Schmidt & Schmidt covers the full spectrum of legalization services for documents issued in Senegal.

Senegal joined the Hague Convention on the Simplified Authentication of Documents on the 13. July 2022; the Convention entered into force on the 23. March 2023.

The apostille, or the “Hague apostille” is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document (e.g., a birth, marriage or death certificate, a judgment, an extract of a register or a notarial attestation). It confirms the authenticity of the signature and the authority of an official who signed the public document.

Documents issued in Senegal and certified with an apostille in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1961 are recognised in all Member States of the Hague Convention and do not require any other form of certification, such as consular legalization, which considerably reduces the costs and time required for the certification of documents. So far, more than 120 states have joined the Convention.

The apostille in Senegal is a square stamp in French and English with the obligatory heading "Apostille" and a reference to the 1961 Hague Convention in French (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961). The apostille certificate’s sides will be at least 9 centimeters long.

Designated Competent Apostille Authorities in Senegal:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

• Ministère des Affaires Étrangères / Place de l’indépendance, Dakar

Types of documents

Specific aspects and document requirements for the apostille in Senegal

The apostille process can vary depending on the sender and recipient country, but typically to obtain an apostille for a document in Senegal, you must go through the following steps:

• Obtaining the original document to be apostilled;
• Verification of the signature on the document by the authorized body;
• Issuance of an apostille on a document by an authorized body;
• Submission of the document together with the apostille in the recipient country.

This process can be time-consuming, especially if it includes multiple documents and different countries. To ensure a smooth and accurate apostille process, it is recommended to seek guidance from specialists familiar with the requirements and procedures. Their expertise can help avoid delays and errors in obtaining documents apostille.

Document requirements that might apply:

• The document must be an original or a certified copy issued by the competent authority.
• The document should contain all relevant and accurate information.
• The document must be in the official language of the issuing country or translated into the official language of the country where the apostille is sought.
• The apostille must be affixed by the designated competent authority in accordance with regulations.

The apostille is issued in a uniform format. In Senegal, it has the form of a printed sticker with a handwritten signature of an official, an official seal, and a hologram.

In cases where apostilles are not recognized, holders of foreign documents will need to legalize them instead. However, If the country of destination of the document recognizes and issues apostilles, then legalization is unnecessary.

The apostille is not sufficient for use in the states that are not party to the Hague Convention. In this case, consular legalization applies to a public document.

Consular legalization of Senegalese documents for use abroad

Should a Senegalese document be used in a country that does not recognize the Hague Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates or other countries not listed as a contracting party, the procedure of consular legalization, also called “embassy attestation”, applies. For a complete list of countries that accept and use apostilles, click here.

Consular legalization is the process of authenticating or certifying a legal document so a foreign country's legal system will recognize it as with full legal effect that is carried out by the diplomatic or consular mission of the country in which the document is to be used.

Consular legalization is more complex, time-consuming and costly than the simpler apostille procedure. Whereas apostille is usually issued within one step, consular legalization requires several pre-certifications before a public document can be certified at the embassy or consulate of the destination country in Senegal.

It is a common requirement that the document has to be translated into the official language of the destination country before submission to the embassy. It is up to the diplomatic mission to decide about the authentication procedure.

The main differences between an apostille and consular legalization of documents

The common feature between apostille and consular legalization is that they authenticate an official document for presentation to institutions in another country. However, they have many differences.

Consular legalization of Senegalese documents for use in Germany

Generally, German authorities require Senegalese documents to be presented in legalized form. The legalization procedure is carried out by the German embassy in Dakar. Prior to the final consular legalization by the embassy, the documents must be pre-authenticated by the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The original document with the pre-authentication endorsement of the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs can then be legalized by the German embassy in Dakar.

Consular legalization of German documents for use in Senegal

As a rule, the legalization procedure first requires the document to be pre-authenticated by the authorities of the issuing country. If German public documents are to be used abroad, there is the option of consular legalization of the document. This does not apply if consular legalization is excluded by an agreement under international law and is replaced by an apostille if necessary.

You can find out whether consular legalization is required from the foreign office to which the German document is to be submitted. Consular legalization is carried out by the diplomatic or consular mission of the foreign country concerned in Germany. The responsibility for this is regulated differently in the German federal states.

Procurement of documents from Senegal

If the important documents are lost or damaged, or current copies of the documents are needed, the re-issue of the documents is required. It is not unusual for people outside Senegal to encounter difficulties with obtaining new documents when abroad. Our consultants will help you procure new documents from Senegal remotely, and we can arrange for your documents to be sent by courier anywhere in the world.

Certified translation of documents from Senegal

Copies and transcripts of civil status documents can be translated into any language by a sworn translator in Senegal or the translation can be done in the country of destination. We offer certified translations of civil status documents with further certification. The cost of the work is calculated according to the volume of the document in question.

Does the translation have to be apostillized?

Any foreign document issued in one country and used in another country must be legalized for use abroad. Therefore, the authenticity of a certified translation from Senegal needs to be certified by an apostille. Consequently, many authorities may not accept certified translations from Senegal if the translation has not been properly authenticated in Senegal for use abroad. To avoid this confusion, translations should better be made in the state of destination of the document.