Netherlands Visa Documents to Notarise From Australia
Table of contents
For a Dutch residence permit, Australians often need no notary. Australians do not need a provisional visa before travelling, the IND accepts English documents without translation, and it asks for a self-declaration instead of a police check. What it wants is Australian civil certificates with an apostille, which DFAT can usually issue directly.
Key takeaways
- The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) decides what your application needs. Check its current pages.
- Australians were exempt from the provisional residence visa (MVV) when last checked, so the permit is usually dealt with in the Netherlands.
- The IND wants apostilled originals of civil certificates. Registry certificates usually go to DFAT directly, with no notary.
- English documents need no translation for the IND.
- A notary fits mainly for a sworn declaration, degree copies for an employer, or a power of attorney.
Why are Australians in a good position for the Netherlands?
Most non-EU nationals need a provisional residence visa, the machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf or MVV, before they can travel for a long stay. The IND listed Australian nationals as exempt when last checked. In practice, Australians can usually travel first and deal with the residence permit and biometrics in the Netherlands, at an IND desk. If you hold another passport, the exemption list for that passport is what matters.
That changes where your documents end up, not what they need. Prepare your Australian documents before you leave. They are much easier to obtain and apostille from Australia than from Rotterdam.
This page covers the immigration pack. Marriage in the Netherlands, dual nationals, property and company documents are covered on our page on the Netherlands apostille.
What does the IND ask for?
The Dutch government's page on Australian documents says they need an apostille from DFAT. The document must be original and complete, including any annexes it refers to. An apostille is DFAT's certificate confirming the signature and seal on the document, not what it says.
The documents this usually applies to are civil-status documents: birth, marriage and death certificates. For family migration, such as joining a partner, the marriage certificate is the obvious one. For registering a child, the birth certificate.
The Netherlands is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, in force since 8 October 1965 as of our last check. Check the HCCH status table on the day. That means an apostille, not embassy legalisation.
Do you need a notary for registry certificates?
Usually not. Birth, death and marriage certificates from a state or territory registry are public documents. DFAT can generally apostille them directly. Confirm on DFAT's page of documents it can legalise before booking a notary for a registry certificate.
The IND wants the apostilled original, not a notarised photocopy of it. A notarised copy adds cost and may not satisfy the "original and complete" rule. Order the standard registry certificate. DFAT does not legalise commemorative or ceremonial marriage certificates, and it refuses laminated documents.
- Check the IND's list for your permit type, such as work, study or partner.
- Order fresh registry certificates if yours are laminated, damaged or commemorative.
- Lodge the originals with DFAT for an apostille.
- Keep them together, with any annexes, and do not unstaple the apostille.
- Carry them to the Netherlands for your IND appointment.
Do documents need translating into Dutch?
No, not if they are in English. The IND accepts documents in Dutch, English, French and German without translation. An Australian certificate, and its Australian apostille, are in English, so nothing needs translating.
Translation matters only for documents in other languages. The IND then wants a translation by a translator sworn in by a Dutch court. If the translation is done abroad, it usually wants the translation legalised along with the document. For an Australian applicant, that normally arises only for documents from a third country. A NAATI translation made in Australia may not meet that rule, so ask the IND first.
How recent must the documents be?
The IND said, when last checked, that it does not check when most documents were issued. So an older Australian birth certificate may be fine. The exception is a declaration of single status, which the IND accepts only if it is recent. Check its current limit.
Australia has no population register that issues a single-status certificate. If you are asked to prove you are unmarried, ask the IND or the municipality what it accepts from Australians before arranging anything. It may accept a sworn declaration, which is where a notary can help.
Do you need an Australian police check?
Not for the IND, when last checked. The IND does not ask Australians for a police certificate. Applicants above the age it sets complete a self-declaration about their criminal history, on an IND form. Do not pay for an apostilled AFP check unless a Dutch body specifically asks for one. An employer or a licensing body might; the IND usually does not.
What about the working holiday scheme?
The Netherlands has a working holiday scheme for Australians within an age range the scheme sets. Applications go to the IND, and online applications open a set time before travel. When last checked, the requirements were about money, a return ticket or the means to buy one, and health insurance. None of it involved a notary. Check the IND's current page for the conditions. See working holiday documents.
Where might an Australian notary still fit?
- A declaration or affidavit, if the IND or a municipality asks for a sworn statement, for example about marital status, and accepts one made in Australia. A notary administers the oath and witnesses your signature, and DFAT apostilles the notary's certificate.
- Copies of degrees, if an employer, university or recognition body asks for certified copies. The residence permit does not usually need them.
- Powers of attorney, so someone in the Netherlands can deal with housing or a bank before you arrive.
