How to Legalized Document

Legal documents intended for use in a country that is not a party to the Hague Convention require full legalization, also known as chain authentication or consular authentication, notarization, Secretary of State authentication, U.S. Department of State authentication, and then legalization of an embassy or consulate. The steps to legalize a document vary from country to country. This depends on the agreements between the country where you want to use the document and the country that issued it. Legalization is a document authentication process observed by international governments. If you intend to use a U.S. public document abroad, local authorities require it to be legalized before it can be considered valid. Each country has its own legalization requirements, which are determined by the type of document to be legalized and its intended use. U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other government documents Ideally, the apostille would be the only certificate needed, but in some cases, additional certifications may be required in the country of origin before the apostille is issued. [1] For example, documents that are not issued by a government official may need to be certified by a notary; in some U.S.

states, documents certified by a notary or municipal official must then be certified by the relevant district or court; Finally, the apostille certifying the previous official may be issued. [4] [16] In any case, according to the apostille, no certification of the country of destination is required. In many countries, you can have your document legalized with an apostille. This is a simplified form of legalization. An authority in country A legalizes the document with a kind of stamp or sticker, called an “apostille”. After that, no further steps are needed. You can use the document in all countries party to the Apostille Convention. The embassy or consulate in your home country may legalize documents for use in the country where you are staying. Government-issued documents intended for use in countries that are not members of the 1961 Hague Convention may be certified by a certificate of residence issued by the U.S. Department of State. For more information, see Authentication Certificate Requirements. Legalization is not required if country A has an agreement with country B that exempts your type of document.

If this is the case, you can use your document in country B without having it legalised. Several countries have also concluded reciprocal agreements. For example, under the EU Public Documents Regulation, public documents issued in one EU Member State do not have to be legalised for use in another. A government-issued document with an apostille does not require additional legalization by the U.S. Department of State or legalization by a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad to be recognized in a participating country. The U.S. Department of State will not issue apostille for government-issued documents. However, some countries may not require certain documents to be legalized. If you are unsure, you should check with the intended recipient of your document about their legalization requirements. TDS works with the Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State, and most foreign embassies and consulates to obtain the right legal seal for your international documents.

Sometimes you also need to have your document translated by a sworn translator. Ask the relevant authorities if this is necessary and, if so, where you can do it. If no copies are sent, TDS will make copies on your behalf, a copy fee of $3 per document will be added to your invoice. Documents issued by the federal government for use in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention may need to be certified by an apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State. Documents signed by the following officials require an apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State: Typical documents that may require legalization and/or authentication services include: FedEx all documents and your completed purchase order to: When submitting a document from one country for use in another country, The receiving party often requires proof of authenticity for the signature and seals of the official, who signed the execution. has issued or certified a copy of the document. The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 on Exemption from Legalisation of Foreign Public Documents or Apostille Convention greatly simplified the process through a document called apostille, eliminating the need for embassy or consular legalization. More than 120 countries are now parties to the Convention. Legalization is an administrative procedure that proves the authenticity of an official document. A certified document usually bears both a stamp and a signature.

Various authorities abroad may ask you to present certified documents. The legalization of a document confirms: Documents issued by the federal government are documents signed by: Please note that CSC, like all U.S. companies, is subject to U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) sanctions against Cuba, Iran, Sudan`s Darfur Territory, and other countries from time to time, which may prevent CSC from complying with an order to legalize documents for use in these countries. Know what you need: Before submitting documents for legalization or apostille, familiarize yourself with the jurisdiction`s requirements. For example: country B checks and legalizes the document with a stamp or sticker. This is usually done through an embassy, consulate general or honorary consul from country B to country A. After legalization, you can use the document in country B.

This article describes the apostille procedure and the entire legalization process for documents issued by U.S. federal agencies. For more information on the legalization of Maryland documents, see the People`s Law Library article on the subject. Some countries require documents to be presented at certain consulates, depending on where the document originated in the United States. Others cannot legalize a document based on whether certain forms have been filled out or whether they find certain contents of the document offensive. Since what is legalized is actually the signature and stamp or seal of a public servant, the first step for a private document is to notarize someone`s signature on the document. As a notary is a public officer, his signature and seal can be notarized and legalized. You do not have to have the document legalized personally. Someone else can do it for you. It is not necessary to authorize this person to do so. Please attach a complete copy of all documents to be authenticated. Embassies require a copy with the original documents.

Corporate records that require certification fall into two categories: government records and non-government records. Legalization does not confirm that the content of a document is correct. It is the responsibility of the requesting authority to verify it. Examples of frequently certified private documents include: Certification authorities typically include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or equivalent in the country of origin and an embassy or consulate of the destination country in the country of origin. For example, a Canadian document for use in the Netherlands must be certified by Global Affairs Canada or the legalization department of a Canadian province or territory, and then by a Dutch embassy or consulate in Canada. [2] In international law, document legalization is the process of authenticating or certifying a document so that it can be accepted in another country. Between countries that are party to Hague Convention #12, documents can be certified through a streamlined process known as an apostille (pronounced “ah-pa-steel”).