LEGALIZATION AND APOSTILLE
Documents issued in one country can be used in another country after proper legalization. There are two types of such legalization:
- Apostille
- Consular legalization
To simplify the legalization procedure, the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents was adopted. This form of legalization is carried out by issuing an apostille by the competent authorities designated by the state.
An apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature on a public document, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears.
A document with an apostille is considered legalized and has legal force in all countries that are parties to the Hague Convention.
The list of member states of the Convention can be found on the official website of the Hague Conference: www.hcch.net
1. Apostille of Documents Issued in Azerbaijan
The authorized bodies for issuing apostilles for documents formalized in the Republic of Azerbaijan are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Note: The apostille service by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is available only at ASAN Service Centers No. 5 in Baku and in Nakhchivan.
More information:
https://www.asan.gov.az/az/service/asan-xidmetler/xarici-isler-nazirliyi-terefinden-goesterilen-xidmetler/senede-apostil-verilmesi
Consular legalization in Azerbaijan is carried out by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by Azerbaijani consulates abroad.
2. Legalization of documents issued in Azerbaijan
For certification in Azerbaijan:
- For legalization of the original document, an application must be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- For copies/translations of documents:
- If a copy of a document is submitted, it must be notarized.
- If a translation is submitted, the authenticity of the translator’s signature must be notarized.
- The authenticity of the notary’s signature and stamp must be certified by the Ministry of Justice and submitted to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Further certification of the document is carried out in two ways:
- At the embassy/consulate of the respective country in Azerbaijan.
- At the Azerbaijani embassy/consulate in the respective country.
In both cases, the document must be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country, after which it is considered legalized.
3. Legalization of documents at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Israel:
The following documents must be submitted:
- The identity document of the applicant and a copy;
- If submitted by an authorized representative, a notarized power of attorney.
State fee: 10 USD
Documents will be legalized within 3–5 business days depending on the number of documents.
A request will be sent to the relevant authority to verify the authenticity of the documents issued in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Legalization will be completed once the authenticity is confirmed.
After being legalized by the Embassy, the document must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel.
Note: A document legalized in this way can only be used within the territory of Israel.
4. Legalization of documents issued in Israel
The competent authorities for legalization or apostille of documents issued in Israel are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice (Beit Mishpat HaShalom).
More information: https://www.gov.il/en/pages/apostille
A document with an apostille issued in Israel is valid in Azerbaijan. However, a legalized document (without apostille) must be certified by the Embassy.