For a sworn declaration, bring original photo identification, ideally your passport, and the Dutch body's wording if it has any. The notary confirms that you swore it, not that it is true. See powers of attorney and legal declarations.
What happens at the municipality?
Once in the Netherlands, you register with the municipality where you live. The municipality applies its own rules to foreign civil documents, and it may ask to see your apostilled certificates again. Keep them with you.
Converting a foreign certificate into a Dutch record through the Municipality of The Hague is open only to certain groups, such as Dutch nationals and former nationals. It is not a step most visa applicants can take. The Netherlands apostille page covers the municipality in more detail.
What if you have already left Australia?
The Dutch government's page, when last checked, said apostilles on Australian documents could also be obtained from the Australian Embassy in The Hague. Ask the embassy about its current arrangements before relying on that. A relative in Australia can also order registry certificates and lodge them with DFAT for you. See getting an Australian document handled from overseas.
Who decides what is accepted?
The IND decides for the residence permit, and the municipality decides for registration. Each is a receiving authority applying Dutch rules. Australian law does not decide whether a Dutch office accepts an Australian notary's declaration. That is why the same document can satisfy the IND and still be queried at the municipality, or the other way round.
When the instructions are unclear, ask in writing. Name the document, say that it is Australian, and ask whether it wants the original with an apostille. Keep the reply with your file.
What about children moving with you?
For a child, the birth certificate is usually the key document. Order the full registry certificate that names both parents, and have DFAT apostille the original. If only one parent is moving with the child, a Dutch body may ask for the other parent's consent. Ask the IND or the municipality what form it wants. If it accepts a statement signed in Australia, the other parent signs it before a notary, and DFAT apostilles the notary's certificate. See child travel consents.
Which documents need what?
| Document | Usual route | Notary? |
|---|---|---|
| Birth or marriage certificate | Registry original, DFAT apostille | Usually not |
| Criminal history | IND self-declaration | No |
| Proof of single status | Ask the IND; a sworn declaration may do | Possibly |
| Degree copy for an employer | Notarised copy or verified original | Only if asked |
| Power of attorney | Notary, then DFAT | Yes |
Can a Justice of the Peace certify documents for the IND?
It rarely arises, because the IND wants apostilled originals rather than certified copies. Where a Dutch body does want a certified copy, a JP will not usually do. A JP is a volunteer witness for Australian purposes, and DFAT cannot apostille a JP's certification. For Australia's Department of Home Affairs, by contrast, a copy certified by an authorised person is usually enough. The two systems do not share rules.
Here is an illustration, not a real case
An engineer in Brisbane takes a job in Eindhoven and will bring his wife. He orders fresh registry marriage and birth certificates, and DFAT apostilles the originals. Nothing is translated. At the IND desk he completes the criminal history self-declaration. His employer asks for a certified copy of his degree, which he arranged before leaving through a notary and DFAT.
In short
For a Dutch residence permit, Australians usually need apostilled registry originals from DFAT and no notary. English documents need no translation, and the IND asks for a self-declaration instead of a police check. A notary is mainly for sworn declarations, degree copies an employer asks for, and powers of attorney. More on DFAT's step is at apostille and authentication.
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Moving to the Netherlands? Send us the IND's document list, and we will explain each step before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to translate my Australian marriage certificate into Dutch?
No. The IND accepts documents in English, as well as Dutch, French and German, without translation.
Does my birth certificate need a notary before the apostille?
Usually not. DFAT can generally apostille registry certificates directly. Confirm with DFAT, and use the standard registry certificate.
Do I need an AFP police check for a Dutch residence permit?
Not for the IND, when last checked. It asks for a self-declaration about criminal history instead. Get an AFP check only if a Dutch body specifically asks.
I have already left Australia. Can I still get an apostille?
The Dutch government has said the Australian Embassy in The Hague can issue apostilles on Australian documents. Ask the embassy about its current arrangements.
Do Australians need an MVV to move to the Netherlands?
Australians were exempt when last checked, so they can usually travel and apply for the residence permit in the Netherlands. Check the IND's current exemption list.
Will the IND accept a notarised copy of my birth certificate?
It wants the apostilled original, complete with any annexes. A notarised photocopy may not meet that rule.
How can I prove I am unmarried?
Australia has no register that issues a single-status certificate. Ask the IND or your municipality what it accepts, which may be a sworn declaration made before a notary.
Is the Netherlands a Hague Apostille Convention country?
Yes, in force since 8 October 1965, as of our last check. Check the HCCH status table on the day.
Can a Justice of the Peace certify documents for the IND?
The IND wants apostilled originals, so it rarely arises. Where a certified copy is wanted for use in the Netherlands, a JP will not usually do.
Is this page the same as the Netherlands apostille page?
No. This page covers the residence permit pack. The Netherlands apostille page covers marriage, dual nationals, property and company documents.
