Legalisation

Legalisation is the full authentication process required to make a document issued in one country legally recognised in another country that is not party to the Hague Apostille Convention. It typically involves authentication by the issuing country's foreign ministry or notary, followed by certification by the destination country's embassy or consulate. Legalisation is more time-consuming and expensive than obtaining an apostille. China, many Gulf states, and several African countries require full legalisation rather than apostille for foreign documents.