Let`s see how to authenticate documents or legalize them in different scenarios. The Office of Authentication provides individuals, institutions and government agencies with signed certificates of authenticity for a variety of documents that can be used abroad. The country in which the document is used determines the type of certificate required. 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“). In countries that are not party to Hague Convention #12, which require apostille certificates, documents must go through a more elaborate process known as authentication and legalization. In both cases, government agencies must verify notarial confirmations or signatures on the relevant documents. Have the right information: Gather full contact information and signature requirements for the Secretary of State and Consulate in advance, and stay up to date on the latest guidelines. Changes occur frequently. For example, in 2012, the U.S. State Department introduced a new policy requiring all documents to be retained for up to three days before being handed over to embassies. Please note that CSC, like all U.S. companies, is from time to time subject to U.S.
Treasury Department Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions against Cuba, Iran, the Darfur region of Sudan, and other countries that may prevent CSC from complying with an order to legalize documents for use in those countries. Ideally, the apostille would be the only legalization 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. 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 must bring your documents to the Premium office in central London between 9am and 12.30pm. Guests will receive a pick-up time between 13:30 and 16:30.
Non-writable documents notarized by a notary in Texas. You must submit the complete original document for authentication. Information about official certificates or apostilles for report cards can be found in FAQ #22. Application for an official certificate or apostille – DO NOT use in procedures concerning the adoption of one or more children – Form 2102. The steps in the flowcharts above show how documents are authenticated and what legalization requirements apply to both public and private documents. Please note that there may be deviations in this basic process that are not shown here, often in relation to the legalization requirements of embassies or consulates. Processing your documents with the standard service plus courier or postage time can take up to 10 business days. Due to lack of familiarity with foreign documents or the entities that issue them, many countries require foreign documents to be legalized in order to be accepted into them. This certification procedure usually consists of a chain of certifications by one or more authorities of the country of origin of the document and the country of destination. The first authority shall certify the issuer of the document and each subsequent authority shall certify the previous authority until the final certification is carried out by an authority in the destination country which can be recognised by the end-user. [1] Corporate records that require certification fall into two categories: government records and non-government records. The competent authority to issue apostilles on documents issued by the federal government are the clerks of the federal courts.
We can help. Contact our legalization experts at [email protected] to begin a consultation. We take the time to understand your legalization needs and work with you step by step to ensure you receive the right documents on time. Know what you need: Before submitting documents for legalization or apostille, familiarize yourself with the jurisdiction`s requirements. For example: Translations: In some cases, governments require documents to be translated. We can translate your documents for use by the relevant embassy or government agency. We can also translate foreign documents into English. The Apostille Convention requires countries that are party to the Convention to ask their embassies and consulates to stop legalizing documents when the Convention applies.
[1] The abolition of this service is intended to prevent excessive certifications that may be required by overzealous institutions,[17] but in cases where consular certification alone would otherwise be sufficient to legalize a document, and the apostille procedure requires more steps or higher fees, the Convention may actually lead to a more complex or costly procedure for certifying the document. Questions not covered by the above information for documents certified by the notary office and the legally required documents department can be addressed to the following address: authentications@sos.state.tx.us An apostille request can be made in person or by mail. The documents are processed by the competent department within this agency. Requests for corporate documents that require an apostille should be directed to the Companies Section. Apostille applications for documents issued before a Texas notary, documents issued by state officials (such as the state registrar, district judges, motor vehicle administrators, etc.), and certified true copies issued by county officials and local registrars within the past five years must be filed with the authentication unit. Legalization makes documents suitable for use in another country. The process often involves several different steps. Documents that can be legalized include civil status certificates, court orders, and diplomas or certificates. Patent and trademark documents (including applications) 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. U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other government documents The Texas Secretary of State may issue an apostille for documents issued by persons on file with that agency, including county officials, notaries, and state officials. Birth/death certificates recently issued by local registrars must have been issued within the last three (3) years in order for the Secretary of State to issue an apostille. In the past, it was even more difficult than today to certify the authenticity of documents intended for use abroad. The provisions of Hague Convention #12 of 1961 („Abolition of the obligation to legalize foreign public documents“)* have eliminated much of this complexity, at least in the countries where it applies.
The Secretary of State does not translate the documents.