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This guide provides general information and is not legal advice. Shamil Translation provides certified translation services only. We do not apply for, obtain, collect, deliver or arrange Apostilles. Saudi Apostille requests must be handled through the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs service.
A Saudi birth certificate may need an apostille before it can be submitted to an authority outside Saudi Arabia. The correct process depends on the destination country, the purpose of the submission, and the requirements of the organization receiving the document.
The Apostille Convention entered into force for Saudi Arabia on 7 December 2022. An apostille authenticates the origin of a qualifying public document. Translation is a separate step that makes the document understandable in the language required by the embassy, university, immigration office, court or civil registry reviewing it.
Before paying for either service, confirm three points:
Where will the birth certificate be used?
Does the organization require an apostille, embassy legalization or no authentication?
Does it require translation of the birth certificate, the Apostille page or both?
Can a Saudi birth certificate receive an apostille?
It may qualify, depending on the document version and destination country.
Can the application be submitted online?
Yes. Saudi MOFA provides an online apostille application service.
Who handles Apostilles in Saudi Arabia?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the designated competent authority, and Saudi MOFA operates the online services.
Does an apostille include translation?
No. Translation is a separate service.
Is a Saudi Apostille accepted everywhere?
No. It applies where the Apostille Convention is in force and accepted.
Can embassy legalization still be required?
Yes, particularly where the Convention does not apply.
Does Shamil Translation provide Apostilles?
No. We currently provide certified translation only.
An apostille is an official certificate used to authenticate the origin of a public document for use in another country covered by the Hague Apostille Convention.
For a Saudi birth certificate, the apostille confirms matters such as
The authenticity of the signature
The official capacity of the person who signed the document
The identity of the seal or stamp appearing on it
It does not confirm that every detail recorded in the birth certificate is factually correct. It does not verify names, dates of birth, or family relationships, and it does not translate the document.
The HCCH identifies the Minister of Foreign Affairs as Saudi Arabia’s designated competent authority. Saudi MOFA operates the services through which apostille requests are submitted, and issued certificates can be checked.
Where the Convention applies between Saudi Arabia and the destination country, an Apostille generally replaces the traditional diplomatic or consular legalization process for a qualifying public document.
The HCCH Apostille Section provides information about the Convention and participating countries. Translation and any institution-specific requirements may still apply.
Not every Saudi birth certificate needs one.
A certificate being used inside Saudi Arabia would not normally require an apostille. For overseas use, the correct route depends on where the document is going and what the organization reviewing it has requested.
The document version also matters. These may not be treated as interchangeable:
Original civil-status birth certificate
Official replacement certificate
Certified copy
Older handwritten certificate
Digital certificate
Hospital or birth notification
A birth notification is not necessarily the same as the final civil-status birth certificate. When an immigration office, embassy or civil registry asks for a birth certificate, confirm that the document you hold is the version it will accept.
Use inside Saudi Arabia.
An apostille is normally not relevant.
Use in a convention country accepting Saudi Apostilles
An apostille may apply.
Use in a non-Convention country.
Embassy or consular legalization may be required.
Submission to a foreign embassy or university
Follow the organization’s specific checklist.
Original accepted without authentication
An apostille or legalization may not be needed.
A Saudi birth certificate may qualify as a personal-status public document, but acceptance can still depend on its format, issuing authority, condition and the information entered in the application.
These procedures are related, but they are not interchangeable.
An apostille authenticates the origin of a qualifying public document under the Apostille Convention.
MOFA ratification or attestation is a separate government authentication process that is not automatically an Apostille.
Embassy legalization involves authentication through the diplomatic mission of the destination country.
Certified translation converts the document into the required language and includes certification of the translation’s accuracy.
Where the Convention applies, an apostille generally replaces the traditional embassy or consular legalization requirement. It does not replace translation.
Similarly, a certified translation does not authenticate the original certificate. It confirms that the translated text accurately reflects the document submitted to the translator.
One common mistake is assuming that any Saudi MOFA stamp is an apostille. An organization asking specifically for an apostille may not accept ordinary ratification, while another organization may request a different authentication route.
For a fuller explanation, read our guide to certified translation versus MOFA attestation in Saudi Arabia.
Start with the organization receiving the certificate rather than arranging services based on assumptions.
