Publishing Date: 15th May 2023

Last Update: n/a

Version: 2.0

Abstract 

Identità is required to recognize and register foreign public documents, as part of the documentary evidence to support applications across all its units.

This policy specifies the requirements of the Agency in general and specifies where there are requirements particular to a Unit or case, as it may be. These may include documents and translations into Maltese or English being apostilled or legalized depending upon the origin of the document.

Documents presented by applicants may be retained and indefinitely preserved in the archives of Identità Agency.

Policy 

1.      Recognition of Foreign Public Documents Policy

This policy shall apply to all cases where Identità is required to recognise and register foreign public documents.

2.      Originals or certified true copies of public documents

Documents submitted from EU and non-EU countries may be either original or certified true copies.  In the case of certified true copies, these must be issued from the same competent authority or Court that has issued the original document.

3.      Apostille and full legalisation

Identità will accept only original or certified true copies of documents as further specified hereunder:

Public documents, and their certified copies, issued by the authorities of a Member State do not need to be apostilled or fully legalised provided that such documents are to establish any of the facts as catered for in Regulation 2016/1191 on promoting the free movement of citizens by simplifying the requirements for presenting certain public documents in the European Union.

Public documents, in original format and their certified copies, issued by the authorities of a third country, must be either apostilled or fully legalised.

In instances pertaining to the registration of documents with the Public Registry, should it not be possible to provide documents which are either apostilled or fully legalized, the circumstances and particularities of the case are to be clearly explained to the Public Registry in order for assistance to be granted.

Contact details for the Public Registry may be found below and on the website of the Agency, https://www.identita.gov.mt

• Malta Public Registry:

           Email: publicregistry.identita@gov.mt

           Telephone: +356 25904200

• Gozo Public Registry:

            Email: localnotificationsgozo@gov.mt

            Telephone: +356 22156383

4. Translations

Public documents issued by the authorities of a Member State, which are issued in a language other than English or Maltese language, which are covered by EU Regulation 2016/1191, such as birth, marriage, civil union, free status, and death certificates, are accepted if accompanied by a multilingual standard form as a translation aid.

Public documents which are accompanied by the multilingual standard form, and include one or several fields which have been completed in a language other than the English or Maltese language, require a translation of these fields for processing the document.

Public documents issued by the authorities of a Member State, which are not accompanied by a multilingual standard form, and which are issued by the authorities of a Member State, that are not in the English or Maltese language need to be translated into the English or Maltese language.

Public documents issued by the authorities of third countries that are, partially or entirely, not in the English language need to be translated into the English or Maltese language.

Translations of all EU public documents issued by the authorities of a Member State, which are translated in Malta by persons registered on the Identità Translators List do not require an apostille or to be fully legalised.

The Identità Translators’ List is accessible from:  https://identita.gov.mt/public-registry-sec-page-translators-list/

Translations of all EU public documents issued by the authorities of a Member State, which are translated by persons who are registered by Malta’s Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, but who are not on the Identità Translators List, must be apostilled or legalised. 

The Register provided by the Legalisation Unit within the Malta Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade may be searched through the portal https://signatories-legalisation.gov.mt/

Translations of all public documents which are translated in a European Union member state by a translator that can be verified on the European Union portal https://e-justice.europa.eu/content_public_documents-551-en.do are accepted and need not be apostilled or legalised. Should, however, such a translator not be verified on the European Union Portal, such translation must be apostilled or fully legalised.

All translations of non-EU documents, which are translated either outside Malta or the European Union, must be apostilled or fully legalised.

Identità reserves the right to request a translation of any data field/s required for registration purposes that are not in the English or Maltese language.