Everything you need to know about apostilles, DFAT authentication, embassy legalisation, and our process. Can't find what you need? Contact us directly.
An apostille is an internationally recognised certificate that verifies the authenticity of an Australian public document for use in a foreign country. It confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on your document is genuine.
You need an apostille when a foreign government, employer, educational institution, or authority requires an Australian document to be officially verified. Common situations include working or studying abroad, getting married overseas, adopting a child internationally, or dealing with property or legal matters in another country.
Key point: Apostilles are only valid for use in countries that are members of the Hague Convention. For other countries, authentication and embassy legalisation is required instead.
In Australia, apostilles are issued exclusively by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). No other organisation — including state government agencies, legal bodies, or document services — is authorised to issue an apostille.
DFAT's only office that processes apostilles and authentications is in Canberra. This is why Apostille Express is based in Canberra — we deliver directly to DFAT and collect on your behalf, which is faster and more reliable than posting documents interstate.
An apostille can be issued on Australian public documents — documents issued or signed by an Australian government authority — and on notarised private documents, where an Australian public notary has verified the document.
Common documents include:
It depends on whether the destination country is a member of the Hague Convention (formally the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, 1961).
If you're not sure, just tell us your destination country when you submit — we'll confirm the correct pathway as part of your free assessment.
An apostille itself does not have a standard expiry date — it confirms the document's authenticity at the time of issue. However, the receiving authority (a foreign embassy, government department, or employer) may require the apostille to have been issued within a certain timeframe, such as within 6 or 12 months.
We recommend checking the specific requirements of the organisation requesting the document before applying, as requirements vary by country and purpose.
No. DFAT can only issue apostilles on Australian public documents, not on documents issued by foreign governments. A document issued in, say, the Philippines or India must be apostilled or legalised in that country, not in Australia.
If you need to legalise a foreign document, we may be able to assist through our professional network, depending on the country involved. Contact us to discuss your situation before submitting.
A certified copy is a copy of an original document that has been verified as a true copy by an authorised person — such as a Justice of the Peace (JP), solicitor, or notary. It confirms the copy matches the original but does not verify the original document's authenticity for international use.
An apostille (or authentication) is issued by DFAT and verifies the issuing authority's seal or signature on the document itself for recognition in a foreign country. Many documents require both — a notarised certified copy, then an apostille on top of that.
Both an apostille and DFAT authentication are issued by DFAT and verify the authenticity of an Australian document. The difference lies in where the document is being used.
Apostille — Used for Hague Convention countries. The apostille certificate is the final step; no further action is needed in the destination country.
DFAT Authentication — Used for non-Hague countries. DFAT authentication is the first step only; it must then be followed by legalisation at that country's embassy or consulate in Australia.
Countries that are not members of the Hague Convention require authentication followed by embassy legalisation. Common examples include:
This list changes over time as countries join the Hague Convention. We always confirm the current requirement for your destination before proceeding.
The DFAT step itself takes approximately the same time — around 3 business days for both apostille and authentication. However, because non-Hague country documents also need subsequent embassy legalisation, the total process typically takes longer overall.
Embassy processing times vary widely by country and current workload. We provide an estimate for your specific destination during the assessment stage.
Yes — DFAT accepts applications directly. However, there are several reasons people choose to use a service like ours:
We handle every step end-to-end — including eligibility assessment, notarisation coordination, DFAT lodgement, embassy legalisation, and secure return — from our office next to DFAT in Canberra.
DFAT may be unable to verify a document's seal or signature if the issuing authority is not on their register, if the document is too old, or if it hasn't been correctly notarised. This is why we assess documents thoroughly before lodging them.
If an issue arises after lodgement, we contact you immediately with the options available — which may include obtaining a replacement document, or having the document notarised by an Australian public notary first. We do not proceed with any additional steps or costs without your approval.
