Apostille and Legalisation for Marriage Certificates

If you need to use your Australian marriage certificate overseas, you may need an apostille or legalisation.

Start with the Right Certificate

Before any apostille or legalisation step, you need the official certificate issued after the marriage is registered, not the ceremonial certificate from the wedding day.

Start here:

Apostille vs Legalisation

Broadly:

  • apostille is used for countries that accept Hague Convention apostilles
  • legalisation is used where extra embassy or consular authentication is required

Requirements vary by country and by organisation, so always check with the destination authority before lodging anything.

Adelaide Practical Advice

If you know you will need your certificate overseas:

  1. order the official certificate as soon as registration allows
  2. confirm whether the destination country wants an apostille or legalisation
  3. check whether a translation is also needed

If you need a general explanation of the marriage-document side, use the contact form.