Document legalisation helps prepare documents for use across borders, whether you are moving, studying, getting married or doing business. Artel-22 has provided translation and legalisation services in Sofia since 1999. Send us your document together with the country and institution where you intend to use it.
Document legalisation: start with the destination
Before arranging a translation, ask the receiving institution for its document requirements. A request for a “legalised document” can involve authentication of the document’s origin, translation, or both. It is useful to forward the actual instructions rather than paraphrasing them.
For example, tell us whether the document was issued in Bulgaria and is going abroad, or was issued overseas and is needed here. Include all pages and existing certifications. This gives us the context to discuss the work and the delivery format with you.
Apostille or full legalisation?
An apostille replaces diplomatic or consular legalisation for covered public documents where the Hague Convention applies between the countries concerned. Other documents may require a different legalisation route. Treaty exemptions and EU rules can remove authentication requirements for particular documents. See the Bulgarian MFA’s guidance.
An exemption should be checked for your document, rather than assumed from the country alone. Some EU public documents also benefit from translation simplifications; the EU’s official guide explains the scope. This is why the recipient’s written instructions are helpful at the start.
Bulgarian documents going abroad
For Bulgarian apostilles, competence is divided between the Ministry of Justice for court and notarial acts, NACID for education documents, regional administrations for mayoral and municipal documents, and the MFA for other acts within its remit. The HCCH authority directory confirms this division.
These are alternative competent authorities, not a sequence through which every document must pass. A full legalisation route outside the Convention needs separate checking. Education documents are discussed in more detail on our diploma legalisation page.
Ask the overseas recipient whether it accepts a translation made in Bulgaria. The MFA warns that even a translation certified here may need to be replaced by one made under the destination country’s rules. Artel-22 works with translators approved by the MFA; the required signature certification is considered separately for each use.
Foreign documents for use in Bulgaria
If an apostille is required, obtain it from the competent authority in the country that issued the document. Where a legal-assistance treaty provides an exemption, its scope and formal requirements still matter. Consult the treaty list linked by the MFA.
Under the general Bulgarian procedure, a translation made in Bulgaria of a foreign document for use here requires the translator’s signature to be certified by a Bulgarian notary. Applicable exemptions must also be considered. Send us any authentication already attached, so the discussion covers the complete document rather than an isolated scan.
Documents and supporting information
Our work includes civil-status and municipal documents, education records, court and notarial documents, company documentation, medical records and powers of attorney. Tell us the intended use, target language and recipient. For a bundle, a simple list of filenames and document titles makes your request easier to review.
If names appear in more than one spelling across your documents, point that out in your message. Send any existing translation as well. Please keep original pages and attached certifications together while preparing the scans.
You can read the published reference letters from Energo-Pro and Dundee Precious Metals Chelopech. Your own order will be discussed on the basis of its documents and requirements.
Timing and delivery
Administrative processing times are set by the relevant institution. Allow for translation and delivery as well, especially if the completed paper documents must reach another country. Give us the date by which the recipient needs them and the delivery address.
How it works
- Send the document by email, bring it to the office or use a courier. Include all relevant pages, the target language, intended use and deadline.
- Receive an individual quote and timeframe for the agreed work. Clarify the document set, certifications and delivery format before confirming.
- The agreed translation or legalisation is carried out. Requirements for submission to an institution are considered under the applicable procedure.
- Receive the completed work at the office, by courier or electronically, depending on the service. Tell us in advance if the recipient needs paper documents.
Frequently asked questions
Can I arrange this from outside Sofia?
You can send a scan by email to discuss the work and use a courier for documents. We will clarify what physical documents or authority to act are needed for the specific service.
Will an apostille also translate my document?
No: authentication and translation serve different purposes. Check whether the recipient also needs an official translation.
How long will the whole process take?
The timeframe depends on the document, institutions involved, translation and delivery. We discuss it after reviewing your request rather than promising one deadline for every case.
Does a treaty exemption cover every document?
No blanket assumption should be made. The document must fall within the relevant treaty provisions and meet their formal conditions.
Price
Each translation is priced individually, depending on the document type and length, the language and the deadline. Send the document for a quote and specify whether you also need certification, legalisation or delivery. Specialist texts and urgent work affect pricing; larger volumes may qualify for a discount.
Send us your documents for a quote
Call +359 888 508 152 or +359 2 98 642 55, email artel22@gmail.com, or visit our contact page.
Office: Sveta Sofia Street 8, 3rd Floor, 1301 Sofia. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:30; closed Saturday and Sunday. Completed translations can be received electronically or delivered by courier in Bulgaria or abroad; confirm the format required by the recipient.
