Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What Nepal 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 Nepali body that will receive your document.

Nepal is a destination where an apostille is the wrong answer. Nepal has not been a party to the Apostille Convention, so an Australian document goes to DFAT for authentication and then to the Embassy of Nepal in Canberra for attestation. But for the document Nepalis in Australia most often need — a power of attorney to sell land or register a divorce in Nepal — the embassy's guidance points away from an Australian notary altogether.

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

Australian documents: DFAT, then the embassy

The Embassy of Nepal in Canberra says that to attest an Australian document, such as a birth or divorce certificate, the document must first be authenticated by DFAT. It then asks for:

• the DFAT-authenticated document
• a short request letter addressed to the embassy (it says no format is required)
• photo identification of the applicant, such as a passport or visa
• a trackable return envelope if you post it

The chain is therefore:

1. Notarise in Australia, if the document is a private one
2. DFAT authentication (not an apostille)
3. Attestation by the Embassy of Nepal in Canberra

Registry-issued certificates such as birth, marriage and divorce documents are public documents and may be able to go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT. For a New Zealand document the embassy says authentication is by New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs instead.

Powers of attorney: signed at the embassy, by Nepali citizens

This is the point most specific to Nepal. The embassy's guidance says a power of attorney must be prepared in the format prescribed by Nepali law and that the person granting it must attend the embassy and sign it in the presence of the head of mission. It describes this as the route for a Nepali citizen who needs someone in Nepal to sell a house, land or a vehicle, or to register a divorce.

What the embassy asks for:

• The power of attorney in the prescribed format, with a joint application to the embassy. It suggests consulting a Nepali lawyer for both.
• For a sale of land or property: a copy of the land ownership certificate (dhani purja) and a recent land revenue receipt.
• For a divorce: a copy of the marriage certificate.
• Identity: copies of the Nepali citizenship certificates of both the person granting the power and the person receiving it, the grantor's Nepali passport, a copy of their Australian visa, and photographs.
• An appointment. The embassy says one is required.

So if you hold Nepali citizenship, an Australian notary is usually not the route for a Nepali property or divorce power of attorney. Start with a Nepali lawyer and the embassy.

If you are no longer a Nepali citizen

The embassy states that foreign nationals cannot grant a power of attorney through it, and refers to a circular on the point. That affects many readers: people of Nepali origin who have become Australian citizens. If that is you, do not assume the Australian notary and DFAT route will be accepted in its place. Ask a Nepali lawyer, and through them the land revenue office or court concerned, what form of authority they will accept from a foreign national, and how it must be authenticated. Get the answer before you sign anything.

Nepali documents for use in Australia

Many readers need the reverse: a Nepali document accepted in Australia. The general rule is that a document is authenticated in the country that issued it. The embassy's own guidance fits that. It says it attests seals and signatures on documents issued by Nepali government offices once they have been certified by the Department of Consular Services of Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Where you ask it to verify a Nepali document, it asks for a verification letter from the issuing authority.

An Australian notary cannot vouch for a Nepali registry's document. For Australian immigration, check first whether a certified copy and a translation by a NAATI-credentialled translator are all the Department of Home Affairs needs. Often they are, and no notary or embassy is involved.

When someone dies

If a Nepali national dies in Australia, the embassy says the funeral company or family should send it, or a Nepali honorary consulate, a copy of the passport, the death certificate and a certificate that there is no public health risk. It then issues a no objection certificate for repatriation without charge. No notary is needed for this step.

Frequently asked questions

Can I post documents to the embassy for attestation? The embassy describes postal lodgement for attestation, with payment and a trackable return envelope. Powers of attorney need an appointment in person.

Does the embassy translate documents? It says it can provide an unofficial translation of some Nepali documents on its letterhead. Whether an Australian body accepts that is the receiving body's decision.

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