Diploma legalisation
If you are you planning to work or study abroad, you will often need to have your Dutch educational certificates, such as your diploma or list of grades, legalised. Your employer or school can tell you whether legalisation is necessary.
You apply to DUO for this legalisation. After that, you will need to finalise the legalisation at your local district court or the Consular Service Centre.
How legalisation works
- First, you apply to DUO to have your educational documents legalised. You can do this in person at our service desks in Amsterdam, Groningen, and Rotterdam or you can apply for legalisation by registered mail to Groningen. DUO will check if your relevant document meets all the requirements.
- After that, you will need to go to a district court or the Consular Service Centre. They will finalise the legalisation process.
- Is your country of destination on the list of apostille countries Link opent externe pagina ? If so, you will need to apply to a Dutch district court Link opent externe pagina for an apostille.
- If your destination country is not on the list of apostille countries, you will need to contact the Consular Service Centre Link opent externe pagina in The Hague, and in many cases also the embassy or consulate of the country you are going to.
Requirements for legalisation
Your educational document must be:
- original and complete
- printed on original paper from the educational institution
- signed by a representative of the educational institution
Your educational programme must also be officially recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Official recognition: check Mijn diploma's
If the details of your diploma are registered in Mijn diploma's, you can be certain that your educational programme is officially recognised.
Are the details of your diploma are not registered here? Or can’t you log in to Mijn DUO? Then you can send a copy of your educational document to diplomaservices@duo.nl.
Legalisation at our service desk
- Make an appointment Link opent externe pagina .
- Bring your original educational document to the appointment.
- We will check your educational document. If we are able to legalise it, we will do so immediately.
- After that, you will need to go to a district court or the Consular Service Centre to finalize the legalisation.
Address and opening hours service desk Amsterdam
Opening hours
Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Address
Kingsfordweg 1
1043 GN Amsterdam
Please do not send any registered mail to this address.
Pin only
You can only pay with pin.
Address and opening hours service desk Groningen
Opening hours
Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Address
Kempkensberg 12
9722 TB Groningen
Pin only
You can only pay with pin.
Address and opening hours service desk Rotterdam
Opening hours
Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Address
Laan op Zuid 45
3072 DB Rotterdam
Please do not send any registered mail to this address.
Pin only
You can only pay with pin.
Legalisation by registered mail
- Complete the Application legalisation or diploma description form.
- Send the form to DUO, together with your original educational document. Do so using registered mail. The address is on the form.
- We will check your educational document. If we are able to legalise it, we will send you a payment request by email.
- After your payment, we will legalise your educational document. You will receive your legalised document within 3 weeks.
- After that, you will need to go to a district court or the Consular Service Centre to finalise the legalisation.
Fees
Legalisation at one of our service desks costs €6 per educational document.
Legalisation by registered mail costs €6 per educational document, plus a non-recurring €10 administration fee. We will send you a payment request by email.
Contact
If you have any questions, you can call the Diploma Services department on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 12 noon: +31 50 599 77 78. Or send an email to diplomaservices@duo.nl.