Certification of document authenticity (legalisation) means verification of signature and seal of a document. It is performed by a competent institution of issuing country in order the documents issued in one country were in force in another one. Legalisation also implies confirmation of the legal status and authority of the signatory.

N.B. Certification of document authenticity (legalisation) is not a notarial act.

The documents issued in United Kingdom have to be legalised in order to be valid in Latvia.

The documents issued in Latvia have to be legalised in order to be valid overseas.

The signatures or stamps of public officials on certain documents have to be confirmed before those documents can be accepted overseas. For example, if you want to get married or start working overseas, several documents (such as birth or education certificates) may need to be legalised.

The responsible institution that deals with legalisation of documents issued in the United Kingdom is the Legalisation Office.

Legalisation Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Old Admiralty Building

The Mall

London SW1A 2LG

Tel. +44 (0)20 7008 1111

The responsible institution that deals with legalisation of documents issued in Latvia is the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Consular Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Elizabetes iela 57

Riga, LV 1050

Tel. +371 7016364.

If any information remained unclear, this is the option to ask your question by filling out the form below