Anyone who moves to Serbia, sets up a company there, gets married or buys property will sooner or later be asked for an apostille. The apostille is a certificate confirming the authenticity of a public document. Between the states party to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, it replaces the more cumbersome process of legalisation. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Serbia are all contracting states, as are many other countries.
It sounds simple, but in practice it often takes weeks: which office is responsible depends on who issued the document, the translation has to be done in the right order, and some authorities insist on recently issued documents. This guide explains when you need an apostille, where to get it and how to have your documents translated correctly afterwards. Certification of signatures and powers of attorney by a notary is a separate topic and is only touched on here.
When you do not need an apostille: international civil status certificates
Before you apply for an apostille, it is worth checking whether you can do without one. Germany and Serbia are both parties to the Vienna CIEC Convention of 1976 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records. According to the German Embassy in Belgrade, such multilingual extracts of birth, marriage and death certificates are exempt from any formality, so they do not need an apostille. If your documents come from another country, check whether that country has also joined this convention.
In Germany, the civil registry office (Standesamt) issues these documents as an international birth certificate (Internationale Geburtsurkunde) or international marriage certificate (Internationale Eheurkunde). The Serbian equivalent is the extract on an international form (izvod na međunarodnom obrascu). Because the fields are labelled in several languages, a translation is often unnecessary as well. Whether the specific Serbian authority accepts the multilingual certificate without a translation is something you should ask in advance.
Important: according to the Embassy, the certificate of no impediment to marriage (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis) is not covered by this convention. It still needs an apostille.
Which documents typically need an apostille
| Purpose | Typical documents | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | Birth or marriage certificate for family reunification, where applicable proof of income or education | Civil status certificates preferably in the international version |
| Company formation | If a foreign company is the founder: commercial register extract, where applicable the articles of association | Individuals as founders usually only need their passport |
| Marriage in Serbia | Certificate of no impediment to marriage, where applicable the divorce judgment | Certificate of no impediment to marriage always with an apostille |
| Buying property | Power of attorney certified abroad, for a company purchase the register extract | Powers of attorney and certification are covered in a separate article on notaries |
| Work, recognition | Diplomas, certificates | Recognition is a separate procedure |
| Driving licence, dealings with authorities | Criminal record certificate, confirmations | Varies from authority to authority |
Exactly which documents you need for your residence permit depends on its legal basis. Our article Residence Permit in Serbia: Step by Step gives an overview. For the documents required to set up a company, see the guide Firmengründung in Serbien (in German), and for marriage and matrimonial property the article Ehevertrag in Serbien (in German).
Where to apply for the apostille
The apostille is always issued in the state in which the document was issued. A German birth certificate therefore cannot be apostilled in Serbia.
Germany
There is no single apostille office in Germany. The responsible authority is the one above the office that issued the document:
- Federal authorities (for example a criminal record certificate (Führungszeugnis) from the Federal Office of Justice): according to the German Embassy in Belgrade, the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten) in Brandenburg an der Havel.
- Documents from civil registry offices and state authorities: depending on the federal state, the Regierungspräsidium, Bezirksregierung, Landesverwaltungsamt or the state Ministry of the Interior. In Baden-Württemberg, for example, the Regierungspräsidien are responsible.
- Court documents and notarial deeds: as a rule, the President of the regional court (Landgericht) in whose district the court or notary is based.
The safest shortcut: ask the office that issues your document who is responsible for the apostille. Civil registry offices and notaries usually know.
Austria
Depending on the issuing office, the apostille is issued by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), the presidents of the regional courts (Landesgerichte) or the offices of the provincial governments (Ämter der Landesregierungen). For civil status certificates, according to the Province of Lower Austria, a multi-step route via the district administrative authority and the provincial government is sometimes required. Clarify the route in advance with the issuing office.
Switzerland
As a rule, the State Chancellery (Staatskanzlei) of the canton in which the document was issued is responsible. For federal documents, the Federal Chancellery in Bern is responsible.
Other countries
If your document was issued in another contracting state, that state designates its own competent authorities for the apostille. The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) publishes a list of these authorities for each contracting state. Here too, the quickest way is usually to ask the office that issued the document.
