What it covers
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 has been in force since 2019. It removes the apostille requirement for certain public documents moving between EU member states. The case we see most often is a Bulgarian civil-status certificate needed in another EU country, or the reverse: a certificate from another EU country that someone in Bulgaria needs accepted here. It only applies within the EU, and only to a specific list of document categories. Birth, marriage and death certificates are the ones we handle most. Not every public document falls under it automatically, so check your specific case before skipping the apostille step.
Related: Civil status documents
The multilingual forms
Alongside the original document, you can ask the issuing authority for a multilingual standard form under the Regulation. It's attached to the document and carries the field headings in the language of the country where you'll use it as well, so the receiving authority abroad can read it without a separate translation. The form doesn't replace the document. It travels with it.
What it doesn't cover
The Regulation doesn't reach outside the EU. If a document is heading to the UK, the US or anywhere else outside the Union, the usual apostille or legalisation rules apply. It also doesn't cover private documents such as contracts or powers of attorney, and it doesn't automatically cover everything a state authority issues. Diplomas and other education documents, for example, aren't covered, and for a criminal record certificate it depends on the country and the purpose. So check your specific case.
Related: Apostille vs. legalisation
Check with the receiving side
Practice varies more than the law suggests. Some clerks abroad work with this Regulation every day, others have never heard of it. Before you assume no apostille is needed, ask the receiving authority directly whether they'll accept the document under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191. A short call now can save a returned document later.
Do I still need a translation
Being exempt from the apostille isn't the same as being exempt from translation. The multilingual form only covers itself. If the receiving authority also wants a translation of the underlying certificate, you'll still need one. And if your document isn't in one of the Regulation's categories at all, you'll likely need a full translation either way.
Related reading
If it's a birth, marriage or death certificate, see our civil status documents page, which covers how the translation usually fits in. For anything outside the Regulation's scope, our apostille vs. legalisation guide is the one to read next.
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