Notarising Australian Documents for Use in Austria

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Austrian requirements are set by the office receiving your document. Nothing on this page replaces confirming the position with it.

Austria is an apostille country, so the authentication step is simple. Three things about Austria are worth knowing before you book a notary. Austrian authorities generally want German translations by an Austrian court interpreter. The Austrian Embassy in Canberra, and Austria's honorary consuls, can certify a signature themselves, which can replace the notary and DFAT for some documents. And the Australian Embassy in Vienna's marriage certificate is aimed at Australians who live in Austria.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Convention membership is a live fact. Confirm Austria's status against the HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention on the day you start. Austria has been a party since 1968, so an apostille is the expected route for documents within the Convention's scope.

The usual chain

1. Notarise in Australia, if the document is a private one
2. DFAT apostille
3. German translation, if the receiving office requires one

Australian public documents such as registry certificates may go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT. The Austrian Embassy's own page says Australian public documents need an apostille from DFAT; the embassy does not authenticate them.

Translation: an Austrian court interpreter

Austria's foreign ministry says translations for official Austrian proceedings must be made by a court-certified interpreter (gerichtlich beeideter Dolmetscher). An Australian NAATI translation is a professional translation, but it is not what that rule describes.

Ask the receiving office:

• Must the translation be made by an Austrian court interpreter?
• Will you accept the document in English?
• Must the apostille be translated as well?

If the answer to the last question is yes, translate after the apostille. Some Austrian bodies set their own language rules, so do not assume either way.

Signing at the Austrian Embassy instead

Austria's foreign ministry says its missions abroad certify signatures on private documents (Unterschriftsbeglaubigung) where:

• the document is to be used in Austria (this condition does not apply to Austrian citizens);
• certification in Austria itself is impossible or unreasonable;
• you sign in front of the certifying officer, or acknowledge the signature as yours before them; and
• you prove your identity with official photo identification.

The Austrian Embassy in Canberra states that it certifies signatures and seals, that you must bring photo identification, and that honorary consulates can also carry out certifications. Where there is an Austrian honorary consul in your city, that may be closer than Canberra.

A signature certified by an Austrian mission is an Austrian official act, not an Australian one, so it does not go through DFAT. Ask the Austrian side which it prefers. An Austrian Notar, land registry court or company register may accept either a consular certification or an Australian notarisation with an apostille, or may prefer one. Ask before booking.

The missions can also confirm that a copy matches its original (Vidimierung). The ministry describes this as limited in use, so check that the receiving office will take it before relying on it.

Marrying in Austria

Austrian registry offices (Standesamt) ask foreign nationals for proof that they are free to marry. The Australian Embassy in Vienna says Australians resident in Austria, or in the other countries it covers, can obtain a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage from its consular section. Its page does not address Australians who live in Australia and plan to marry in Austria.

If that is you:

• Ask the Standesamt first. The Australian Embassy says the registrar will advise which documents its office requires.
• Ask what it accepts in place of a certificate from the embassy, if you are not resident in Austria. Get the answer in writing.
• Order Australian certificates late enough to fall within any recency window the Standesamt sets, then have DFAT apostille them.
• Allow for translation by an Austrian court interpreter.

An Australian notary cannot issue a certificate of no impediment. Where the Standesamt asks for a declaration or a certified copy, a notary can witness the declaration or certify the copy for DFAT to apostille.

Property, inheritance and the Austrian Notar

An Austrian Notar is a civil law notary, a legally trained public official with a much wider role than an Australian notary. Property and company matters in Austria commonly involve one. If you are signing from Australia, ask the Notar for the German text you must sign, whether the signature must be certified, and whether an Austrian consular certification or an Australian notarisation with an apostille suits the transaction. If you do not read German, tell the Australian notary in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as for Germany? Similar in outline, different in detail. Austria's translation rule, its honorary consuls and its marriage requirements are its own. Do not reuse German instructions for an Austrian office.

Does the Austrian Embassy legalise Australian documents? No. Australian public documents need a DFAT apostille. The embassy's role is certifying signatures and copies, and visas, which are a separate matter.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT, the translator and the Austrian office. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.