Legally, a document issued in Zurich falls under State Chancellery in Zürich. In practice our standard route frees you from that counter: a notarized certified copy is made from your upload and the apostille goes on it — a copy suffices, whatever the canton. The original only enters the picture if your destination expressly requires the apostille on the original.
Order an apostille →Upload a PDF or photo; a notary establishes the certified true copy (included) and that copy receives the apostille — processed through our Vaud office. Nothing to post, and identical turnaround whether the document comes from Zurich or anywhere else.
Some authorities insist the apostille sit on the original issued in Zurich: we then file with State Chancellery in Zürich. Send us the original by registered mail after ordering (address confirmed by e-mail) — it comes back apostilled.
Criminal records and other federal documents belong to the Federal Chancellery in Berne, not to Zürich. Tick «federal document» in the form — we route it.
Documents issued in the canton of Zurich come in German. That is exactly what Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein want, and no translation is needed for them. For France, Italy, Spain, Latin America or most of the Middle East, a certified translation will almost certainly be required on top of the apostille — plan for it from the start rather than discovering it after the file is refused.
Zurich issues more diplomas than any other canton, and its university and applied-sciences degrees are cantonal documents — the state chancellery here, not Bern. The exception catches people out: a degree from the federal institute of technology in the same city is a federal document and goes to the Federal Chancellery instead.