Programme guides · Portugal Golden Visa (Fund Investment) · Dominica Citizenship by Investment · US EB-5 Investor Immigration · Taiwan Investment Immigration for Hong Kong & Macau Residents
Notarisation and Apostille for Immigration: When Do You Need Them?
Global Immigrate consultants · Published
Written by Global Immigrate consultants · Reviewed by Oscar Yip, Founder & Managing Director
Summary
Birth, marriage and police documents often need notarisation; some countries require an apostille or consular legalisation. Common scenarios and the right order to avoid rejection.
Short answer: notarisation confirms a signature or true copy; an apostille is used between Hague Convention countries for public documents. Non-members may need consular legalisation. Confirm the receiving country’s rule before you start.
Documents often needing formalities
Birth, marriage, divorce certificates
Police certificates
Education and company documents (programme-dependent)
Suggested order
Confirm notarisation, apostille or dual legalisation
Issue → notarise → legalise per local process
Confirm whether translations must be legalised too
Wrong formalities can send the whole package back.
FAQ
Do all documents need an apostille?
No — it depends on the receiving country and document type.
How are Hong Kong documents legalised?
Per destination rules — often notary and High Court apostille processes.
How long does legalisation take?
From days to weeks depending on place and document — build in buffer.
