Beglaubigung inländischer öffentlicher Urkunden zur Verwendung im Ausland beantragen

Legalization involves a considerable amount of time and money. It has therefore been declared partially dispensable by international treaties. These conventions include the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Hague Apostille Convention). Legalization is then replaced by the apostille as proof of authenticity. This is issued by the competent internal authority of the state that issued the document. It is then no longer necessary for the foreign representation in Germany to be involved.

In addition, there are also conventions with the consequence of mutual recognition of the respective documentary system, so that public documents are regarded as authentic without further ado (Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy; Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland).

You can find out which countries recognize the "Hague Apostille" here:

The Ministry of the Interior of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is responsible for the legalization of public documents from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that are intended for use abroad or for issuing the "Hague Apostille". However, this does not apply to judicial documents:

• The Ministry of Justice is responsible for public documents from its area of responsibility. The President of the Higher Regional Court is responsible for all public documents issued by him or her. The presidents of the regional courts are responsible for public deeds issued in their respective areas of responsibility or by notaries who have their official seat in the relevant regional court district (e.g. judgments or notarial deeds).

Public deeds from the area of the Ministry of the Interior of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern must be pre-certified by the district administrators and mayors of the independent and large towns belonging to the district for deeds issued by municipalities within their area of responsibility.

Public documents from the areas of the other ministries - with the exception of documents from the area of responsibility of the Ministry of Justice - must be pre-certified by the respective specialist ministries as part of their specialist supervision. The Ministry of the Interior can only certify or issue an apostille with a valid preliminary certification.

The authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the signatory has acted and the authenticity of the seal or stamp affixed to the document are certified.

• Original certificate
• Passport or other proof of identity (not required for written applications)
• If applicable: written power of attorney for the representative

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, among other things

• if necessary, a pre-certification of the original certificate
• identity card or similar as proof of billing address (not required for written applications)

is required.

EUR: 10,00 to 100,00

The fee in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is currently EUR 15.00 for a single document. If several documents are submitted by the same applicant and can be notarized in one go, the fee is reduced to EUR 12.00 per document.

If possible, find out about the exact procedure and how the fees are to be paid before submitting your application.

• Visit the competent authority. Make an appointment by telephone.
• Identify yourself with your identity card or passport.
• State the country in which you wish to use the certificate.
• Present the original document.
• Pay the fee at the relevant office.

For public documents from the portfolio of the Ministry of Justice of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:

• Ministry of Justice of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

For public documents issued by the President of the Higher Regional Court of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:

• The President of the Higher Regional Court of Rostock

For public deeds from the respective area of responsibility of the regional courts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern or public deeds from notaries who have their official seat in the relevant regional court district :

• Your competent district court.

For all other public deeds issued in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:

• Please send your informal application in writing, stating the country of use, together with the original of the document and your exact sender details to the Ministry of the Interior of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The certificate with certification or apostille will be returned promptly. A fee invoice will be enclosed.
• In exceptional cases, for example in cases of particular urgency, an appointment can be made at the Ministry of the Interior in Schwerin by prior arrangement by telephone, which is usually possible Monday to Thursday between 9:00 am and 11:30 am.

If the application is submitted in writing in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the application is usually processed within a few working days. If the application is made in person with an appointment, it will be processed immediately.

The period of validity of some documents issued in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern may be limited in time (for example, the certificate of no impediment to marriage is only valid for 6 months from the date of issue).

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, certificates of good conduct are applied for at the local registration office and issued by the Federal Office of Justice in Bonn. The over-certification is also carried out by the Federal Office of Justice in Bonn.

The Federal Office of Administration in Cologne is responsible for issuing an apostille or over-certification on the certificate of good conduct. The preliminary certification is carried out by the Federal Office of Justice in Bonn.

Legalization involves a considerable amount of time and money. It has therefore been declared partially dispensable by international treaties. These treaties include the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Hague Apostille Convention). Legalization is then replaced by the apostille as proof of authenticity. This is issued by the competent domestic authority of the state that issued the document. It is then no longer necessary for the foreign representation in Germany to be involved.