Embassy (or consular) legalisation is the final step for documents destined for non-Hague Convention countries. After DFAT has authenticated your document, it must be submitted to the embassy or consulate of the destination country in Australia, which then stamps and certifies it as legitimate for use in their country.
Think of it as a two-step process: DFAT confirms the Australian document is genuine, then the destination country's embassy confirms they accept it.
Yes — UAE attestation is one of our most common add-on services. The UAE is not a member of the Hague Convention, so Australian documents for use in the UAE require both DFAT authentication and UAE embassy attestation.
We manage both steps together. Our UAE attestation add-on fee starts from $180 for the first document, with a $140 UAE authority fee (government charge) per document in addition. The UAE step adds approximately 6–7 business days after DFAT authentication.
Yes, in most cases. We manage legalisation at embassies and consulates in Australia for a wide range of countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, and others. Embassy requirements and fees vary significantly by country.
When you submit your assessment, we confirm whether we can assist with your specific destination, and provide the exact fees and timeframes before any work begins.
Embassy fees are set independently by each country's government and change periodically without notice. Fees can vary based on:
We always verify current embassy fees at the time of your order and include them clearly in your invoice. You will never pay an embassy fee you haven't pre-approved.
No. We handle embassy submissions on your behalf as part of our service. You do not need to visit DFAT, any embassy, or any government office. Everything is managed from our Canberra office, and your completed documents are returned to you by registered post.
No. We handle embassy submissions on your behalf as part of our service. You do not need to visit DFAT, any embassy, or any government office. Everything is managed from our Canberra office, and your completed documents are returned to you by registered post.
This is one of the most important distinctions in document legalisation.
A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a community volunteer authorised to witness signatures and certify copies for domestic use — such as for use in Australia. JP certifications are not recognised internationally for apostille or authentication purposes.
An Australian public notary is a qualified legal professional — typically a solicitor with additional accreditation — who is specifically authorised to notarise documents for international use. DFAT will only accept notarised documents that have been prepared by an Australian public notary, not a JP.
Common mistake: Many people have their documents certified by a JP and are then told by DFAT they need a public notary. We identify this during assessment, saving you time and cost.
No. Government-issued documents — such as birth certificates, police checks, and academic records issued by a university or TAFE — are already Australian public documents. DFAT can verify these directly without prior notarisation.
Notarisation is required for private documents that were not originally issued by a government authority. This includes powers of attorney, company documents, affidavits, and certified copies of original documents. We confirm during assessment which of your documents require notarisation.
In some cases, yes. If the notarisation involves witnessing your signature (such as for a power of attorney), you will need to appear before the notary in person. We can arrange this at a convenient location in your city, or in Canberra if you are based here or travelling through.
For other forms of notarisation — such as certifying a true copy of a document — your physical presence may not be required, depending on the document and notary's requirements. We clarify this during your assessment.
Yes — if you have already had a document notarised by an Australian public notary, you can send it directly to us for the DFAT step. Please include confirmation of who notarised the document so we can verify this ahead of lodgement.
If you are sourcing your own notary, make sure you use a qualified Australian public notary, not a JP. We're happy to advise on what the notary needs to include before you proceed.
Yes. Standalone notarisation is available through our network of Australian public notaries. This is useful if you need a document notarised for international purposes that doesn't require an apostille — for example, if the overseas authority only requires notarisation, not the full DFAT certification.
Standalone notary fees start from $120 for a personal document (first document). See our pricing page for the full fee schedule.
For a standard apostille or DFAT authentication, the typical turnaround is approximately 3 business days from when we lodge with DFAT. This does not include any time required for notarisation (if needed) or postage of your original documents to us.
If embassy legalisation is also required, add the embassy's processing time on top — which varies by destination country. UAE attestation typically adds 6–7 business days. We provide a full estimated timeline at the assessment stage.
In most cases, yes — DFAT requires original documents (or notarised certified copies) for processing. They cannot apostille a plain photocopy.
