Legalization

Since March 01, 2005, the Republic of Azerbaijan joined the 1961 Hague Convention abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Public Documents. 

The aim of the Convention is to abolish the often time-consuming and costly paperwork surrounding the legalisation of foreign public documents, and to replace it with a simple single procedure.

The Convention does not do away with legalisation; rather, it establishes certain formalities in international legal transactions, without the loss of legal certainty, by reducing the legalisation process to a single action: the application of an apostille (a kind of certificate). A document bearing an apostille does not require any further legalisation by the embassy or consulate of the country in which it is to be used (more information).

• abroad – by the consulates or consular sections of embassies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.b) within the Republic of Azerbaijan – by the Consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
• Certain documents and legal acts emanating from individuals and corporations of foreign countries are considered and recognized by official bodies and enterprises of the Republic of Azerbaijan only after legalization has been made and if other conditions of the laws and regulations of the Republic of Azerbaijan are complied with, or if they comply with specific international agreements to which the Republic of Azerbaijan and the respective foreign state are both party to.
• Documents and legal acts of a foreign state body, or companies related to international agreements to which the Republic of Azerbaijan is party, can be considered on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan without legalization.

   

  The legalization of documents

  For foreigners;

  The documents to be submitted to the Embassy for legalization must be translated into Azerbaijani by a certified translator. Applicants must be advised that documents should also be:
  1) acknowledged by a Public Notary;
  2) certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia.

  For azerbaijani citizens;

  The document to be submitted to the Embassy for legalization must be translated into English by a certified translator. Applicants must be advised that documents should also be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Documents and translations must be printed.