Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What Jordan Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Country requirements change. This page is re-checked periodically, and nothing on it replaces confirming the position with the Jordanian body that will receive your document.

Jordan is a destination where an apostille is the wrong answer. Jordan has not been a party to the Apostille Convention, so Australian documents go through the older chain: DFAT authentication, then legalisation by the Embassy of Jordan in Canberra. The embassy publishes unusually specific rules for powers of attorney, and they affect what your Australian notary must write.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Convention membership is a live fact. Confirm Jordan's status against the HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention on the day you start. If Jordan has joined, most of this page no longer applies.

Ask DFAT for authentication, not an apostille

DFAT issues two different certificates: an apostille, for Convention countries, and an authentication, for everyone else. Jordan needs the authentication. The usual chain is:

1. Notarise in Australia, if the document is a private one
2. DFAT authentication
3. Legalisation at the Embassy of Jordan in Canberra
4. Arabic translation and any further step in Jordan, as the receiving body specifies

Some Australian public documents, such as registry-issued certificates, may be able to go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT before lodging.

What the embassy's legalisation actually covers

The embassy's published guidance is plain about the limits of its stamp. For personal documents it confirms the signature, seal or stamp of DFAT (or New Zealand's foreign ministry). It says legalisation does not confirm that the underlying document is authentic and does not authenticate the original signature or the content.

Two practical consequences:

• The embassy checks DFAT, not your document. A document that reaches the embassy without DFAT's authentication has nothing for it to legalise.
• Problems with the document itself are not fixed by legalisation. If the receiving body in Jordan doubts the content, the embassy's stamp does not answer that.

The embassy also says it will not legalise a document contrary to Jordanian public order and morals, and that it gives no legal advice and no translation.

Powers of attorney: what the notarial certificate must say

This is the point most specific to Jordan. The embassy's guidance on authenticating a power of attorney made in Australia sets out what it expects to see, and several items are instructions to the notary:

• A notarial certificate stating that the signatory appeared before an Australian notary public and signed the power of attorney.
• Identity by passport or Jordanian ID card only. The embassy says these are the only acceptable proofs of identity, and that the document used must be named in the notary's certificate. A driver licence will not do.
• A copy of the passport or Jordanian ID attached to the power of attorney.
• Names that match. The person's name and details in the text of the power of attorney must match the identity document the notary relied on. A transliteration difference between an Arabic and an English name is a common way for this to fail; settle the spelling before you sign.
• Company signatories. If the signatory acts for a company, the notary must be satisfied that they have authority and capacity to sign for it. Expect the notary to ask for the company's constitution, a board resolution or similar evidence.

Show the notary the embassy's requirements at the start, so the certificate is drafted to meet them rather than corrected afterwards.

The embassy also says it will not authenticate a power of attorney authorising the sale or purchase of real estate outside Jordan. If your power of attorney deals with property, read that condition carefully and ask the embassy how it applies to you before paying for any step.

The consular route for Jordanian citizens

The embassy also prepares powers of attorney itself. Its guidance describes the signatory attending in person with a passport or Jordanian ID, travel documents not being accepted, and the power of attorney being valid for five years unless revoked. For property or a vehicle in Jordan, it describes an extra step: a relative obtains approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, and the signatory then signs at the embassy promptly because that approval is short-lived.

If you hold Jordanian citizenship, ask your lawyer in Jordan whether the consular power of attorney or an Australian notarised one suits the transaction. For property in Jordan the consular route may be the one the Jordanian side expects.

Commercial documents and the chamber

The embassy lists commercial invoices, certificates of origin, commercial agreements, halal certificates, certificates of incorporation and similar documents as commercial documents. For these it confirms the stamp of DFAT, New Zealand's foreign ministry, or the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Exporters should ask their Jordanian buyer or agent whether chamber certification is the expected route for their documents, rather than a notary and DFAT.

Arabic translation

Jordanian government bodies work in Arabic. Ask the receiving body whether it will accept an Australian NAATI translation or wants one made in Jordan, and whether the notarial certificate, DFAT's authentication and the embassy's legalisation must be translated too. If they must, translate after the Australian steps are complete.

Frequently asked questions

Can I post my documents to the embassy? The embassy's guidance describes collection in person or return by prepaid envelope. Check its current instructions before sending anything, and use tracked post.

Does the document need anything more once it is in Jordan? Ask the receiving body. Some want a further certification in Jordan before they act on a document legalised abroad.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT processing, the embassy and any step in Jordan. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.