APOSTILLE FORMALITY – COMPETENT AUTHORITIES
The rapporteurs are requested to verify and if necessary to supplement the information recorded for their Member State
1.  Number of competent authorities
2.  Identity and contact details
3.  Name and contact details of contact person
Member State / 1 / 2 / 3
Austria / 4 / 1. Bundesministerium für auswärtige Angelegenheiten (Ministry of External Affairs), Legalisierungsbüro, Minoritenplatz 8, A-1014 Wien
The Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for documents issued by:
a) the Bundespräsident (Federal President) or the Präsidentschaftskanzlei (Federal President’s office);
b) the Presidents of the two chambers of the Federal Parliament (Nationalrat and Bundesrat) or the Parlamentsdirektion (Parliamentary Administration);
c) the Bundesregierung (Federal Government);
d) a Federal Ministry;
e) the Verfassungsgerichtshof (Constitutional Court) or the Verwaltungsgerichtshof (Administrative Court);
f) the Oberster Gerichtshof (Supreme Court), the Kartellobergericht beim Obersten Gerichtshof (Superior Cartel Court attached to the Supreme Court), the Oberste Rückstellungskommission beim Obersten Gerichtshof (Supreme Restitution Commission attached to the Supreme Court) or the Oberste Rückgabekommission beim Obersten Gerichtshof (Supreme Commission for the Return of Property attached to the Oberster Gerichtshof);
g) the Rechnungshof (Federal Board of Audit).
2. The presidents of the courts of first instance dealing with civil matters, or their substitutes designated to issue the Apostille, with the exception of the Handelsgericht Wien (Commercial Court of Vienna) and the (no longer existing) Jugendgerichtshof Wien (Youth Court of Vienna).
They are responsible for documents issued in their area of jurisdiction by the following authorities:
– other courts than those listed under 1.e) and 1.f);
– public prosecution authorities;
– notaries;
– a chamber of notaries or bar association, if such chamber or association has acted as a federal authority.
The addresses of the courts of first instance can be found under http://www.justiz.gv.at
3. For all other documents:
a) the Landeshauptmann (Provincial Governor), if the document was issued in the respective Land in matters of so-called indirect federal administration (mittelbare Bundesverwaltung), i.e. in cases where provincial authorities act on behalf of the Austrian Federation;
b) the Landesregierung (Provincial Government) if the document was issued in the respective Land by an authority acting in execution of administrative competences of the Land.
Belgium / 1 / Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (article 2 Wet van 5 juni 1975 houdende goedkeuring van het verdrag tot afschaffing van het vereiste van legalisatie van buitenlandse openbare akten, en van de bijlage, opgemaakt te 's-Gravenhage op 5 oktober 1961, B.S. 7 februari 1976).
Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (Legalisations Service), Karmelietenstraat 27, 1000 Brussel, tel.: +32 (0)2 501 87 85 – +32 (0)2 501 88 16 – +32 (0)2 501 89 00, fax.: +32 (0)2 501 37 90, opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., e-mail: , general website: http://diplobel.fgov.be/en/default. asp. / Mrs A.M. Latte, Karmelietenstraat 15, 1000 Brussel.
Cyprus / 1 / Ministry of Justice and Public Order
Address is as follows: 125 Athalassa Avenue, 1461 Nicosia-Cyprus
Telephone: +357 22805953/51
Fax: +357 22 518356
Email:
General website: http://www.mjpo.gov.cy / Mrs Maria Lasonos
Czech Republic / 2 / 1. The Ministry of Justice, International Department
Address: Ministry of Justice
Vyšehradská 16
128 10 PRAHA 2
Czech Republic
Telephone: +420 221 997 925
Fax: +420221997 919
Email:
General website: http://portal.justice.cz
2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Department
Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Loretánské náměstí 5
118 00 PRAHA 1
Czech Republic
Telephone: +420 224 181 111
Fax: -
Email:
General website: http://www.mzv.cz / 1. Mgr. Věra Krajánková, the International Department
2. JUDr. Ivan Záleský, Director of the Consular Department
Denmark / Na / Na / Na
Estonia / 5 / Ministry of the Interior
Address: Oleviste 1, Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone (+372) 612 5170 (at reception hours)
Fax (+372) 612 5162
Documents to which apostille is issued by the authority: birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, name change certificates, death certificates, transcripts of vital record, certificates of no impediment to marriage, marital status certificates, notices and certificates from the citizen and migration board, notices from the punishment register, police certificates, local government notices, regulations and documents, extracts from the population register.
