Does my medical certificate need to be legalized?
Keurdokter specializes in medical examinations for visa applications. We see various forms from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Japan, China, and South Africa. Before the visa is approved, you’ll need a collection of stamps and signatures.
What does legalizing documents entail? And is an apostille sufficient?
What does legalization mean?
Legalization means making a document suitable for use in another country. The steps you need to take vary by country. This depends on the agreements made between the Netherlands and the country where you want to use the document.
Legalizing a document has nothing to do with its content. Legalization proves that an official body issued the document, that the signature and stamp are genuine, and that the document’s format is correct.
For a health declaration, confirmation is required that the declaration has been signed by a healthcare provider with an active BIG registration. You can contact the CIBG’s BIG register for this. You send the declaration along with the application form to the BIG register. If approved, you will receive the form back, stamped. The stamp serves as confirmation.
Read more about this on the Dutch government website.
Apostille
In many countries, you can have a document legalized with an apostille. An apostille is a shortened form of legalization. The Court in the Netherlands legalizes the document with one type of stamp/sticker: an apostille.
This applies to all countries that are part of the Apostille Convention.
View the list of participating countries here.
The country I’m traveling to doesn’t participate in the Apostille Convention, what now?
Having your medical certificate legalized is done by the Consular Service Center (CDC).
This usually involves two steps:
- An authority in the Netherlands checks whether the official body has signed the document. This is usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After approval, the document receives a stamp/sticker.
- The country you’re traveling to also legalizes the document with a stamp/sticker after checking. This is usually the relevant embassy or consulate, often located in The Hague.
Having your document translated
The document may need to be translated. This must be done by a certified translator. It’s best to check with the authorities if this is necessary. They can also advise you on a translator.
Our standard Declaration of Health is in English. If you need multiple documents translated from Dutch, it may be helpful to receive the medical certificate in Dutch as well. You can indicate this when scheduling your appointment. We can also issue both versions for you at no extra charge.
Have you received a medical examination form for your visa application? Then easily schedule an appointment for the medical examination.
The forms issued by Keurdokter are suitable for legalization/apostilization.
You can call us at 0228 – 543 903 or fill in our contactform. We are happy to assist you.
Locations Keurdokter: Almere, Andijk, Hoorn, Heerhugowaard, Texel en Zaandam.