Living, working, or studying in Germany often requires the submission of official documents that must be recognised as legally valid by German authorities.
Depending on the context, this may involve notarisation, legalisation, or the presentation of certified copies.
South Africa and Germany are both members of the Hague Apostille Convention, which greatly simplifies the process of legalising documents for use between the two countries. If you need to authenticate a South African document for official use in Germany, it typically needs to be apostilled — a special certificate that confirms the authenticity of the document’s signature, seal, or stamp.
You can view the full list of countries that are part of the Hague Apostille Convention here.
It’s important to understand that an apostille is not the same as a notarisation. While both involve certifying a document, they serve very different legal purposes. Notarisation confirms the identity of the signer and the voluntary nature of a signature, while an apostille makes a public document internationally valid in other member states of the Hague Convention.
Below is a summary of the differences between Notarised, Apostilled, and Legalised documents:
| English Term | German Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | die Beglaubigung (specifically: notarielle Beglaubigung) |
Notarisation is the process by which a notary public (Notar) certifies the authenticity of a signature or document. The notary verifies the identities of all signatories and observes the signing. The document is then stamped or sealed. |
| Apostille | Apostille | An Apostille is a certificate issued under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. It authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g. birth certificate, court ruling, or notarised deed) for use in another member country. It verifies the authenticity of the signature, seal, or stamp—but not the content itself. |
| Legalisation | die Legalisierung | Legalisation is used when the target country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. The document must first be authenticated (e.g., by a notary) and then approved through additional steps at an embassy or consulate. |
| Legal Validity | die Rechtskraft | The German term for “legal validity” is Rechtskraft. It refers to a legally binding status, especially in the context of court rulings. |
| Affidavit | die eidesstattliche Erklärung or Versicherung an Eides statt |
An affidavit is a written, sworn statement of fact made voluntarily under oath. In German, this is typically called an eidesstattliche Erklärung or Versicherung an Eides statt. It is typically signed in the presence of a notary or court official. |
An Apostille confirms the authenticity of a document (such as a birth certificate) and allows it to be accepted by authorities in another country.
More information on Apostilles and legalisation can be found here.
According to the South African Embassy in Germany, there are two options to have a South African unabridged birth, marriage, or death certificate authenticated with an apostille in terms of the 1961 Hague Convention:
OR
* According to the advice provided by the Legalisation Section of the Department of International Relations & Cooperation (DIRCO), the document should preferably be no older than one (1) year (see https://dirco.gov.za/consular-services/).
 Please note that in both the above cases, the application/documentation would have to be forwarded to the relevant departments in Pretoria, where they are finalised/issued and returned to our office in the diplomatic freight bag.
An application for a new unabridged birth, marriage or death certificate (with the apostille) may take up to 6 months to be finalised, while an apostille affixed to an original unabridged certificate provided by the applicant may take 2 to 3 months to be finalised.
Such applications/documentation are sent to the relevant departments in Pretoria by diplomatic freight bag monthly from our office.
Applicants who wish to expedite the delivery of application/documentation to Pretoria may elect to organise and pay for a courier – this should be confirmed when submitting the application/documentation to our office, which must be done in person.Â
Documents must be submitted in person and an appointment must made for this purpose
To schedule an appointment at the Embassy in Berlin, please send an email with the information below to berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za; to schedule an appointment at the Consulate-General in Munich, please send an email with the information below to munich.civicapp@dirco.gov.za:
 (After requesting an appointment, applicants shall also regularly check their email spam folder, as the email reply from the mission confirming the appointment may land up there)
Apostil has a great page which explains the difference between a DIRCO and a High Court apostille.Â
–Â you need to use DIRCO to apostille official Home affairs documentation
When a person’s identity needs to be verified for official documentation, the document must be signed in the presence of a Notary or a Commissioner of Oaths, depending on the legal requirements of the receiving country.
Certification and signing before a South African Commissioner of OathsÂ
South African documents that require certification or need to be signed before a Commissioner of Oaths can be processed at:
These services include witnessing signatures, certifying copies, or verifying identity for official purposes. An appointment must be made in advance. Bring the relevant documents and valid photo identification (such as a passport or ID book).
To make an appointment:
Embassy in Berlin: Tel. 030 22073 0 | Email: berlin.admin@dirco.gov.za
Consulate in Munich: Tel. 089 231 1630 | Email: munich.admin@dirco.gov.za
Note: For certain legal matters, such as the sale of property in South Africa, documents must be signed on South African soil. This means they must be signed either in South Africa or at a South African diplomatic mission abroad, which is considered South African jurisdiction. However, for other documents (e.g. powers of attorney, affidavits), a German Notar may be used. In such cases, an Apostille is often required to validate the notarised document for use in South Africa, depending on the specific requirements of the receiving authority.
Embassy Berlin Reach them through Tiergartenstraße. 18, 10785 Berlin +4930220730 +493022073190 berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks SAEmbassyBerlin @SAEmbassyBerlin Website Consulate Munich Reach them through Sendlinger-Tor-Platz 5, 80336 Munich +49892311630 49 89 231 163 53 munich.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks Consulate in Munich Website Honorary Consuls The Honorary Consuls are tasked with the promotion of
You can obtain certified copies of your original documents at your local Bürgeramt (citizens’ office), Town Hall, or from a Notary (Notar).
In German, a certified copy is called eine beglaubigte Kopie.
You will need to present the original document for verification.
To find your nearest Bürgeramt or Town Hall, you can use the Ortsdienst website. Click on your Bundesland (federal state) and zoom in to your town or city.
In South Africa, if you need to make an affidavit (beëdigte verklaring), you typically go to your local police station to make a sworn statement.Â
In Germany, an affidavit — known as an eidesstattliche Versicherung — is a written statement made under oath or affirmation. You can write the statement yourself and then have it notarised by a Notar.
If the affidavit is intended for use in South Africa, it must be written in English or officially translated into English by a certified translator.
Certified Translators in South Africa
The German mission in South Africa has a list of certified translators. The list can be found their website Â
We also have a page with information about the type of translations you might need
Translating Documents When seeking translation services in Germany, it’s crucial to understand the different types of translators, each specialising in various fields, to ensure your documents meet specific requirements with precision and clarity. Before getting your documents translated, always check with the relevant institution to understand their specific requirements. Types of Translators in Germany Sworn Translators Sworn translators are authorized by a court to provide translations that are legally binding. They often translate official documents
Chris Grosch – accredited interpreter – sworn translator – VO artist Professional linguist in English, German and French having lived in Germany, Japan, the US, France and now South Africa. Accredited simultaneous interpreter in all
Based in Johannesburg South Africa. I’m a qualified sworn translator for English & German, registered with the German Consulate in Pretoria Trained in Germany in German and English and sworn in by the High Court
A Multifaceted Language Service founded by Stephanie Schaffrath TAILORED ONLINE LANGUAGE TUITION: With over 12 years of experience teaching languages, Linguistika is committed to providing high-quality language instruction to individuals of all ages and levels
Based in Germany. Helge Mayer (MA) – accredited/sworn translations German to English and English to German Masters Degree in Translations from the University of Heidelberg (Germany)
Jesse Green from Apostil.co.za created an informative document to explain what an apostille certificate is and when you need it
Information from DIRCOÂ Consular Notarial Services (Legalisation of Official (Public) Documents)
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