Attesting Nigerian Documents (FAQs)

Nigeria is not a member of the Apostille Convention and does not issue Apostille stamps. Documents legalized by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs need additional authentication by the embassy of the receiving country in Abuja before they can be used.

For further information, see:
Nigeria Attestation Services

For further information about legalizing document issued in Nigeria, see:
Nigeria Attestation Services

Documents required for Germany
The legalization of Nigerian public documents and certificates was ceased in May 2000 due to the lack of security features. It was replaced by a verification process in which Nigerian public documents are verified upon request by a German court or authority. The verification process can only be initiated on request of a German authority, not by a private person.
Verification of Nigerian Documents by the Embassy of Germany

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will legalize official documents issued in Nigeria, including:

• Nigerian birth certificates and Attestation of Birth certificates issued by the National Population Commission
• Marriage certificates issued by a Federal Marriage Registry
• Certificates of single status
• Police Character Certificates
• University diplomas
• Ordinary National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas
• Divorce certificates
• Certificates of Incorporation issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission
• Notarized documents, including powers of attorney

To confirm whether your document is eligible for legalization in Nigeria, Contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about legalizing documents in Nigeria and for assistance obtaining official copies of Nigerian documents, see:
Certify documents issued in Nigeria for use abroad

Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public Nigerian document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a Nigerian birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized.

Legalzing a document in Nigeria certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Nigeria and confirms the capacity of that official.

Nigerian document legalization is a two-step process:

• First the document will need to be legalized by Nigerian authorities.
• Then the document will need to be legalized by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in Nigeria or non-resident embassy accredited to Nigeria).

Note that Nigeria is not issue Apostille Stamps, so Nigerian documents cannot be legalized by Apostille.
See: Document legalization - Wikipedia

Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in Nigeria including document attestation and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

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Nigeria Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of Nigerian documents certified with Apostille stamps:

• Nigeria Marriage Certificate attested by UAE Embassy (PDF)
• Nigeria Police Character Certificate Attested by Consulate of Spain (PDF)

See What does an Apostille look like?

Official birth certificates or attestation of birth letters (issued to individuals aged over 18) are available from the National Population Commission (NPC) upon submission of an affidavit certified by the High Court.

Certified True Copies of Nigerian marriage certificates can be obtained from the Federal Marriage Registry.

• Nigerian birth and death certificates online
• Federal Marriage Registries
• FAQs - Nigerian Marriage Certificates

Nigerian Birth certificates and Attestation of Birth Letters issued by the National Population Commission (NPC), and true certified copies of marriage certificates issued by a Federal Marriage Registry can be legalized for use abroad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the embassy of the recipient country in Abuja.

Nigerian Police Character Certificates, certifying an absence of a criminal record in Nigeria, can be obtained in person or through an authorized representative from the Police Central Criminal Registry. Applications from abroad may also be submitted to a Nigerian embassy or High Commission.

• Police Character Certificate online
• Police Criminal Check (High Commission in London)
• Police Security Certificate (Nigerian Embassy in UAE)
• Police Character Certificate - Nigerian High Commission in Australia

Nigerian Police Certificates of Character (Criminal Record Certificates) can be legalized for use abroad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the embassy of the recipient country in Abuja.

Nigerian university diplomas must be certified by the Ministry of Education, legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and finally attested by the embassy or High Commission of the recipient country in Abuja. The Ministry of Education requires a verification letter from the university. The verification letter should confirm the student's name, matriculation number, course of study and year of graduation.