Legalization of Russian Diplomas

If you received education in Russia and are planning to continue your studies or to work abroad, you need to legalize your educational documents.

Legalization of documents is a procedure that involves an authentication of a signature, an authority of a person signing a document, an authentication of seal or stamp on the document and a conformity of the document with a law of a receiving State (Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation).

We recommend that you specify the documentation requirements in the foreign organization where you plan to study/work.

There are different types of legalization depending on the country of destination:

1. The member countries of bilateral treaties with Russia that abolish the requirement of legalization for documents as well as for the member countries of the Minsk Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters of 22 January 1993

   Under bilateral treaties on legal assistance, documents drawn up in the territory of one contracting country also have evidentiary value in the territory of another contracting country without legalization.

2. Member countries of The Hague Convention

   An "Apostille" stamp is required to legalize documents for the purpose of leaving for one of these countries. Since 2011, an "Apostille" stamp has been issued directly in each subject of the Russian Federation by authorized executive authorities.

   In Saint Petersburg you may contact the St. Petersburg Committee on Science and Higher Education.

3. All other countries

   For the purpose of leaving for all other countries, documents are legalized in the Department of Consular Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

   The legalization of documents is performed in the following way:
   1.    the Department of Consular Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Moscow, 12, 1St Neopalimovsky Pereulok);
   2.    Diplomatic mission or consular office of the country of destination.

   For more information about the service click here (section «Legalization of documents»).

To identify the type of legalization and whether it is necessary, find your country of destination in the interactive table:  

NOTE:

• Legalization is executed both for the main document (diploma) and for the supplement.
• Joint European Diploma Supplement is not subject to legalization.
• Consular legalization and apostille are issued on original documents.
• We recommend that you take care of the legalization of documents in advance (the consular legalization takes from 5 days, apostille – 45 days).