Notarial documents
and apostille routes.
Need to use a Dutch notarial deed, certified copy, declaration or legalised signature abroad? Apostille Assist helps identify the accepted document form and coordinates the agreed Dutch notary, apostille, translation and delivery route.
Choose the right level of support
Use apostille submission when an accepted Dutch notarial document is already available in a suitable form. Choose document coordination when a new copy, notarial action, translation, longer legalisation route or international delivery still needs to be arranged.
Apostille Submission
For an available and suitable Dutch notarial document when the apostille requirement is confirmed.
- Submission for a Dutch apostille
- For a suitable original or officially certified document
- WhatsApp progress updates
Document Coordination
For a route involving the notary, a new certified copy, signature legalisation, translation or delivery.
- Review of the recipient instruction and current document
- Coordination of the agreed Dutch-side route
- External costs confirmed before work begins
Identify the exact notarial document
The words notarised or notarial can refer to different Dutch document forms. They are not interchangeable abroad.
Confirm what the recipient accepts
The destination country and receiving organisation determine which document form and authentication sequence are sufficient.
From Dutch notary to international use
Start with the recipient’s exact instruction before requesting a copy, obtaining an apostille or commissioning a translation.
Share the request
Send the foreign checklist, template or message and the document currently available.
Confirm the document form
Determine whether the recipient needs a deed, official copy, certified copy or legalised signature.
Complete Dutch formalities
Arrange the agreed notarial step and apostille or other legalisation where required.
Translate and deliver
Coordinate the confirmed translation order and tracked international delivery.
The foreign recipient still decides whether the deed, copy, wording, authority and translation meet its substantive requirements.
Why use Apostille Assist?
Document form checked
The recipient instruction is compared with the deed or copy currently available.
Correct sequence
Notarial handling, apostille, translation and delivery are placed in the agreed order.
Personal coordination
You receive practical updates and advance confirmation of external costs.
Related document guidance
Use these existing pages when the request involves a broader or more specific Dutch document route.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Dutch notarial document receive an apostille?
A suitable Dutch notarial document bearing a recognised notarial signature or certification can generally be submitted to a Dutch court for an apostille when the destination uses the Apostille Convention.
Do I need the original notarial deed?
Not always. The recipient may accept an official copy or certified copy, but it should confirm the required form before a new document is requested.
Is a legalised signature the same as a notarial deed?
No. Signature legalisation confirms who signed a document. A notarial deed records a legal act or declaration in an official notarial form.
Does every destination use an apostille?
No. An apostille is used for destinations covered by the Apostille Convention. Another destination may require a longer embassy or consular legalisation route.
Should the document be translated before the apostille?
Not automatically. Confirm whether the recipient wants the apostille on the Dutch document first and which translator status and translation formalities it accepts.
Can acceptance abroad be guaranteed?
No. The foreign notary, bank, registry, court or other receiving organisation makes the final decision about form, content and acceptance.
Need a Dutch notarial document for use abroad?
Share the foreign instruction, destination country and document currently available so the correct notarial and apostille route can be reviewed.
