Civil documents
Birth certificate attestation in Malaysia
Birth certificates are named directly on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation list, which makes them one of the more straightforward documents to legalise.
What applies to a birth certificate
A birth certificate is a public document issued by a federal agency. If the original is presented, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires no secondary endorsement before its own attestation. If you are working from a photocopy, that copy must first be certified by a Notary Public.
After Wisma Putra, the destination country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur adds the final stamp.
- 01
Issuing authority or notary public
The document is verified at source, or certified as a true copy by a notary public.
- 02
The relevant ministry
Education certificates go through the education authorities. Other documents go through the ministry that governs them.
- 03
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The consular division at Wisma Putra in Putrajaya legalises the document for use abroad.
- 04
The destination embassy
The embassy or consulate of the destination country adds the final stamp. Most sit in Kuala Lumpur, a few in Putrajaya.
Where a Malaysian birth certificate comes from
Birth registration and certified extracts are handled by Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, the National Registration Department. A certified extract obtained from JPN is a government issued original, which is why it needs no secondary endorsement before Wisma Putra.
If you only hold a photocopy, that copy must be certified by a Notary Public first. Ordering a fresh certified extract from JPN is often faster than notarising an old copy.
Commonly needed for
- Dependant and family visa applications in the Gulf states
- School and university enrolment abroad
- Citizenship and residence applications
- Inheritance and estate matters overseas
Worth knowing
Names on a birth certificate must match the passport exactly. A mismatch is the most common reason a dependant application stalls, and it is cheaper to resolve before legalisation than after.
Questions
Do I need the original birth certificate?
If you present the original, no secondary endorsement is required before Wisma Putra. A photocopy must be certified by a Notary Public first.
My birth certificate is in Bahasa Malaysia. Is that a problem?
Not for Wisma Putra. Documents not in English must be translated into English, and some embassies require it, so we confirm per destination.
Related
Get a quote
Tell us the document and the destination
Send the scans and the country. We come back with the steps your document needs, the cost and the timeline.