Many immigration offices only accept a foreign document if it carries an apostille. Every certificate we order for you comes with an apostille. It is included in our price of €165. Some countries also ask for a sworn translation.
What an apostille is
An apostille (in Croatian: apostille or nadovjera) is a standard certificate that is attached to a public document. It confirms that the signature and stamp on the document are genuine and that the person who signed it had the authority to do so.
The apostille does not confirm what the document says. It only confirms where the document comes from. Thanks to the apostille, the authority in another country does not need to contact Croatia to check that your certificate is real.
The Hague Apostille Convention
The apostille comes from the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Croatia is a party to the Convention, and so are most of the countries our clients move to, including Canada, Australia, the UK, New Zealand, the USA, Germany and Ireland.
Between two countries that are both parties to the Convention, the apostille replaces the longer process called legalisation. Legalisation needs stamps from several ministries and from the embassy of the destination country. With an apostille, one certificate is enough.
If the country you need the document for is not a party to the Convention, the document needs full legalisation instead. This takes more steps and more time. Please contact us before ordering, and we will tell you what is possible.
Who issues the apostille in Croatia
In Croatia, the apostille is issued by the competent municipal court (općinski sud), meaning the court that holds a sample of the signature and stamp of the official who signed the document. For a criminal record certificate, this is the court responsible for the Ministry’s signatures in Zagreb.
The court charges a fee of €15 for the apostille on the certificate. This government fee is part of our price: €150 for our lawyer’s fee + €15 government fee = €165. See Prices.
Only a paper original can be apostilled
The apostille confirms a handwritten signature and a stamp. Because of this, it can only be placed on a signed and stamped paper original.
The e-Građani certificate cannot be apostilled. A criminal record certificate downloaded from the Croatian e-Građani (e-Citizens) portal has an electronic signature only, with no handwritten signature or stamp. The court cannot attach an apostille to it. If your destination country needs an apostille, you need the paper certificate that the Ministry issues in Zagreb. This is the certificate we get for you.
When you need an apostille
You usually need an apostille if:
- the immigration office, embassy or employer asks for an “apostilled” or “legalised” certificate
- the country you apply to is outside the European Union and is a party to the Hague Convention
- you are not sure, and the instructions say that foreign documents must be “authenticated”
Some countries do not ask for an apostille on a police certificate, but accept one without problems. Our price always includes the apostille, so you do not need to decide. Adding it later would mean more time and a new court request. Our country guides explain what each destination usually asks for.
When you may not need one
Within the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on public documents removes the apostille requirement for certain public documents, including documents that show the absence of a criminal record. This means that a Croatian criminal record certificate used in another EU country, for example Germany or Ireland, often does not need an apostille.
The same regulation provides multilingual standard forms that can go with some documents, so the receiving authority can understand them without a translation. These forms are not available for every applicant, and the receiving authority can still ask for a translation.
The regulation only applies between EU member states. It does not apply to the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the USA. Even inside the EU, some offices still ask for an apostille out of habit. Check what your office asks for, or ask us.
Apostilling the translation too
Many immigration offices need the certificate in English, so they also ask for a sworn translation. A sworn translation by a Croatian court interpreter (stalni sudski tumač) can itself be apostilled by the court.
The usual order is:
- The Ministry issues the signed and stamped certificate.
- The court places an apostille on the original certificate.
- The court interpreter translates the certificate, including the apostille, and certifies the translation.
- The court places a second apostille on the translation, if the destination country requires it.
A sworn translation is not part of our online order. If you need one, contact us and we will tell you the price. Read more on the sworn translation page.
How we arrange the apostille
You do not need to visit the court. After the lawyer collects your certificate from the Ministry, we take it to the competent court, pay the court fee and collect the apostilled document. The apostille is physically attached to the certificate and must stay attached. Do not remove the staple or separate the pages.
When the certificate is ready, we email you a scan of it with the apostille. If you chose the courier option (+€10), we also send the paper original to your address. Read how it works for timelines and what can cause a delay.
Questions about the apostille
Can I get an apostille on a certificate I already have?
Only if it is a signed and stamped paper original. A printout of an e-Građani certificate cannot be apostilled. If you are not sure what you have, send us a message.
Does the apostille extend the validity of the certificate?
No. The apostille only confirms the signature and stamp. The receiving country decides how old a certificate it will accept, counted from the date the certificate was issued.
Can I order the apostille without the certificate?
The apostille is part of our police clearance certificate service. If you need an apostille on another Croatian document, please contact us first.
Order your certificate with apostille
The apostille is always included. Fill in the order form, and we email you an invoice. Order now or see prices.