Ministry of Justice
Address:, Department of Courts, Lõkke tn 4, Tallinn,
Telephone: (+372) 680 3128
E-mail:
Documents to which apostille is issued by the authority: documents of courts and notarial documents, notarial copies and translations of documents, documents of registration department and real estate department
Ministry of Education and Research,
Address: Munga 18, Tartu, tel: (+372) 735 0252, (+372) 735 0240
Address (Tallinn office): Tõnismägi 11, Tallinn room No. 107, tel: (+372) 628 1234, (+372) 628 1222
Documents to which apostille is issued by the authority: Diplomas, certificates, academic evidence, grade transcripts, certificates of skills of Estonian language and notes
Ministry of Social Affairs
Address: Gonsiori 29, room No. 119, Tallinn; tel: (+372) 626 9302
Documents to which apostille is issued by the authority: pension certificates, medical certificates, excerpts from service record, documents certifying service records
Contact person: Ms Mall Utno, tel: (+372) 626 9306
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Address: Islandi väljak 1, Tallinn
Telephone: (+372) 637 7478 (at reception hours)
Fax (+372) 637 7454
E-mail:
Documents to which apostille is issued by the authority: certificates of the Tax and Customs Board, certificates of archives, all other documents. / Ms Kaare Kippasto, senior specialist
Ms Pille Vinkel
Ms Terje Mäesalu,
Finland / 36 / Contact information on local register offices can be found at http://www.maistraatti.fi, they are also listed at http://www.hcch.net/upload/auth12_fi.pdf. Contact information list is also in annex V. / Mr Peter Oljemark,
+358 9 6954 4222.
France / Public Prosecutors Services attached to every Court of Appeal / A list of all the Court of appeal in France can be found on the website of the French Ministry of Justice : http://www.justice.gouv.fr.
It has to be remarked that, in specific Overseas territories (TOM), the peculiarity of the local judicial organisation can imply some minor change of the denomination of the competent authority to deliver the apostille.
The list of these competent authorities can be found on the Hague Conference website : http://www.hcch.net. / ??
Germany / Documents of federal authorities: 1
Documents of Laender: about 2 for each Land / Documents of federal authorities:
The federal government issued a regulation (Verordnung) on 23. Feb 1966 (BGBl. 1966 II, p. 138) regarding the issuance of the Apostille under Art 3 Hague Convention. According to this regulation are competent
-  the Bundesverwaltungsamt with respect to all documents issued by federal authorities;
-  exception: The president of the Deutsches Patent und Markenamt is competent for documents relating to patents.
Documents of Laender:
Presidents of the District Courts (Landgerichte) are competent with respect to most judicial and notarial documents (including judicial documents emanating from Administrative Law Courts (Verwaltungsgerichte, Sozialgerichte, Finanzgerichte))
Ministries and district authorities (Regierungspräsisdium / Bezirksregierung) with respect to their own documents and those of their subordinated administrative authorities.
With respect to judicial documents, many higher authorities (ministries etc) reported very few issuances of Apostilles during the last years, which led in some cases to the transfer of competency downward to the Langerichte.
An instructive example is the Saarland: While the Landgericht Saarbrücken is competent for issuing the Apostille with respect to its own documents (+lower courts) and documents issued by notaries, the Ministry of Justice of the Saarland is – up to now - competent for all other judicial documents (including its own and documents coming from the court of appeal, OLG). The Ministry of Justice reported 0 (zero) issuances within the last 20 years. Therefore, it is planned to make the Landgericht competent for the other judicial documents, too. (Nota bene: With respect to documents issued by the administration, the Ministry of the Interior of the Saarland remains competent) / ??
Greece / 3 / (1) The Prefect (Νομάρχης, Nomarchis) for all documents issued by the agencies of the Regional Self-governed Corporation (Νομαρχιακή Αυτοδιοίκηση, Nomarchiaki Autodioikisi): 50 Regional Self-Governed Corporations are currently operating in the Greek territory, 3 of those functioning within Attika alone. This report relied on data retrieved from the Athens-Piraeus Regional Self-governed Corporation, Athens Departmental District.
Contact details: Athens-Piraeus Regional Self-governed Corporation, Athens Departmental District
125-127 Kifissias Ave., 115 24 Athens GR
Telephone: +30 210 6984 000-13, +30 210 6991 187-8, +30 210 6914 145
Facsimile: +30 210 6984 182 +30 210 6991 115
E-mail:
www.nomarxia.gr/
(2) The Secretary-General of the Region (Γενικός Γραμματέας της Περιφέρειας, Genikos Grammateas tis Perifereias) for documents issued by the public civilian agencies of the Department (Νομός, Nomos) or Departmental District (Νομαρχία, Nomarchia), which do not fall under the competence of the Regional Self-governed Corporation, as well as those of legal persons of public law of first-level local government organisations and registrar offices: There are 13 Regions in existence today; for the purposes of this report, information was retrieved from the Region of Attika.
Contact details: Region of Attika
2 Evangelistrias Rd., 105 63 Athens GR
Telephone: +30 210 3310 74, +30 210 8644 541
Facsimile: +30 210 3246 167
E-mail: unavailable
www.reg-attiki.gr/> [the website has been inoperative for some time]
(3) The court of first instance (Πρωτοδικείο, Protodikeio) of the district where the authority issuing a judicial or notarial document is seated. It should be underlined that practice has it that documents pertaining to a civil or administrative trial are apostilled by the secretariat of the competent court, while documents pertaining to a criminal process are apostilled by the competent public prosecutor’s office. For the purposes of this report, the Athens Court of First Instance and the Athens Public Prosecutor’s Office were consulted.