Ask the embassy, immigration office, university, court or civil registry for its current requirements in writing.
Check:
Whether the certificate must be authenticated
Whether an apostille or embassy legalization is required
Whether the organization accepts the certificate version you hold
Whether a recently issued certificate is required
Which translation language is accepted
Whether the translation must be certified or completed by a sworn translator
Whether the Apostille page must also be translated
Whether an original, certified copy or digital version is acceptable
Embassy guidance may not always match the rules of the institution making the final decision. A university, citizenship office or civil registry may request a newer copy or a different translation format.
Yes. Saudi MOFA provides an online apostille application form for Saudi and non-Saudi applicants.
The form allows the applicant to enter personal details, identify the government authority connected with the document, choose the country where the document will be used, state the purpose of the request, and upload the supporting documents.
The current form includes both birth certificates and birth certificates for non-Saudis among its available document types.
Applicants should be ready to provide:
Saudi or non-Saudi applicant status
National ID or Iqama number
First name and family name
Nationality
Address and region
Mobile number and email address
Company or establishment name, where relevant
Confirmation that the document is original
Name of the relevant Saudi government authority
Number of pages
Country where the document will be used
Purpose of the Apostille request
Document type
Current location
Supporting documents combined into one PDF file
The official Saudi MOFA Apostille application should be checked when applying because fields and submission requirements may change.
The request can be submitted online, but applicants should not assume that every later stage will always be completed remotely.
The form asks whether the document is original and requests the applicant’s current location. Further instructions concerning document handling, delivery, collection or attendance may therefore depend on the case and the information entered.
Applicants outside Saudi Arabia, or those planning to use a representative, should follow the instructions generated by the portal or confirm the process directly with Saudi MOFA.
Once an apostille has been issued, it can be checked through MOFA’s online apostille verification service.
Shamil Translation provides certified translation of Saudi birth certificates and issued apostille pages. We do not submit or manage the apostille application itself.
You can request certified Saudi birth certificate translation online once you have a clear copy of the document set.
The exact procedure may vary, but the practical sequence is
Confirm that an apostille is the correct route for the destination country.
Obtain the document version required by the organization receiving it.
Check names, dates and document numbers carefully.
Compare English name spellings with the passport.
Ask whether translation should happen before or after authentication.
Complete the online MOFA Apostille application.
Follow any further instructions concerning the original document, delivery or collection.
Prepare the certificate, apostille, and translation for final submission.
The HCCH Saudi Arabia competent-authority page currently lists a price of SAR 30 for an Apostille. The page was last updated on 4 June 2026.
This is a government fee and is separate from Shamil Translation’s charges. Applicants should confirm the current amount through the MOFA portal before submitting the request.
The HCCH page does not state a processing time. Current timing should be confirmed through the official MOFA service rather than through third-party estimates.
There is no single sequence that applies to every country or application.
Some institutions want the original certificate apostilled first and then translated together with the apostille. Others accept a certified translation completed before authentication. A destination may also require translation by a locally sworn translator.
Apostille first, then translate the certificate and Apostille.
This may apply when the organization wants the full authenticated document set in its language.
Translation first
This may apply when a certified translation is accepted before authentication.
Authentication of the translation
This may apply when the translated document itself must be authenticated.
Original and translation submitted together
This is common in immigration, education and family-registration files.
Translation completed in the destination country
This may apply when a locally sworn translator is required.
A common practical sequence is to apostille the original Arabic certificate first and then translate both the certificate and the apostille page.
That is not a universal rule, so the required order should be checked before work begins.
It may need translation when the organization requires the complete authenticated package in a language it accepts.
An apostille normally contains information such as
Certificate number
Date and place of issue
Name or capacity of the signing official
Type of document
Seal or stamp
Issuing authority
If a complete translation is required, leaving the Apostille page untranslated can result in an incomplete submission.
Some organizations need only the birth certificate translated. Others require every attached page, endorsement and stamp.
Our guide on avoiding certified translation rejection explains how missing pages, stamps and endorsements can cause problems.
Send the birth certificate, apostille page, reverse-side stamps, endorsements and any instructions from the destination organization.
Reviewing the full file before quotation helps establish the correct scope and prevents omitted pages from being discovered after translation has started.
