Legalisations

The Legalisation Service of the Federal Chancellery will be closed on the following dates:

The Friday after Ascension Day, 10.05.2024 -> closed

The Friday after Swiss National Day, 02.08.2024 -> closed

The Friday after Christmas, 27.12.2024 -> closed

The Friday after New Year's Eve, 03.01.2025 -> closed

Legalisations can then only be obtained by post.

For the specific procedure, please consult the Factsheet (PDF) for the legalisation of documents on this page.

The Federal Chancellery’s HR, Finance, Controlling Section is responsible for certifying the authenticity of original signatures on documents required abroad.

What has to be certified?

Signatures from administrative offices of the Federal Administration, including from Swiss embassies and consulates, foreign diplomatic missions and consulates in Switzerland, cantonal chancelleries and organisations that carry out public duties in the general interest of the country (Article 8, Organisation Ordinance for the Federal Chancellery, SR 172.210.10).

Certification by apostille

For states which are party to the Hague Convention, certification in the form of an apostille is sufficient. Documents do not need to be certified by a consular agent and are otherwise recognised in the country for which they are intended (Article 2, Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents).

For all states which are not party to the Hague Convention, the normal certification process without apostille applies, in which authentication by a consular or diplomatic agent is required.