How to Get an Apostille or Authentication for an Australian Document Used Overseas

Do you actually need an apostille or authentication?

Start with the overseas authority that asked for your Australian document. DFAT states that it cannot tell you whether another country or organisation requires legalisation. Contact the government agency, employer, educational institution, court, business or other receiving organisation and ask exactly what it will accept.

Some overseas authorities accept an Australian original or notarised copy without further legalisation. Others require an apostille or authentication. Ask specifically which certificate is required before paying for DFAT's service.

What is an apostille or authentication?

Document legalisation verifies a signature, stamp or seal on an Australian document so it can be presented overseas. DFAT is Australia's legalisation authority and issues either an apostille or an authentication certificate.

DFAT checks the relevant signature, stamp or seal against the specimen it holds and attaches the appropriate certificate to the document. For a notarised document, DFAT verifies the Australian Notary Public's signature, seal or stamp rather than independently verifying the underlying private document.

Do not choose between an apostille and authentication simply based on your own assumption about the destination country. DFAT's current instructions are to ask the receiving overseas authority which form it requires.

Which documents can DFAT legalise?

DFAT can legalise Australian public documents. In Australia, this includes:

• originals issued by Australian government agencies or officials;
• eligible originals issued by Australian education institutions; and
• copies and other Australian documents that have been properly notarised by an Australian Notary Public.

Government documents that can generally be legalised include Australian birth, marriage and death certificates, Single Status or Record of No Result certificates, court documents, National Police Checks, Australian citizenship certificates and certain government commercial documents.

If you need a police document for an overseas authority, the separate Helpydo guide explains how to apply for an Australian Federal Police National Police Check. If the document required overseas is evidence of Australian citizenship, see how to get or replace an Australian citizenship certificate.

When must the document be notarised first?

Notarisation and legalisation are different processes. An Australian Notary Public can notarise a document for overseas use, while DFAT performs the Australian Government legalisation step.

If the document is not an eligible original Australian public document, DFAT may require it to be notarised first. DFAT states that private documents such as powers of attorney, wills, bank statements and company documents can generally be legalised once they have been notarised by an Australian Notary Public.

A notarised copy is also useful when you do not want DFAT to attach or mark the original document. A copy certified only by a Justice of the Peace or another ordinary authorised witness is not a substitute where DFAT specifically requires an Australian Notary Public.

How do you prepare an Australian university degree or transcript?

DFAT can legalise official degrees, awards, transcripts, certificates, letters and other official tertiary documents from Australian public and private universities.

For an original university document, contact the university so the document can be verified as a true and accurate record before DFAT legalises it. DFAT notes that the verification may be available through an online university portal.

If you submit a notarised copy instead, the Australian Notary Public must coordinate verification with the university. DFAT requires the notarisation to state that the original record has been verified with the issuing institution. A statement that the document is merely a 'true copy' does not satisfy this requirement.

What about TAFE, school and private college documents?

DFAT can legalise original documents from Australian public TAFE colleges. A notarised copy is also accepted if you do not want the original marked.

Documents from Australian private schools, private colleges and registered training organisations generally need to be notarised by an Australian Notary Public before legalisation. Some state or territory education departments can instead verify eligible documents and apply an official departmental seal.

For Australian primary and secondary school documents, DFAT requires either verification and signature by an authorised officer from the relevant state or territory government education body or notarisation by an Australian Notary Public. A document signed only by the school's administration is not sufficient for DFAT legalisation.

Can DFAT legalise translations or electronic documents?

DFAT can legalise some translations. The translation must include the translator's name and signature, the official NAATI seal or stamp including the practitioner's ID, and the date of translation. A copy of the original document bearing the translator's signature or seal must also be supplied, and the required details must appear on every page.

DFAT accepts only translations completed by a NAATI Certified Translator or Recognised Practising Translator for this purpose.

