Document legalization
Legalization of documents issued in Malta for presentation in the Russian Federation
In accordance with the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, to which both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Malta are party, documents authenticated by an Apostille issued by a participating state are exempt from consular validation – meaning verification of authenticity of signatures, authority of the persons signing the document and authenticity of the seals and stamps done by the Consular offices of other participating states. Documents with an Apostille affixed to them do not require any further legalization.
An Apostille is a stamp introduced by the Hague Convention. It is affixed to documents by the competent authority of the country in which the document was issued. In Malta it is issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Malta.
The following documents are considered official documents – meaning documents for public use – in accordance with the Hague Convention, which allows an Apostille to be affixed to them:
- Documents issued by organizations or officials associated with courts or state tribunals, including documents issued by public prosecutors, court secretaries or bailiffs;
- Documents of an administrative/executive authority;
- Documents certified by a notary public;
- Official validating endorsements, placed on documents signed by individuals acting in a personal capacity, such as official certificates of registration of a document or of its existence on the date indicated, as well as official and notarial verification of a signature.
The Hague Convention does not apply to:
- Documents issued by diplomatic missions or consular offices;
- Documents of an administrative authority that have direct bearing on commercial transactions or customs operations.
In view of the above to legalize a document in order for it to be valid in Russia you need to:
- Have an Apostille affixed to the original document at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Malta (Palazzo Parisio, Merchant Street, Valletta, Malta, VLT 1171).
- Have the document together with the Apostille translated into Russian.
- Present these documents to the Consular Section to certify the authenticity of their translation into Russian.