Please send your originals via registered post with tracking to our Canberra address. Do not send documents through untracked post. We will return all original documents to you along with the apostille certificate once the process is complete.
Tip: If you only have one original and are concerned about sending it, we can advise on whether a notarised certified copy would be acceptable for DFAT's purposes — this varies by document type.
Here is what happens after you submit:
DFAT does not offer a formal express service for apostilles and authentications. The standard turnaround is approximately 3 business days and is generally consistent.
If your situation is time-sensitive, contact us before submitting so we can advise on the most efficient approach — including whether any steps (such as notarisation) can be expedited.
Yes — we provide updates at key stages of your order, including when documents are lodged with DFAT, when they are collected, and when they are dispatched back to you.
If you have a question about your order at any point, you can contact us directly and we will provide a status update promptly.
No. Apostille Express is a private document facilitation concierge service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of DFAT, the Australian government, or any embassy or consulate.
We are a business that manages the administrative process on your behalf — submitting documents to and collecting from DFAT, and coordinating with embassies and notaries where required. The apostille or authentication certificate is still issued exclusively by DFAT.
You pay after your documents have been assessed and you have received and approved a clear itemised invoice. We do not charge upfront or at the time of submission.
Your invoice will list our service fee and all applicable third-party charges (DFAT fees, embassy fees, ASIC fees if relevant) separately. Work only begins once the invoice is approved and paid.
No. DFAT's fee of $105 per document is a government charge that is separate from our service fee. It is listed as a third-party charge in your invoice and passed through to DFAT at cost.
Similarly, embassy fees, UAE authority fees, and ASIC search fees are all listed separately in your invoice and charged at cost. We do not mark up third-party fees.
Yes — volume pricing is built into our fee structure automatically. For personal documents, the fee tiers are:
Business documents follow a similar structure starting from $220 for the first document. See our full pricing page for all tiers including notary add-ons.
We accept payment by bank transfer (EFT) and major credit cards. Payment details are included on your invoice. We do not accept cash.
For larger orders, we can also discuss payment arrangements — contact us if you have specific requirements.
Once we have assessed your documents and you have approved the invoice, we will provide you with our mailing address in Canberra.
Please send your documents via Australia Post registered post with tracking — Express Post registered is ideal. Do not use standard untracked post for original documents. Keep a record of your tracking number.
If you are in Canberra, you can also arrange to drop documents off in person — contact us to arrange a time.
DFAT can process documents in languages other than English. However, the receiving authority in the destination country may require a certified translation alongside the apostilled or authenticated document.
We offer certified translation as an add-on service. If translation is needed, we coordinate it alongside your apostille or authentication so both are completed together. See our translation service for more information.
Documents should be in good condition — undamaged, without tears, excessive folds, or markings that obscure the content or issuing authority's seal. DFAT needs to be able to clearly verify the document's authenticity.
Documents with significant damage may be rejected by DFAT. If you have concerns about the condition of your document, include a note when you submit your assessment request and we can advise before you send the originals.
All completed documents are returned by Australia Post registered post with tracking. Return postage is included in your order. You will receive a tracking number once your documents are dispatched.
If you require international return shipping (for clients overseas), or an urgent courier service, please let us know when you submit and we can arrange this at cost.
Absolutely. You don't need to know the exact technical name for your document or which service you need. Just describe what you have and what you're trying to achieve — where the document is going and what it will be used for — and we'll identify the correct process during your assessment.
Submit a brief description via our assessment form or contact us directly if you'd prefer to discuss first.
If you didn't find what you were looking for, we're happy to help directly. Most questions can be answered with a quick message and there's no obligation to proceed.
Describe your documents and destination. We'll confirm exactly what's needed within one business day.
info@apostille.express
Complete our online form and attach scanned copies of your documents. No payment required at this stage.
We're located steps from DFAT in central Canberra. Drop-off by appointment only.
Level 1, 68 Northbourne Ave, Canberra ACT 2601