Contact details:
Athens Court of First Instance
Secretariat
Former School of Army Cadets, Evelpidon Rd., 101 67 Athens GR
Telephone: +30 210 8841 618
Facsimile: +30 210 8841 618
E-mail: unavailable
Website: unavailable
Public Prosecutor’s Office, Athens Court of First Instance
Former School of Army Cadets, Evelpidon Rd., 101 67 Athens GR
Telephone: +30 210 8827 664, +30 210 8837 983, +30 210 8833 122
Facsimile: +30 210 8837 983
E-mail: unavailable
https://www.eispa.gr / ??
Hungary / 2 / Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Table 7 makes reference to ‘Data in table’ for address details / Permanent contact person currently unavailable
Mr. Péter Balla, head of department
Ireland / 1 / Consular Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs
Contact details in questionnaire are correct, but see also:
Web address: www.dfa.ie
Email address: / Mr. Chris McCabe

Fax: +353 1 4082961
Italy / Tbc / Tbc / Tbc
Latvia / 1 / Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Brivibas bulv.36, Riga
Tel: 371-7016364
Fax: 371-7828274
Lithuania / Tbc / Tbc / Tbc
Luxembourg / 1 / Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Bureau des Passeports
43, boulevard Roosevelt
L-2450 Luxembourg
Tel: +352 478-8300
Fax: +352 46 49 80
E-mail:
General website: http://www.mae.lu / Mr Paul Kirtz
Malta / 1 / The Minister of Foreign Affairs
Address: Palazzo Parisio
Merchant Street Valletta CMR 02
Malta
Tel +356 21242853
Fax +356 21235032
Email
General website www.foreign.gov.mt / Mr Kenneth Burnell
Netherlands / Approx. 20 / Netherlands Overseas Territories: Lieutenant Governor of an island or a group of islands (Trb. 1989, 100 and Trb. 1996, 280, losbladige Kluwer Rechtsvordering, Verdragen&Verordeningen, Part 2, p. J-156a)
Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe: registers of the courts of first instance (19)
Contact details of the courts of first instance can be found at the general courts site of the Netherlands (www.rechtspraak.nl) / ??
Poland / ??
Please let me know what is the problem with Poland / ?? / ??
Portugal / Tbc / Tbc / Tbc
Slovak Republic / The apostilles in the Slovak Republic are issued: by the competent department Ministries (six Ministries), Regional courts (eight Regional courts) and Offices of the Regional Administration (eight Offices of the Regional Administration). / Ministry of Justice
Address:
Župné námestie 3
813 11 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
Telephone: +421 (2) 59353 111
+421 (2) 5935 3347
Fax: +421 (2) 5935 3604
E-mail:

General website: http://www.justice.gov.sk
Ministry of Interior
Dierectorate of Public Administration
Drieňová 2
826 86 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
Telephone: +421 (2) 4859 2463 (civil status)
+421 (2) 4859 2401 (small businesses)
Fax: +421 (2) 4859 2399 (civil status)
+421 (2) 4859 4726 (small businesses)
E-mail: (civil status)
(small businesses)
General website: http://www.civil.gov.sk
Ministry of Education
Address:
Centre for Diploma Recognition
Stromová 1
813 30 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
Telephone: +421 (2) 5923 8220
Fax: -
E-mail:
General website: http://www.minedu.gov.sk (in Slovak only)
Ministry of Health
Limbová 2
P.O.Box 52
837 52 Bratislava 37
Slovak Republic
Telephone: +421 (2) 593 73 111
Fax: +421 (2) 547 77 983
E-mail:
General website: http://www.health.gov.sk (in Slovak only)
Ministry of Defense
Kutuzovova 8
832 47 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
Telephone: +421 (2) 44 25 0320
+421960312 233
Fax: +421 (2) 442532 42
+421960312 582
E-mail:
General website: http://www.mod.gov.sk
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hlboká 2
833 36 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
Telephone: +421 (2) 5978 1111 (central switchboard)
+421 (2) 5978 3241 (consular department)
Fax: +421 (2) 5978 3249
E-mail:

General website: http://www.foreign.gov.sk / Ms Pelikanová
+421 (2) 5935 3317
No specific contact details
Ms Katarína Hortáthová
+421 (2) 5923 8220
Ms Bokolová
+421 (2) 5937 3255
Ms Milan Michalík
+421960 (2) 5935 3317
Ms Biela
+421 (2) 5978 3241
Slovenia / 2 / Ministry of Justice:
Ministrstvo za pravosodje
Župančičeva 3
SI – 1000 Ljubljana
tel: +386 1 369 52 00
fax: +386 1 369 57 83
District Court in Ljubljana:
Okrožno sodišče v Ljubljani
Tavčarjeva 9
SI – 1000 Ljubljana
tel: +386 1 366 45 11
fax: +386 1 366 45 64 / Department for International Legal Assistance
Mr Mojca Horvatič
Spain / 1. For documents emanating from competent judicial authorities, the Secretaries of the Regional High Courts of the Autonomous Community (Secretarios de la Sala de Gobierno de Tribunales Superiores de Justicia). There are 17 Tribunales Superiores de Justicia. Their contact details are: