostille or consular legalization: what your documents need for Russia
Which foreign documents need an apostille in Russia, which need consular legalization, which need neither, where each is done and why the apostille is translated too.
A foreign official document — a birth certificate, a criminal record, a diploma — cannot simply be handed to a Russian authority. First the document must be confirmed as genuine in the country that issued it. Depending on that country, this is done with an apostille, through consular legalization, or not at all.
The apostille
An apostille is a standard certificate under the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. Russia is a party to it, as are most European countries, the USA, the UK, Australia, much of Latin America and many Asian countries. Some countries joined recently, for example China and Canada.
Key facts about the apostille:
- it is issued only in the country that issued the document — never in Russia and never by a Russian consulate;
- each country designates its own authorities: a ministry of foreign affairs, a court, a ministry of justice or education, a regional authority;
- it can be a stamp on the document, a separate attached page or, in some countries, an electronic apostille with a QR code;
- once the document carries an apostille, no further confirmation is needed for Russia.
Check whether your country is a party, and which authority issues apostilles there, in the status table on the website of the Hague Conference (HCCH).
Consular legalization
If the country that issued the document is not a party to the Apostille Convention, the document goes through a chain of confirmations: usually the competent authority of that country, its foreign ministry, and then the Russian embassy or consulate in that country. The exact chain depends on the country, so ask the Russian consulate before you start.
Documents that need neither
Russia has agreements on legal assistance with a number of countries, including the CIS countries under the Minsk Convention of 1993, under which official documents are accepted without an apostille or legalization. A translation is still required.
Translation comes last
The order matters:
- get the document;
- get the apostille or legalization in the issuing country;
- then have the document translated in Russia.
The apostille is part of the document, and Russian authorities expect it in the translation too. A translation made before the apostille is added has to be redone. Notarized translations into Russian are made in Russia, by a translator whose signature is certified by a Russian notary.
Common mistakes
- an apostille issued by the wrong authority — for example a US state apostille on a federal FBI document;
- an apostille on a photocopy instead of the original, where the country does not allow it;
- translating the document but not the apostille;
- an electronic apostille printed without its verification page.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; check the current list with your migration office before filing.