Consular Legalization

a) Consular Legalization at the Embassies and Consulates

The purpose of consular legalization – to establish and to demonstrate the authenticity of signatures on the documents and acts, as well as their compliance with the laws of the host country. The relevant official of the diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Armenia legalizes documents and acts, which are developed with the participation of the competent authorities of its consular district, or documents and acts deriving from them. As a rule, these documents and acts are legalized by the Foreign Offices of the host country. The competent authorities of the Republic of Armenia shall take such documents for consideration only if they have consular legalization, unless otherwise stipulated by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia or international treaties to which the Republic of Armenia and the host country are parties. Those documents and acts which contradict with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia or their contents may be harmful to the interests of the Republic of Armenia, or contain information discrediting the honor and dignity of citizens of the Republic of Armenia are not subject to legalization.

b) Consular Legalization at the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

Reception of citizens for consular legalization of documents by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organized on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10.00 to 12.00 at the Amiryan Street entrance. Consular Department legalizes the following documents:

• Final documents issued by educational institutions of the Republic of Armenia (Diplomas) and extracts from them. If the country where the document is intended to be used is a party to the Hague Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents of 5 October 1961 (APOSTILLE Convention), then the documents shall be certified with APOSTILLE (list of participating countries).
• Documents certified by a notary, if the country where they are intended to be used has not acceded to the said Convention. 
• Documents issued or legalized by the foreign diplomatic missions and consulates accredited to the Republic of Armenia, if they (documents) are intended for use in the territory of Armenia.

Notary Services

Diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Armenia in foreign countries can notarize documents for submission at the territory of the Republic of Armenia. They may also certify documents designated for use in foreign countries, with the provision that they are in one way or another related to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, as well as documents and their copies belonging to foreign nationals if they relate to their activities or residence in Armenia.

Diplomatic missions and consular posts perform only the following notary services:

• certify the transaction (the contracts, wills, powers of attorney, etc.), except for contracts for the alienation and mortgage of immovable property situated in the territory of the Republic of Armenia;
• take measures to protect the inherited property;
• issue inheritance law certificate;
• issue certificate of title to share in the joint property of spouses;
• certify the authenticity of the copies of documents and extracts from them;
• certify the authenticity of signatures on documents;
• certify the accuracy of the translation of documents;
• certify the fact of a citizen being alive;
• certify the fact of a citizen being in a particular place;
• certify the identity of the citizen with the person shown in the photograph;
• certify the time of presentation of documents;
• accept the deposit of money, valuables and documents.

For more information on consular legalization and notary services you may contact the nearest diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Armenia (click here for the list).