When a document needs to have legal effect abroad, simply translating it is not enough. Foreign authorities often require an additional step: legalization. This procedure confirms the authenticity of the document—and sometimes that of the translation—so that it is recognized in another country.
At Legal 230, we assist companies, law firms, notaries, and individuals in preparing documents for international use. Our role is to ensure that your documents are admissible, compliant, and usable without risk of rejection.
Why legalize a legal document for international use?
Not all jurisdictions automatically give the same value to a foreign document. Before being accepted by a court, government agency, or company, a document must often undergo an official verification process.
Legalization serves three purposes:
• to confirm the signature or authority issuing the document;
• to certify that the document complies with the form expected by the country of destination;
• to avoid any risk of fraud or legal challenge.
Without this step, a contract, judgment, or notarized document may be considered invalid abroad.
Apostille or legalization: what are the differences between countries?
The distinction is essential to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth trips.
If the country is a signatory to the Hague Convention, an apostille is sufficient:
. This is an official certificate issued by the competent court of appeal in France. The apostille replaces any other diplomatic formalities.
If the country is not a signatory, the procedure is longer:
the document must first be certified by the competent French authority (often the Department of State), then presented to the consulate or embassy of the destination country.
Legal documents frequently involved:
judicial decisions, notarial deeds, company articles of association, international contracts, powers of attorney, HR documents, civil status documents, property deeds, or tax documents.
Who can legalize a legal document? The competent authorities
In France, two main authorities are involved, depending on the type of formality:
• Courts of Appeal: for apostilles on public or certified documents;
• Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs: for diplomatic legalization.
When the document must then be validated by a country outside the Convention, the embassy or consulate takes over.
Certain professions—notaries, court clerks, public officers—also issue documents whose authenticity may require secondary legalization.
Legal translation: an essential step before legalization
In many procedures, the translated version of the document must be provided before legalization.
And above all: it is the translation itself that will be apostilled or legalized.
This involves two major requirements:
• the translation must be carried out in the form expected by the foreign authority;
• it must be certified by a certified translator when required by the jurisdiction.
An inaccurate or non-compliant translation may result in immediate rejection of the application.
Legal 230 ensures that each translation complies with the standards of the recipient country—institutional vocabulary, structure, mandatory information, accepted formats.
How does Legal 230 secure your international transactions?
Legalization is a set of technical procedures that are often time-consuming. Legal 230 takes care of the key steps:
• Analysis of the destination country and official requirements;
• Legal translation or certified translation;
• Terminology compliance and validation by a bilingual lawyer;
• Verification of the expected format (paper, certified PDF, signatures, stamps);
• Assistance with legalization or apostille procedures.
Our method is based on a simple principle: providing a document that can be used immediately with the foreign authority, without the risk of being sent back.
Examples of documents that are regularly legalized
Our teams work on a wide range of cases, including:
court decisions, company articles of association, deeds of sale, international commercial leases, notarized powers of attorney, certificates of residence, expatriation files, accounting documents, audit reports, tax documents, and civil status documents.
Each type of document involves a specific process and must be prepared with care to avoid any administrative delays.
Procedure: how to prepare a file for legalization?
The procedure depends on the country, the use of the document, and the nature of the deed. In general:
- Identify the country's regime (Hague Convention or not).
- Prepare the translation if necessary, in the exact format required.
- Check the competent authority: court of appeals, ministry, embassy.
- Check mandatory information: signatures, stamps, references, certificates.
- Follow the official procedure (apostille or diplomatic legalization).
Legal 230 supports its clients to ensure that the entire file is compliant from the first submission.
The legalization of international legal documents is not merely an administrative formality. It is a process that determines the validity of a document abroad and the recognition of its content by a foreign authority.
By choosing Legal 230, you can be sure that every document will be translated, checked, and prepared in accordance with the requirements of the destination country. Our expertise in international law, legal translation, and document compliance will help you avoid costly mistakes and increase the efficiency of your cross-border procedures.
👉 Request a quote for the translation and legalization of your international legal documents.
FAQ – Legalization and international legal documents
What is legalization and what is it used for?
Legalization is a procedure that allows a French document to be recognized in another country. It verifies the authenticity of the signature or official stamp on the document.
What is the difference between an apostille and consular legalization?
The apostille applies only between countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention.
Consular legalization is required for non-signatory countries and involves several authorities.
Which documents must be translated before legalization?
The most common rule: contracts, notarized deeds, articles of association, court decisions, HR documents, civil status documents, and administrative documents. The destination country may require a certified translation.
Can I have my translation legalized directly?
Yes, if the foreign court requires a certified translation. In this case, it is the translation—not the original document—that is apostilled or legalized.
Can Legal 230 handle all the procedures? We take care of translation, document preparation, and assistance with the necessary formalities, providing precise instructions on the process to follow depending on the country and type of document.