People born in Saudi Arabia may need their Saudi birth certificate years after leaving the country.
Common uses include:
Citizenship applications
Immigration procedures
Marriage or family registration
School and university admission
Court proceedings
Inheritance matters
The first step is to confirm which document version the overseas organization accepts.
An older handwritten certificate may still be readable and translatable, but a civil registry or immigration office may request a recently issued replacement. The same applies to damaged, incomplete or unclear certificates.
Former residents should also check:
Whether their current identification is accepted
Whether an expired Iqama number can be used
Whether the request can be completed from outside Saudi Arabia
Whether an authorized representative is permitted
Whether the original certificate must be replaced
Whether delivery or collection inside Saudi Arabia is required
Where the portal does not address a former resident’s circumstances, contact Saudi MOFA or the relevant Saudi diplomatic mission before arranging translation or courier services.
For more detail on the translation process, see our guide to birth certificate translation in Saudi Arabia.
Even an authenticated document can face problems when the submitted package does not match the organization’s instructions.
A notification, copy or old record may have been submitted instead of the required certificate.
The destination may require embassy legalization rather than an apostille.
Differences in spelling or name order can cause questions or delays.
The Apostille page, reverse-side text, stamps or handwritten entries may have been omitted.
Some organizations require a sworn translator, declaration or office stamp.
A recently issued copy may be required.
The Apostille may need to be added before translation.
Missing edges, stamps or numbers can prevent a complete translation.
An Apostille authenticates the document’s origin, not the truth of every recorded detail.
Before submitting the document, confirm that:
The destination country has been identified
The organization’s instructions are available in writing
The correct birth certificate version has been obtained
Names and dates match the passport
The correct authentication route has been confirmed
The required translation language is clear
The translation certification format has been checked
The Apostille-page translation requirement is known
Every page, stamp and endorsement has been included
The original or certified-copy requirement has been checked
The deadline allows enough time
The final package has been reviewed
Shamil Translation provides certified translation of Saudi birth certificates for overseas submission.
Depending on the document and the destination requirements, the translation may include:
The birth certificate
An issued Apostille page
Stamps and seals
Official endorsements
Legible handwritten information
Arabic-to-English or English-to-Arabic translation
Other supported language pairs
Name spellings aligned with the applicant’s passport
Shamil Translation does not currently apply for, obtain, collect, deliver or arrange Apostilles. We do not represent Saudi MOFA and cannot decide which authentication process an overseas organization will accept.
To receive an accurate quotation, send a clear copy of every page along with the destination organization’s instructions through our contact page.
A Saudi birth certificate may qualify for an apostille depending on the document version and destination country.
The current MOFA application form lists birth certificates and birth certificates for non-Saudis among the available document types. Final acceptance still depends on the application and document submitted.
Yes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides an online application form.
Applicants enter their identity and contact details, document information, destination country and purpose, and upload the supporting documents in one PDF file.
Further handling or collection instructions may vary.
The HCCH identifies the Minister of Foreign Affairs as Saudi Arabia’s designated competent authority. Saudi MOFA operates the application and verification services.
No. An apostille is issued under the Hague-Apostille Convention for qualifying documents intended for applicable Convention countries.
Ordinary MOFA ratification follows a separate authentication process.
Where the Convention applies between Saudi Arabia and the destination country, an Apostille generally replaces traditional diplomatic or consular legalization.
Embassy legalization may still be required where the Convention does not apply.
There is no fixed order.
A common sequence is to apostille the original first and then translate the certificate and apostille together.
Another organization may require translation first or insist on a sworn translation in the destination country.
It may need translation if the organization requests the full authenticated document package in an accepted language.
Confirm whether the translation must include the apostille wording, certificate number, dates, seal and official details.
No. Shamil Translation currently provides certified translation only.
We do not apply for, obtain, collect, deliver or arrange Apostilles.
We can translate the birth certificate and an issued apostille page when required.
Once your document requirements are clear, send the full birth certificate and any attached apostille pages, stamps or endorsements for review.
Shamil Translation will confirm the translation scope and prepare a quotation based on the language pair, document pages and required delivery format.
Request a certified translation quotation.
Written by: Muhammad Yasin, SEO Specialist and Content Editor
Reviewed for translation-practice accuracy by: Shamil Translation Quality Team