Document Authentication
Those coming to live in the Netherlands from abroad, may be asked to show documents from their country of origin, such as a birth or marriage certificate. Because these documents do not always meet the Dutch legal requirements, some of them first require authentication (legalisatie) to prove the document has been issued by an authorised person and that the signature on the document does in fact belong to this person. It is therefore advisable to have certain documents authenticated before you come to the Netherlands.
Which documents have to be authenticated?
Inquire at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken) whether you need to have documents authenticated. Alternatively, a municipal official will tell you this as and when the documents are required. In the latter case you risk having to return to your country of origin in order to obtain the required papers. More information about the authentication of documents is available here.
Whether authentication is necessary depends on the country you come from. Some countries have made agreements with each other about this. This means that you may be eligible to undergo accelerated proceedings (verkorte procedure) or even that your documents do not need to be authenticated. More information about the proceedings in question and the costs involved is available here. Also included is a list of the countries that have concluded agreements with the Netherlands.
Where to have documents authenticated
To find out whether you need to have documents authenticated, inquire at the Authentication Department (Afdeling Legalisaties) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Alternatively, your local District Council office can provide this information, and where you will need to do this. Note that in the latter case, you may obliged to return to your country of origin to obtain the necessary papers.
More information can be obtained from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Documents always required in the Netherlands
Everyone must have valid identification in the Netherlands. If you are from the EU or EEA, this can be your passport or identity card. In other cases this will be a residence permit (verblijfsvergunning or verblijfsdocument). You need both the original document and a copy of it. In most cases the document has to have been issued no more than one year prior.
Dependent on your country of origin and situation, other documents may be required in addition to the above. For this reason always contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first.
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