Many diplomas, certificates, school-leaving certificates, and other educational documents issued in Estonia do not have official legal validity in Russia (formally, there is an agreement on the recognition and equivalence of educational documents and academic degrees; however, following Estonia’s accession to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the Estonian authorities ceased recognizing many such documents). To use these documents in Russia, they must first be legalized by obtaining an apostille and then undergo the nostrification (recognition) procedure.
If you intend to use an Estonian diploma in a country that is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, it can be legalized for university admission through the simplified procedure known as apostille certification.
When and why is an apostille required?
An apostille is a special certificate that confirms the authenticity of an official document. It may be affixed to documents issued by government authorities, local self-government bodies, as well as educational institutions and other organizations that have been granted special authority by the state.
Commercial documents cannot be apostilled. Therefore, if you have obtained a certificate for completing educational courses provided by a private company that does not hold an educational license, it cannot be certified with an apostille. Only documents issued by accredited educational institutions holding an official state license may be legalized through the apostille procedure.
It should also be noted that an apostille only certifies the authenticity of the document, as well as the signature of the authorized official who issued it. It does not automatically grant the right to work in regulated professions (such as medicine or law) and does not replace the recognition of higher education qualifications (nostrification). In Russia, this procedure is carried out by the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Glavexpertcentre" and is required for admission to Russian universities or employment in a regulated profession.
An apostille may only be issued in the country where the document was originally issued. It cannot be obtained through diplomatic missions or consular offices.
When is an apostille not required?
Most private employers do not require an apostille on diplomas or other educational documents when hiring employees for positions that do not involve access to restricted information. In addition, an apostille is not required if Estonia and another country have a bilateral agreement on the mutual recognition of diplomas and academic degrees, allowing educational qualifications to be recognized for university admission or professional employment without additional legalization.
Estonia is not among the states that participated in the CIS conventions on the mutual recognition of educational documents. However, Russia and Estonia were previously parties to a bilateral Treaty on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family, and Criminal Matters, which provided for the mutual recognition of official documents without additional legalization. This treaty was terminated at the initiative of the Estonian side on 19 March 2025. As a result, documents may now be used between the two countries only after they have been certified with an apostille.
Educational documents issued in Estonia
Educational documents in Estonia are issued upon graduation from higher education institutions, vocational schools, general education schools, training courses, and other educational institutions.
Main types of educational documents issued in Estonia:
- Certificate of basic education (issued in several versions);
- Certificate of general secondary education (issued in several versions);
- Certificate of vocational education;
- Bachelor's degree diploma;
- Master's degree diploma (or equivalent qualifications in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine);
- Doctoral degree diploma.
In addition, Estonia has officially approved certificates for postgraduate medical training, the conferment of academic titles, and the award of academic degrees.
In certain cases, students may also receive official statements or certificates.
Procedure for obtaining an apostille for diplomas and certificates in Estonia
Since 2010, the apostille certification of educational documents in Estonia has been the responsibility of notaries.
Since 1 December 2017, users have had access to the electronic apostille register and the self-service portal. These services simplify the submission, issuance, and verification of apostilles, as well as the international use of documents.
The self-service portal allows users to apply for an apostille for official documents issued in Estonia.
Once a notary has certified a document with an apostille, the applicant may send the recipient (for example, an official in another country) a link to the Estonian electronic apostille register, where the validity of the apostille can be verified and the apostilled document can be viewed.
The apostille certification of educational documents in Estonia is governed by the Ministry of Justice Regulation "Procedure for Certifying and Revoking an Apostille on an Estonian Public Document" of 27 November 2009, as well as other applicable legal acts.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Consular legalization of Estonian diplomas and certificates
If a document is intended for use in a country that is not a party to the Hague Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates or another non-member state, it must undergo the consular legalization procedure, also known as "consular authentication."
Consular legalization is the process of certifying the authenticity of a legal document so that it is recognized as valid under the legal system of the destination country. The procedure is carried out by a diplomatic mission or consular office of the country in which the document is to be used.
Compared with the apostille procedure, consular legalization is more complex, time-consuming, and expensive. While an apostille is generally issued in a single step, consular legalization requires several preliminary certifications before the public document can be authenticated by the embassy or consulate of the destination country.
As a rule, the document must be translated into the official language of the destination country before it is submitted to the embassy or consulate. The diplomatic mission determines the specific legalization requirements and procedure.
What is consular legalization?
In our video we are explaining what consular legalization is and where to apply for it.
Schmidt & Schmidt will assist you in all issues concerning the legalization.
Schmidt & Schmidt offers legalization in more than 80 countries all over the world.
Translation of an educational document
When using an educational document issued in Estonia in a foreign country, it must be provided with an official translation (notarized, sworn, court-certified, or certified translation) in accordance with the legal requirements of that country.
The translation of the document must undergo a verification process. This involves sending the prepared translation to the graduate for review in order to confirm the correct spelling of their first and last name, the names of studied subjects, and the topics of academic works, as inaccuracies may occur during translation.
Depending on the requirements of the national legislation, the official translation may be attached to a notarized copy of the document bearing an apostille.
Sending documents from Estonia
Despite the complicated international situation, it is still possible to send documents from Estonia. However, for some destinations, delivery may only be possible through several stages.
What happens next?
Once you have obtained your legalized diploma, as well as a copy of the document with a notarized translation attached, the documents can be considered officially valid for use abroad.
After legalization and translation, Estonian educational documents (as well as their supplements) may be submitted to Russian universities for admission (if the university is willing to accept them without additional recognition) or to the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Glavexpertcentre" for the purpose of qualification recognition.
How can we help?
If you are located outside Estonia, we will be happy to assist you with the apostille certification and legalization of documents for use abroad.
You can always contact Schmidt & Schmidt. We have extensive experience in the legalization of various types of documents and provide a full range of related services, including the preparation of notarized copies, translation, preparation of required powers of attorney, legalization of documents with government authorities and consulates of foreign countries, as well as delivery of completed documents to most countries worldwide.
You can learn more about the legalization and apostille procedures on our website.
