Your documents, ready for the world.
Based in Australia. We prepare Australian documents for overseas use — and obtain and process overseas documents for you while you're here.
Choose your document route
Australian documents for overseas use
Birth and marriage certificates, police checks, qualifications, powers of attorney and company documents going overseas.
- Apostille
- DFAT authentication
- Embassy legalisation
- Notarisation
Overseas documents you need while living in Australia
Birth certificates, police clearances, marital status documents and more from your country of origin. We coordinate the overseas process on your behalf, so you don't have to manage it from here.
- Obtaining documents
- Apostille & authentication
- Embassy legalisation
Sound familiar?
Most requests start with a document someone has asked for. Here's where people usually begin.
An overseas employer needs my degree apostilled.
Apostille for Australian documentsThe embassy says my marriage certificate must be legalised.
Authentication and embassy legalisationHome Affairs wants my full birth certificate from the country I was born in.
Obtaining overseas documentsMy visa needs a police clearance from a country I used to live in.
Overseas police clearancesI have to sign a power of attorney for a property overseas.
Notarisation coordinationI need a document from another country and don't know where to start.
Overseas request
Documents from abroad, handled from here.
Need a certificate, police clearance or record from another country? We work with associated offices and trusted partners overseas, and coordinate every step for you from Australia.
Obtain
Birth, marriage and death certificates, police clearances, academic and court records — requested from the issuing authority.
Certify
Apostille, authentication or legalisation in the country that issued the document, so it's accepted here.
Translate
Certified translation arranged where an Australian authority needs the document in English.
Deliver
Returned to you by tracked courier, with every real step shown on your request.
From question to certified — without the guesswork.
You always see what happens next, who does it, and what it costs. How it works
- Tell us about it
Australian or overseas document.
- We assess it
Route, requirements and any uncertainty checked.
- Receive your quote
Every fee on its own line.
- Approve
Nothing is payable until you say yes.
- We coordinate
Notaries, DFAT, embassies and overseas authorities.
- Track progress
Real updates at every real step.
- Delivered
Tracked return to you.
Coordinated here. Delivered there.
We're based in Australia and work with the people and organisations here who need documents to move across borders. DFAT allows someone to attend a legalisation appointment on your behalf — that's what we do, so you don't have to book, queue, post or chase.
- Every Australian document checked for eligibility before it's lodged
- Associated offices and trusted partners overseas supporting requests for documents from other countries
- Notaries, embassies and overseas authorities coordinated where your route needs them
- We're not DFAT, an embassy or a notary — and we never promise processing times or acceptance
Every step of the legalisation chain.
Choose a service directly, or let the guided request work out which combination you need.
Apostille assistance
Hague Convention countries. One certificate, recognised by every Convention country.
Quotedfree assessment 02DFAT authentication
Non-Hague countries. The first step for countries outside the Convention.
Quotedfree assessment 03
Embassy & consular legalisation
After DFAT authentication. Completing the chain — embassy by embassy.
Quotedfree assessment 04
Notarisation coordination
Before DFAT. The right professional, engaged the right way.
Quotedfree assessment 05
Certified translation
Alongside legalisation. Translations timed with your legalisation.
Quotedfree assessment 06Overseas document assistance
Overseas documents for people in Australia. Documents from abroad, coordinated from Australia.
Quotedfree assessment
Every quote separates three things
Quotes are in Australian dollars, show the validity period, and set out what's included and what isn't.
A written quote before anything starts.
Every request is different, so we quote each one individually. You'll see our fee and every third-party charge on separate lines, and nothing is payable until you approve.
Know where every document is.
Each document in your request has its own progress — received, lodged, returned, checked, dispatched — updated by our team when it actually happens. Clients can log in to accept quotes, upload what's needed and message their case manager securely.
Know before you lodge.
Plain-English guides with their sources and review dates. All guides & updates
Documents not in English? What Home Affairs asks for
A certificate in another language needs an English translation before Home Affairs will rely on it. Here's what the translation must include, and who can do it.
Overseas police certificates for an Australian visa
If you've lived outside Australia, Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate from each country you spent time in. Here's who usually needs one, and how to plan for it.
Apostille or authentication? How to tell which you need
Both certificates are issued by DFAT. Which one you need depends on where the document is going — and on what the receiving authority asks for.
Good to know.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that verifies the signature, seal or stamp on a public document so it can be recognised in another country that is party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. In Australia, apostilles are issued only by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). An apostille does not verify the content of the document.
What's the difference between an apostille and an authentication?
Both are issued by DFAT. An apostille is used for countries that are party to the Apostille Convention. An authentication certificate is used for countries that are not — and is usually followed by legalisation at that country's embassy or consulate. Our guided request checks your destination against the official Convention status list.
How do I know which one I need?
Start with what the receiving authority asked for, then check your destination. Our guided request does this for you and flags any mismatch — for example, if you were asked for an apostille but the destination isn't a Convention party. If in doubt, ask the receiving authority to confirm in writing; DFAT itself cannot tell you what an overseas authority will accept.
Is Apostille Express part of DFAT or the government?
No. We are an independent, privately owned business that assists customers with preparing and lodging documents. DFAT issues apostilles and authentications; embassies legalise documents; notaries public notarise them. DFAT allows someone to attend a lodgement appointment on your behalf, which is part of what we do.