USA Certificate Legalization /Apostille / Authentication / Attestation

Documents issued in one country and intended for use in another country must be “authenticated” or “legalized” in order to be recognized as valid in the foreign country. The number and type of authentication certificates you will need depend on the nature of the documents and whether or not the foreign country is a party to the multilateral treaty on “Legalization” of documents.

  -Educational  Certificate                         
  -Evaluation of Foreign education Credentials
  -Foreign Driver License
  -Marriage Certificate
  -Birth Certificate
  -Single Status
  -Affidavit                                   
  -No Record of Marriage certificate             
  -Adoption
  -Death Certificate
  -Name Change
  -Deeds
  -Children’s Travel consent Letter
  -Letter of Invitation for USA Visa Documents
  -Company Certificate
  -Memorandum Articles of Association
  -Other Company related Documents
  -Invoice Documents
  -Export & Import Documents
  -National Identification Certificate
  -Disclosure Scotland Certificates
  -Criminal record
  -Power of Attorney & Letters of Authorization

USA Certificate Legalization Procedure

Type A

    1.Notary Public    
    2.Department of State
    3.Concerned Embassy from Washington DC
  

The country where the document will be used is not a party to the Convention, you will need "Embassy (Consular) Legalization" (“Chain Authentication"). "Embassy (Consular) Legalization" of official documents is a procedure of confirmation of the validity of originals of official documents or certification of authenticity of signatures of the officials, authorized to certify the signatures on documents, and also the validity of prints of stamps, seals by which the document is fastened. The documents for non Hague Countries are subjected to "chain authentication" in the State, Federal and Embassy levels. The Department of State, Authentications Office is responsible for signing and issuing certificates under the Seal of the U.S. Department of Sate providing authentication services on documents that will be used overseas and then they are certified in the Embassy or Consulate of that country for which they will be legalized.

 (See Non – HLC- Countries)
The following countries are not a party to the Convention and need "Embassy (Consular) Legalization" ( "Chain Authentication").

US Apostille Procedure

Type B

The Apostille – a special kind of Letter and Stamp - is the shortest process of legalization. An apostille is not the same as a ‘raised seal’ these are two separate things. An apostille can be used if both countries (the country issuing the document and the country in which the document will be used) are part of the international “Ths Hague Apostille Convention”

The United State is Party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public documents. The Convention abolishes the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalization for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. For the purposes of the Convention, Public documents include: (a) documents emanating from a court, (b) documents issued by an administrative authority (such as civil records), and (c) documents executed before a notary. Such documents issued in a Convention country which have been certified by a convention certificate called an “apostille” are entitled to recognition in any other convention country without any further authentication.