What is an apostille?
An apostille is a form of authentication used for German public documents that are to be presented abroad. This page focuses specifically on documents from the German Commercial Register. If you need to use a commercial register extract outside Germany, an apostille may be required depending on the destination country and the purpose for which the document will be used.
How does the apostille process work?
The procedure normally involves the following steps:
First, you need the commercial register document in the correct official form. For example, this may be an official or certified extract issued through the competent German register court.
The document is then submitted to the German authority responsible for issuing the apostille. The competent authority depends on the federal state, the type of document and the authority that issued or certified it.
An apostille can be used when the Hague Apostille Convention applies between Germany and the country where the document will be presented. The requirements should therefore be checked for the specific destination country before the application is submitted.
If the Apostille Convention does not apply, another form of authentication or legalisation may be required. This can involve prior authentication by a German authority followed by legalisation through the diplomatic or consular mission of the destination country. The exact procedure depends on the country where the document will be used.
Fees normally apply to the authentication process, and each stage may require additional processing time.
The commercial register document itself will normally be in German. Depending on the requirements of the receiving authority, you may also need a certified translation into another language.
Need an apostille for a German Commercial Register document? Order now