Consular legalization

What is consular legalization?

This procedure of multi-stage preparation of documents includes affixing special stamps of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassy. Legalization is necessary to give papers legal force outside Russia and is suitable for those states that have not acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention of October 5, 1961.

When is consular legalization needed?

It will be required when moving for permanent residence, study, work, treatment in a foreign clinic, obtaining a residence permit or citizenship, founding a company, doing business. Legalization is often done for the following:

  • Educational papers: school certificates, diplomas, academic transcripts;
  • Personal documents: divorce, birth, name change, marriage certificates;
  • Certificate of no criminal record;
  • Constitutive documents of an organization: charter, license, etc.

Legalization will be required for all states that are not members of the Hague Convention and have not signed additional agreements with Russia on simplification of document circulation: countries of the Arab world, Asia and Africa. A full list of countries for which consular legalization is required in 2024 can be viewed here.

How do I do consular legalization?

It involves several steps and consists of the following steps:

  • Preparation of notarized copies;
  • Notarial translation into the official language of the required state;
  • Certification of signature, seals of the notary at the Ministry of Justice;
  • MFA certification;
  • Visiting the country's mission (embassy or consulate).

If you do it yourself, you'll waste a lot of time, effort and nerves. At each step, you may encounter difficulties – filling out the forms correctly in another language, paying state fees, taking lines at five in the morning, having a foreign bank card to pay the fee.

Why it's better to entrust it to BetterLetter

  • We take care of all the work from notarized copies and certified translations, to paying the consular fee and going to the embassy, you will receive ready-made documents;
  • We accept orders and payment online, even if it is not possible to come to the office in person our couriers will pick up the documents themselves and then deliver the completed ones;
  • We take your order to work, even if the originals are not in Moscow;
  • We can deliver papers across Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries.

Examples of our work

Consular legalization of documents for China: Ministry of Justice stage Consular legalization of documents for China: MFA and embassy stages

Example of consular legalization of documents for China

Cost

Partial legalization (Ministry of Justice + Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
The following is the cost for legalization of one document issued in the territory of the Russian Federation, including payment of state duty to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and not including any consular fees. The cost of making notarized copies (if necessary) is calculated separately. The final term of the service may change and depends on the deadlines in the relevant state body. Legalization of documents issued outside the Russian Federation can be performed only in the country of issue.
ServiceCostTime to completionExpress rate
Partial legalization (Ministry of Justice + Ministry of Foreign Affairs)from 4 900 10-17 working daysCheck with manager
Complete consular legalization
The following is the cost for legalization of one document issued in the territory of the Russian Federation, including payment of state duty to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and not including any consular fees. The cost of making notarized copies (if necessary) is calculated separately. The final term of the service may change and depends on the deadlines in the relevant state body. Legalization of documents issued outside the Russian Federation can be performed only in the country of issue.
ServiceCostTime to completionExpress rate
Complete consular legalizationfrom 5 500 20-25 working daysCheck with manager

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Service cost:
Time to completion: from 1 working day
The displayed cost and time to completion are only indicative and shall be confirmed by our manager when processing the order.

Our customers' reviews

Hayk Nakhatakyan 21 June 2024

The best! Prompt, high-quality, top-notch service! Many thanks to Sergey!

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Gataullin Timur 21 May 2024

The service was great. They got everything done quickly and efficiently. I'd definitely recommend them.

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Sergey P. 26 April 2024

I reached out to this office to have some documents translated and notarized in English. I needed it done fast. They got it done quickly, efficiently, and professionally! I'd definitely recommend them.

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Pavel Klyuev 22 April 2024

I got in touch with this translation company to get some documents translated for Dubai, and I was really happy with the work they did. Even though I'm not super familiar with all the legal stuff, they explained everything to me in a way that made sense. They got the job done quickly and efficiently, without any extra questions or paperwork. Now I know exactly where to go next time. Thanks so much!

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