DFAT also accepts a limited range of official Australian electronic public documents. These are assessed when lodged by mail or over the counter. You may be asked to forward the original email or log in to an official portal to prove authenticity. A scanned copy is not treated as an electronic document for this purpose.

Which documents cannot be legalised as submitted?

DFAT cannot legalise every document presented to it. Important limitations include:

• foreign education documents are not accepted, even when notarised by an Australian Notary Public;
• public documents that have been laminated, framed or otherwise altered are not accepted for legalisation;
• private Australian documents generally need Australian notarisation first;
• ordinary scanned copies are not accepted as electronic originals; and
• documents that do not meet the special preparation rules for their document type may need further verification or notarisation.

If the document was issued by another country, contact that country's embassy or consulate or the appropriate authority in the issuing country about its legalisation procedure.

How do you lodge the request with DFAT?

For documents in Australia, DFAT provides two submission routes: by mail or in person at an Australian Passport Office. The legalisation itself is not an online-only service because DFAT needs the eligible document for processing.

For either route, complete the current Document Legalisation Request Form 2026.

Option 1: submit in person

You can lodge at an Australian Passport Office in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney. You must book an appointment before attending. Someone else can attend the appointment on your behalf.

Bring your completed request and prepared documents. Bring a credit or debit card for payment. If you want the completed documents returned by mail, also bring a self-addressed registered post envelope.

Option 2: submit by mail

You can send the documents and form by registered post. Include the completed request form, the eligible original or notarised documents, the credit card authorisation in section 7 of the form and a self-addressed registered post envelope for return.

DFAT currently accepts mailed legalisation requests at:

Australian Passport Office Authentications Section
GPO Box 2239
MELBOURNE VIC 3001

or:

Australian Passport Office Authentications Section
GPO Box 2239
SYDNEY NSW 2001

DFAT recommends keeping both registered-post tracking numbers and states that it does not accept responsibility for documents lost in the mail.

How much does an apostille or authentication cost?

The current DFAT fee is AUD $105 for an apostille or authentication. DFAT states that notarial fees are indexed in line with the Consumer Price Index on 1 January each year.

If you need an Australian Notary Public to prepare or notarise the document first, the notary's fee is separate from DFAT's legalisation fee.

How long does document legalisation take?

DFAT does not publish a fixed processing time for apostilles and authentications in Australia. Its current guidance states that processing times vary.

Demand can increase around the end of the school year and during peak holiday periods. Processing can also take longer when the request is incomplete, the fee has not been paid or DFAT must contact the issuing authority to verify the signature or seal.

Incomplete requests sent by mail are not processed. DFAT returns the documents by post with instructions explaining what needs to be corrected.

What happens during legalisation?

DFAT compares the signature, seal or stamp on the document with its records. If the relevant specimen can be verified, DFAT issues the apostille or authentication certificate and attaches it directly to the document supplied.

DFAT may need to contact the issuing authority before completing the legalisation. If that is necessary, it can delay the request and DFAT says it will advise you.

Once completed, you can collect the document from the Australian Passport Office or DFAT will return it using the self-addressed envelope you supplied.

What if you and the document are already overseas?

DFAT also provides document legalisation overseas through Australian embassies and consulates. Contact the nearest Australian mission and check which notarial services it provides, its opening hours and whether an appointment is required. Some missions offer limited services, and honorary consulates do not provide notarial services.

If the nearest Australian embassy or consulate cannot legalise the document, DFAT states that you can send it to Australia for processing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not request an apostille or authentication before asking the receiving authority what it requires.
• Do not assume notarisation and DFAT legalisation are the same service.
• Do not submit a private document without Australian notarisation when DFAT requires it.
• Do not use a simple certified true copy where an Australian Notary Public is required.
• For university copies, do not rely only on wording that says 'true copy'; DFAT requires verification with the issuing institution.
• Do not laminate, frame or alter a public document before legalisation.
• Do not mail an incomplete request. DFAT will return incomplete postal requests without processing them.
• Do not assume there is a guaranteed turnaround time; DFAT states that processing times vary.