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Legalising documents (the apostille)

What is an apostille and how do I get one?

Australian education documents sometimes need to be legalised by the Australian Government before they can be used in a foreign country.  When the document is legalised it is marked with an 'apostille' stamp, applied by an Australian Passport Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

An apostille can legalise a University of Melbourne testamur or academic transcript.

How to get an apostille

Visit the DFAT website for guidelines on how to legalise/authenticate your document, and the current monetary cost.

Testamurs (degree certificates) may not need to be signed and stamped by the University first. Please check the University of Melbourne Graduation website. If you can see the degree that you are wanting legalised on this website, DFAT may use that website to check your educational credentials and you will not need to obtain a stamp and signature from the University.

For all other Apostille needs

Before you apply for an apostille, you must find out what sort of documentation is required by the foreign government you are dealing with. Advice can be provided by the country's embassy and/or consulate in Australia.

You will be required to provide one of the following:

• Your original document; or
• a notarised copy of your original document.

Refer to the relevant section below for further instructions on how to get an apostille applied to your testamur or academic transcript.