Step by step

Before you get started

Please ask the respective addressee abroad about the type of document you need.

Plan well ahead. It is not always possible to provide official certifications immediately. Sometimes we need to undertake further inquiries.


We do not directly certify	Please obtain certification first by
Signatures of private individuals	Notary’s Office, City or Municipal Clerk’s Office
Signatures of authorized company signatories	Notary’s Office, City or Municipal Clerk’s Office
School reports, apprenticeship certificates, diplomas	Department of Education
Medical certificates	Cantonal Medical Service
Vaccination certificates for animals	Cantonal Veterinary Office

• Further details

Prepare documents

We only certify public documents of the Canton of Zurich bearing official original signatures. Please find a link to the Swiss Federal Chancellery (responsible for the certification of Swiss federal documents) and the respective offices of other Swiss cantons under Step 05 below.

Please indicate the country of destination for each document. There is no generally or globally valid certification. Depending on the country of destination, an Apostille or a Legalization is required. In case of a Legalization, further steps are necessary. Please refer to Step 05 below.

If you need to certify documents for China, please inform us whether the certification applies to mainland China (Legalization), Hongkong (Apostille) or Macao (Apostille).


Charges

Charges incur for the supplementary certification of each official original signature. You may settle the charges at our counter in cash or by direct debit/credit card. If you submit your request by regular mail within Switzerland, we will send you an invoice. Invoices can only be sent to the requesting party. In case of requests from abroad, we will ask for an advance payment.


Charges	CHF
Apostille	30
Apostille on a civil status document	23
Legalization	22
Legalization on a civil status document	15
Postal charges within Switzerland	5.80

The charges depend on the procedure for supplementary certification of the country of destination. Legalizations are usually only accepted by the country of destination if further steps are undertaken in Switzerland. Please refer to Step 05 for further details.


Submit request

• By post
• On site

Request from Switzerland


Please submit a written request to us along with the original documents. The following details must be included in your request:


• Your name and address, or your company’s letterhead incl. exact address
• Your contact details
• The country of destination of the documents, allowing us to select the correct certification procedure. If your documents must be certified for different countries of destination, please indicate in your written request the respective country of destination for each of your documents. 
• Date and signature

We will return the certified documents to the requesting party via registered mail together with our invoice. You are solely responsible for forwarding the documents or for any further steps to be undertaken.

From abroad

In case of requests from abroad, further inquiries and an advance payment of the charges apply. Please contact us via email or telephone.

The documents will be sent abroad by registered letter with Swiss Post. 



Staatskanzlei

Beglaubigungen

Address

Neumühlequai 8
8090 Zürich


Route (Google) Copy address

You don't need an appointment. 


Do you require barrier-free access to our premises? Please contact us in advance via telephone for further information.


Request for up to 5 certifications


You or a trusted person will

•  hand over the original documents to us
• indicate the country of destination for each document
• pay the charges for on-site requests for up to 5 certifications in cash or by direct debit/credit card
• receive the certified documents back from us

No power of attorney is required if you designate and send a trusted person or a courier.

Request for more than 5 certifications


Please plan well ahead. It would be best if you sent us your request via postal mail. Alternatively, you have to identify yourself at the counter by presenting your identity card or passport, fill in the respective request form and hand over the documents. We will inform you as soon your request is completed and ready for collection. This may well be one day later. In case of adoption documents, the processing time may last up to 5 days.


You or a trusted person will


• pick up the documents

• have to identify himself/herself again

• pay the charges in cash or by direct debit/credit card

• confirm receipt of the documents
  

Staatskanzlei

Beglaubigungen

Address

Neumühlequai 8
8090 Zürich


Route (Google) Copy address


Montag bis Freitag
8.00 bis 12.00 Uhr und
13.15 bis 16.00 Uhr

Keine Terminvereinbarungen nötig!

Your next steps

According to the Hague Apostille Convention, documents bearing an Apostille do not require certification by a consular office and are directly accepted by the country of destination.

All other documents, i.e. documents bearing a Legalization, generally require a supplementary certification issued by the respective consular representation in Switzerland. Please ask the respective office or authority abroad to which you have to submit your documents about the exact procedure and possible further steps.


• Swiss Federal Chancellery, incl. list of cantonal offices/authorities and Apostille countries
• Foreign representations in Switzerland