The right order: apostille first, then translation
Serbian authorities generally require foreign-language documents to come with a translation by a court-sworn translator in Serbia (sudski prevodilac, colloquially sudski tumač). The order is crucial:
- Obtain the original document, ideally freshly issued.
- Have the apostille affixed in the issuing state. The apostille is a stamp or an attached sheet.
- Translation in Serbia by a sworn translator. The document is translated including the apostille, and the translator binds the translation to the original or a certified copy.
- Submission to the Serbian authority.
If you reverse the order, translating first and apostilling afterwards, you risk the apostille not being translated and the authority rejecting your documents. Whether a translation by a translator sworn in Germany or another country is accepted in Serbia is not uniformly regulated. If in doubt, plan for the translation in Serbia and have the specific authority confirm its requirements in advance.
Sworn translators for German and other languages can be found through the lists kept by the Serbian courts. Belgrade offers a wider choice, and for standard documents the turnaround is often only a few days.
How old can the documents be?
An apostille itself has no expiry date. However, many Serbian authorities require documents that are no older than three or six months, for example for marriage or certain register entries. A birth certificate from the family folder that is twenty years old is therefore often not accepted, even if its content has not changed.
The exact time limit depends on the authority and the procedure. Please check with the authority in Serbia before you order documents. A planning tip: do not order the documents too early, but do factor in the processing time of the apostille office. In some German federal states this takes several weeks.
The other way round: Serbian documents for use abroad
The reverse situation is also common, for example when a Serbian spouse has to present documents in Germany or when a child born in Serbia is to be registered retrospectively in Germany (Nachbeurkundung).
According to the German Embassy in Belgrade, in Serbia the apostille is issued by the basic courts (osnovni sud), specifically the court in whose district the document was issued. For birth and marriage certificates, the multilingual extract on an international form is worth considering here as well, since it is recognised in Germany without an apostille.
The translation into German is then usually done by a translator publicly appointed and sworn in Germany. If the documents are to be used in another country, its own rules on translation apply. The Embassy also points out that Serbian documents relating to Kosovo can cause difficulties in Germany.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Starting too late. Apostilles are often only requested once an appointment with the immigration office has already been set. Start gathering documents as soon as it is clear what you need. Our checklist for moving to Belgrade (in German) shows where this step fits in the timeline.
Apostilling a certified copy instead of the original. An apostille on a copy usually only confirms the certification, not the document itself. Many authorities want the apostille on the original document.
Wrong office. Submitting a notarial deed to a Regierungspräsidium wastes time. Ask the issuer.
Overlooking the multilingual certificate. For birth and marriage certificates, the international version often saves you both the apostille and the translation.
Only one original. Some Serbian authorities keep the originals. If you are planning several procedures in parallel, have several originals issued and apostilled.
Support on the ground
The apostille itself has to be obtained in the issuing state. What happens afterwards in Serbia, meaning translation, copies, appointments and follow-up questions from the authorities, is difficult to manage from a distance. Exgentum supports newcomers and founders from abroad with this, with an English-speaking contact: we clarify with you in advance which documents are required for your plans, organise the sworn translation in Belgrade and accompany the submission to the authority.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an apostille for my German birth certificate?
If you order an international, multilingual birth certificate under the CIEC Convention from the civil registry office, it is exempt from the apostille according to the German Embassy in Belgrade. For a standard German birth certificate, on the other hand, you need an apostille.
Can I get the apostille from the German Embassy in Serbia?
No. The apostille is issued by the competent office in the issuing state. The Embassy does not issue apostilles for German documents.
Does the apostille need to be translated too?
Yes, the sworn translator in Serbia usually translates the document including the apostille. That is why the apostille comes before the translation.
How long is an apostille valid?
The apostille itself does not expire. However, many authorities require the document to be no older than a few months. Ask the relevant authority for the exact time limit.
How much does an apostille cost?
The fees are set by the respective office and differ between the German federal states, Austria and Switzerland. Ask the competent office for the current fee before you send in any documents.
I had a power of attorney certified by a notary in Germany. Is that enough for Serbia?
A power of attorney certified by a notary in Germany generally also needs an apostille for use in Serbia, issued by the competent regional court (Landgericht), followed by a translation. What the power of attorney must contain is best clarified in advance with the Serbian notary or lawyer.
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