Frequently Asked Questions:
Rwanda Apostille and Legalization Services
General Questions
- Can Rwandan documents be legalized by Apostille?
- What types of documents can be legalized in Rwanda for use abroad?
- What is a Rwandan Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
- What is document legalization in Rwanda?
- What services does Isarey Certification Services provide in Rwanda?
- Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Rwandan Attestation and Apostille Services?
Birth, death and marriage certificates
Criminal record certificates
Answers
Can Rwandan documents be legalized by Apostille?
Yes - Rwanda acceded to the Apostille Convention in June 2024, so that Rwandan documents required for submission to other signatory countries can be authenticated with an Apostille stamp and do not require additional attestation by the embassy or consulate of the recipient country.
When Rwandan documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as 
United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar they need additional attestation by the embassy of the destination country in Kigali.
For further information see:
Rwanda Apostille Services
For further information about Apostille certification in Rwanda, see:
Rwanda Apostille Services
What types of documents can be legalized in Rwanda for use abroad?
Rwandan Apostille stamps can be obtained for official documents issued in Rwanda, including
- Birth, death and marriage certificates
- Criminal record certificates.
- University Degrees, diplomas, transcripts, school reports
- Certificates of being single
- Divorce certificates
- Judicial documents
- Notarial acts (Powers of Attorney, certified copies, certified translations, commercial registry extracts)
To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in Rwanda, please Contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our Rwandan apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Rwandan documents, see:
Rwanda Apostille Services
What is a Rwandan Apostille Stamp and why would I need one?
A Rwandan Apostille is a certificate that is affixed to a public document. It certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Rwanda and confirms the capacity of that official.
Rwandan Apostille stamps are often required when submitting a Rwandan document, such as a birth certificate, to the authorities of a foreign country or to a foreign embassy in Rwanda (for example, as part of a visa or citizenship application). Apostilles are recognised by the authorities and embassies of countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention
For more information on Apostilles, see:
The ABCs of Apostilles (PDF)
What is document legalization in Rwanda?
Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public Rwandan document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a Rwandan birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized.
Legalizing a document in Rwanda certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Rwanda and confirms the capacity of that official.
- Because Rwanda is a member of the Apostille Convention, Rwandan documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the Hague Apostille Convention
- If a Rwandan document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by Rwandan authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in Rwanda or non-resident embassy accredited to Rwanda).
See: Document legalization - Wikipedia
What services does Isarey Certification Services provide in Rwanda?
Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in Rwanda including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services.
Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Rwandan Attestation and Apostille Services?
You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:
How can I obtain a copy of a Rwandan birth, marriage or death certificate?
Official copies of Rwandan birth, death and marriage certificates can be obtained online through the IremboGov ( Irembo account required). Applicants from aboard without an Irembo account should contact the nearest Rwandan embassy or High Commission.
How can I obtain my Rwandan Criminal Record Certificate to use abroad?
Rwandan Criminal Record Certificate are issued by the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) and are available to Rwandan nationals and foreign nationals currently or formerly resident in Rwanda. Applications can be submitted online using the Irembo platform ( Irembo account required), by visiting the nearest Irembo agent in Rwanda, or though Rwandan embassies and High Commissions abroad.
Do Rwandan Criminal Record Certificates have an expiry?
Rwandan criminal record certificates are valid for six months from the date of issue.
How can I get a quote to certify my documents?
To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:
If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.
Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files and provide us with the passwords separately:
PDF,
PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)
For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)