Applying for an apostille for Dortmund

Apostille for Dortmund: birth and marriage certificates, registration certificates and school certificates from Dortmund are certified by the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg (regional government), Dezernat 21. It works by post only and, according to its own page, charges 25 to 75 euros. Court and notarial documents go to the Landgericht (regional court). Our fixed price: 129 euros.

Apostille for Dortmund: the key facts

Responsible office
Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, Dezernat 21As of: 26.10.2026 · Bezirksregierung Arnsberg
Official fee
€25 to €75 per apostille, paid in advanceAs of: 26.10.2026 · Bezirksregierung Arnsberg
How to apply
by post only, no priority handlingAs of: 26.10.2026 · Bezirksregierung Arnsberg
Age of the document
civil status certificates at most 6 months oldAs of: 26.10.2026 · Bezirksregierung Arnsberg
All details (4)
Processing time
about 14 days according to the flyer
Address
Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, Dezernat 21 – Apostillen/Beglaubigungen, 59817 Arnsberg · Phone 02931 82-2434, -2412, -2390 (Mon–Thu 9–11 am) · apostillen21@bra.nrw.de
Delivery address
only to an address in Germany
Behördenfix fixed price
€129 including the fee for one document

Which office certifies which document?

Bezirksregierung Arnsberg
Birth and marriage certificates, registration and single-status certificates, school certificates
Landgericht (regional court)
notarially certified powers of attorney, translations; court documents after pre-certification by the Amtsgericht
Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten (Federal Foreign Affairs Office)
Certificate of good conduct and documents of federal authorities
More rows (2)
First: medical chamber or university
medical certificates via the Ärztekammer Westfalen-Lippe, university documents via the International Office
President of the Amtsgericht Dortmund
own application form: documents by post to Gerichtsstraße 22, 44135 Dortmund, stating the country of use; subject to a fee, no amount given in the form

How it works with us

  1. 1Name document and countryWhat, issued by whom, for which country.
  2. 2Check the ageOrder a new certificate if needed.
  3. 3Pay the fixed priceThe fee for one document is included.
  4. 4Sent to ArnsbergWith application, country and your address.

Applying in Arnsberg yourself

The way without us, step by step

Without us, you apply for the apostille directly at the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg. For documents from Dortmund:

  • Send the original with an informal written application to: Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, Dezernat 21 – Apostillen/Beglaubigungen, 59817 Arnsberg. A sample application is in the authority's download area.
  • Always state your address and the country where the document will be used. The flyer asks for large envelopes, at least DIN A4.
  • Fee: according to the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, since 1 January 2025 between 25 and 75 euros per apostille or certification, charged in advance after the application.
  • School certificates: first have copies officially certified by the school, signed by the head. Then comes pre-certification by Dezernat 48, phone 02931 82-3238 or 82-3337, then the apostille.
  • Advice by phone Monday to Thursday from 9 to 11 am. According to the flyer, please do not ask about the status of your application.
  • Costs compared: at the Bezirksregierung 25 to 75 euros. With us 129 euros including the fee for one document; we assign the office, write the application and send it. We are not an authority and do not speed up the procedure.

Open the official page

What you need

  • The original document.
  • The country where it will be used.
More documents (3)
  • The date of issue: birth and marriage certificates at most 6 months old, registration, residence and single-status certificates at most 3 months.
  • For school certificates, a copy officially certified by the school.
  • Your address in Germany for the return and the power of attorney for Behördenfix.

What is special for Dortmund

The office is in Arnsberg

Documents from Dortmund are not certified by the city itself but by the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg.

More about Dortmund (4)

Visits are not planned: the Bezirksregierung accepts applications in writing by post. The document is returned only to an address in Germany. If you live abroad, you need an address in Germany for the return.

Watch the age of the document. Arnsberg requires birth and marriage certificates issued no more than six months ago. If yours is older, first order a new one from the Standesamt Dortmund (registry office).

Some countries need no apostille. Multilingual civil status certificates on the CIEC model are exempt in 23 contracting states, including Turkey, Poland, Italy and Spain. Within the EU, the EU apostille regulation exempts birth, marriage and death certificates and registration certificates, among others.

Düsseldorf distinguishes between private and business use for the fee. Arnsberg's page gives a range of 25 to 75 euros without this distinction.

Questions about the apostille in Dortmund

Where do I get an apostille in Dortmund?

It depends on the document. Birth and marriage certificates, registration certificates and school certificates from Dortmund: at the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, Dezernat 21, by post only to 59817 Arnsberg. Court documents such as divorce judgments are first pre-certified by the Amtsgericht and then go to the Landgericht, as do notarially certified powers of attorney.

Can I collect the apostille in Arnsberg?

No. The Bezirksregierung Arnsberg only names the written route: you send the document with an informal application by post. The fee is charged in advance, and the return goes only to an address in Germany. Phone advice is available Monday to Thursday from 9 to 11 am.

How old may the birth certificate be?

At most six months. The Bezirksregierung Arnsberg requires this for civil status certificates such as birth and marriage certificates. Residence, registration and single-status certificates: three months. Order an older Dortmund certificate again from the Standesamt Dortmund first. What counts is the date of issue on the certificate, not the date of birth.

Do I need an apostille for Turkey?

Usually not for multilingual civil status certificates. Turkey is one of the 23 contracting states of the Vienna CIEC convention. According to the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, multilingual birth, marriage and death certificates on this model are exempt from any formality there. Other documents may need an apostille.

How much does the apostille cost in Arnsberg?

According to the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, since 1 January 2025 between 25 and 75 euros per apostille or certification. The state fee schedule allows 20 to 100 euros. Payment is in advance after the application. With us, an apostille costs 129 euros including the fee.

How long does the apostille take?

The flyer of the Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, as of January 2025, gives a processing time of about 14 days, plus postal times to Arnsberg and back. The authority asks you not to enquire about status or receipt, so processing stays quick. According to the Bezirksregierung, priority handling is currently not possible, even in justified exceptional cases.

Official sources

Reviewed by M. Gabal on 26.10.2026

Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). Behördenfix submits the application with your power of attorney to the responsible office. We are not an authority, do not give legal advice and do not assess your individual case.

All services in Dortmund (7)

Fee included: we check your scan, file the application and track it until the document is back.

Request the apostille· 129 €