Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What the Philippines Requires

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

For the Philippines there are two ways to make a document signed in Australia usable, and the Philippine Embassy in Canberra spells out both. You can sign in front of a Philippine consular officer, or you can sign in front of an Australian notary and have DFAT apostille the notary's signature. Choosing between them is the main decision, and people routinely pay for the wrong one.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. On the HCCH status table as we read it, the Philippines acceded to the Apostille Convention with effect from 14 May 2019. Some European states objected to its accession; Australia did not. Confirm the position on the day you start.

Route 1: consular notarisation at a Philippine post

The Philippine Embassy says documents that need to be executed and signed in the presence of a consular official may be notarised by the embassy or a consulate. The result is a Philippine consular act, with an acknowledgment or jurat and the embassy's seal. It does not go to DFAT.

What the embassy asks for:

• Personal appearance of every signatory. This is stated in capitals.
• The original document and a photocopy
• Original photo identification with signature, and a photocopy

Do not sign in advance. Bring the unsigned document to the appointment.

Route 2: Australian notary and DFAT apostille

The embassy's alternative: the original document is notarised by an Australian notary public and then sent to DFAT for an apostille. The Philippine posts in Australia state that they are not authorised to issue apostilles, so this route does not involve them at all.

The embassy adds a warning worth repeating: a notary public is not the same as a Justice of the Peace, and only documents notarised by a notary public will be accepted by DFAT for an apostille. A special power of attorney witnessed by a JP will not get an apostille.

Which route to choose

Both produce a document the Philippines should accept. Practical differences decide it:

• Where you are. Consular notarisation means attending a Philippine post in person. If that is a flight away, an Australian notary near you and DFAT may be simpler.
• Who else must sign. Every signatory must appear for consular notarisation. If signatories are in different cities, separate notarial acts in Australia may be easier to arrange.
• What the receiving office prefers. A Registry of Deeds, bank, court or lawyer in the Philippines may have a preference, or its own form. Ask before booking either.
• Registry certificates are different. An Australian birth, marriage or divorce certificate is a public document. It needs neither route; DFAT can generally apostille it directly. Confirm with DFAT.

Marrying in the Philippines

A Philippine local civil registrar asks a foreign national for a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage. For Australians, the Australian Embassy in Manila issues a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage, which it describes as the equivalent. Key points from the embassy:

• Contact the marrying authority first (the court, church or municipal office) for its complete list, before booking a CNI appointment.
• Six months. The embassy says the Philippine Government normally does not accept a CNI issued more than six months before the marriage.
• Philippines only. A CNI issued by the embassy in Manila is valid only for a marriage solemnised in the Philippines.
• Supporting documents from Australia. The local civil registry may also ask for your birth certificate, divorce certificate or a former spouse's death certificate. These are Australian public documents: order them, and have DFAT apostille them, before you travel.

None of this needs an Australian notary. It needs the right originals, apostilled where asked, and the timing to fall within the six-month window.

Already in the Philippines?

The Australian Embassy in Manila can authenticate or apostille original Australian public documents such as registry certificates. It says it cannot legalise documents certified by a Justice of the Peace, and that it only certifies copies and witnesses signatures on Australian documents or those intended for use in Australia. It will not notarise a power of attorney for use in the Philippines. For that, a Philippine notary in the Philippines is the local option, which is outside the scope of this page.

Translation

English is an official language of the Philippines, and Australian documents are not usually translated for Philippine use. If a particular office wants a Filipino translation, it will say so.

Frequently asked questions

Is the "red ribbon" still needed? Not for a Convention-covered document. The old authentication ribbon was replaced by the apostille when the Convention took effect for the Philippines.

I have a Philippine document to use in Australia. Can DFAT apostille it? No. A Philippine document is apostilled in the Philippines by its Department of Foreign Affairs. The Philippine Embassy notes that Philippine documents bearing an apostille are no longer authenticated by the Australian Embassy.

Which is cheaper, the consulate or a notary? It depends on travel, the number of documents and DFAT's charges. Compare both for your case; do not rely on a figure from a blog, including this one.