Legalising Malaysian Documents for Germany

Written By Zhihan Chew

Short answer: a Malaysian document for Germany goes through four steps: endorsement by the issuing authority where needed, authentication of the original at Wisma Putra (Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs), legalisation at the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur (online appointment only, €36 per document, done on the spot), and then translation into German. Translate only after Wisma Putra, so the stamps are translated too.

We prepare documents the German Embassy will accept: correct notarisation, Wisma Putra attestation and the appointment. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.

Last reviewed: October 2026.

Step by step

  1. Endorsement, where needed. Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates and court decisions go straight to Wisma Putra. Educational documents need endorsement by the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Higher Education first. Contracts, powers of attorney and affidavits must be notarised, and the notary must state what was done, for example witnessing a signature: "Simply signing the document is not sufficient."

  2. Wisma Putra authentication of the original. "Only original documents should be authenticated by Wisma Putra." Wisma Putra is walk-in and returns documents the same day or the next working day.

  3. Legalisation at the German Embassy. Book an online appointment; the consular counter opens Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm, by appointment only. Bring the original with the Wisma Putra stamp. You can send a representative, and legalisation is done during the appointment.

  4. Pay €36 per document, in ringgit cash at the embassy's exchange rate or by Visa or Mastercard (fee schedule in force since October 2021).

  5. Translate into German after the Wisma Putra stamp is on the document. See "Translation" below.

What the embassy will not legalise

  • Photocopies or certified true copies: only originals are legalised. In our experience a certified true copy is generally refused, but an extract issued by the authority itself is accepted, such as a birth certificate extract issued by JPN.

  • Copies of degrees, transcripts or school certificates: educational documents must be the originals.

  • Private documents that are not bound to the notary's certificate. Powers of attorney, declarations and contracts must be bound together with the notarial certificate, so that no page can be removed or replaced.

  • Documents certified by a Commissioner for Oaths, whose certification "is not recognized for international use".

  • MyKad and passports.

  • Laminated documents. Remove the lamination, or ask JPN for a new extract; see our birth certificate guide.

Degrees and school certificates

The embassy notes that "in many cases, Malaysian educational documents are accepted in Germany without legalization." Ask the German university or recognition office before you start; if they want legalisation, the Ministry endorsement comes first. See our degree and transcript guide.

Marrying in Germany

A German registry office (Standesamt) usually asks a Malaysian partner for the original birth certificate and a current statement of marital status: from JPN for non-Muslims, or from the state religious authority for Muslims. Both must be legalised. JPN's statement of marital status is valid for 150 days from issue. Translations are generally expected from a translator publicly appointed in Germany. See our marriage and divorce guide.

Translation

The German Embassy states: "there are no certified and sworn translators in Malaysia, according to the German regulations!" Translations by translators on the embassy's own list no longer need certification for use in Germany, but "the requesting German authority will decide in its sole discretion" which translation it accepts, and some registry offices want a translator sworn in Germany. Ask the German authority first. Bilingual Malaysian certificates often still need translating, because the entries are in Malay.

German documents for use in Malaysia

Germany's apostille is not recognised in Malaysia. A German document is pre-certified by the competent German authority (Vorbeglaubigung), given final certification by the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (BfAA, €22), and then legalised by the Malaysian Embassy in Berlin. Malaysian agencies also need an English or Malay translation by a translator Wisma Putra accepts; see who can certify a translation.

Informationen auf Deutsch

Malaysische Urkunden für Deutschland durchlaufen in der Regel vier Schritte:

  1. Falls nötig, Beglaubigung durch die zuständige malaysische Behörde (Bildungsnachweise durch das Bildungsministerium; Verträge und Vollmachten durch einen Notar, der seine Amtshandlung angibt).

  2. Beglaubigung des Originals durch Wisma Putra, das malaysische Außenministerium.

  3. Legalisation durch die Deutsche Botschaft Kuala Lumpur, nur mit Online-Termin, 36 € pro Urkunde.

  4. Übersetzung ins Deutsche erst danach, damit auch die Stempel übersetzt werden.

Kopien, laminierte Urkunden, MyKad, Reisepässe und Beglaubigungen durch einen Commissioner for Oaths werden nicht legalisiert. Deutsche Urkunden für Malaysia benötigen eine Vorbeglaubigung, die Endbeglaubigung durch das Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten (22 €) und die Legalisation durch die Botschaft von Malaysia in Berlin; eine Apostille wird in Malaysia nicht anerkannt. Fragen? Schreiben Sie uns auf WhatsApp (+60 17-227 9378).

Aus unserer Erfahrung: Beglaubigte Kopien werden in der Regel nicht akzeptiert, Auszüge der ausstellenden Behörde (zum Beispiel ein Geburtsurkundenauszug des JPN) dagegen schon. Bildungsnachweise müssen im Original vorgelegt werden, und private Urkunden müssen mit der notariellen Bescheinigung fest verbunden sein.

Common questions

Can I get an apostille in Malaysia for Germany?

No. Malaysia does not issue apostilles, so the German Embassy legalises Malaysian documents instead. See apostille in Malaysia.

Can someone else take my documents to the embassy?

Yes. The embassy accepts a representative, but an appointment is still required.

How long does it take?

Wisma Putra returns documents the same day or the next working day, and the German Embassy legalises them during your appointment. Allow time to get an appointment slot.

Can my document be translated before Wisma Putra?

Better not. The embassy says to translate after Wisma Putra so that the stamps are translated as well.

Related guides

Sources:

Zhihan Chew
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