In addition, there are also conventions with the consequence of mutual recognition of the respective documentary system, so that public documents are regarded as authentic without further ado (Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy; Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland).

You can find out which countries recognize the "Hague Apostille" here:

For signatures on German public documents for use abroad and apostilles on federal documents for use in countries acceding to the Hague Convention:

Postal address:

Federal Office of Administration / Legalizations
Division II B 4
50728 Cologne

Visitor address:

Federal Office of Administration
Cologne-Braunsfeld office building (New Technology Center)
Eupener Str. 125
50933 Cologne
Cologne, Germany

Phone: +49 228 99358-4100
Fax: +49 228 99358-2893
E-Mail : beglaubigungen@bva.bund.de

Opening hours (visit and telephone):

Mon: 09:00 - 13:00
Tue: 09:00 - 16:30
Wed: 09:00 - 13:00
Thu: 09:00 - 13:00
Fri: 08:00 - 13:00

For documents of the Federal Patent Court and the German Patent Office:

German Patent and Trademark Office

Munich Office

Postal address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
80297 Munich

Visitor address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Zweibrückenstraße 12
80331 Munich

Phone: +49 89 2195-0
Fax: +49 89 2195-2221
E-mail: info@dpma.de

Berlin office

Postal address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Technical Information Center Berlin
10958 Berlin

Visitor address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Technical Information Center Berlin
Gitschiner Street 97
10969 Berlin

Phone: +49 30 25992-0
Fax: +49 30 25992-404
E-mail: info@dpma.de

Jena office

Postal address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Jena Sub-Office
07738 Jena

Visitor address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Jena Sub-Office
Goethestrasse 1
07743 Jena

Phone: +49 364140-54
Fax: +49 364140-5690
E-mail: info@dpma.de

For signatures on German public documents for use abroad and apostilles on federal documents for use in countries acceding to the Hague Convention:

Postal address:

Federal Office of Administration / Legalizations
Division II B 4
50728 Cologne

Visitor address:

Federal Office of Administration
Cologne-Braunsfeld office building (New Technology Center)
Eupener Str. 125
50933 Cologne
Cologne, Germany

Phone: +49 228 99358-4100
Fax: +49 228 99358-2893
E-Mail : beglaubigungen@bva.bund.de

Opening hours (visit and telephone):

Mon: 09:00 - 13:00
Tue: 09:00 - 16:30
Wed: 09:00 - 13:00
Thu: 09:00 - 13:00
Fri: 08:00 - 13:00

For documents of the Federal Patent Court and the German Patent Office:

German Patent and Trademark Office

Munich Office

Postal address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
80297 Munich

Visitor address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Zweibrückenstraße 12
80331 Munich

Phone: +49 89 2195-0
Fax: +49 89 2195-2221
E-mail: info@dpma.de

Berlin office

Postal address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Technical Information Center Berlin
10958 Berlin

Visitor address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Technical Information Center Berlin
Gitschiner Street 97
10969 Berlin

Phone: +49 30 25992-0
Fax: +49 30 25992-404
E-mail: info@dpma.de

Jena office

Postal address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Jena Sub-Office
07738 Jena

Visitor address:

German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Jena Sub-Office
Goethestrasse 1
07743 Jena

Phone: +49 364140-54
Fax: +49 364140-5690
E-mail: info@dpma.de

The competent authorities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are

• for public documents from the area of responsibility of the Ministry of Justice of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:
  • Ministry of Justice Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
• for public documents issued by the President of the Higher Regional Court of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:
  • The President of the Higher Regional Court of Rostock
• for public deeds from the respective business area of the regional courts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern or public deeds from notaries who have their official seat in the relevant regional court district:
  • Your competent district court and
• for all other public deeds issued in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:
  • Ministry of the Interior of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Notarizations are made exclusively on the basis of a written, informal application.