Document Attestation

Document Attestation is the process of getting the documents attested/validated by the issuing country; well it might be tedious because of its complications and lack of knowledge. I have gone through the herculean task of getting the documents attested from the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi, India. The process of document attestation is same for all the countries, but policies of some countries varies. The first step in this mammoth engagement is check with the embassy regarding the attestation (visit the website or call directly)…do the proper homework. I will skim through some of the general/standards steps in which a document/certificate can be attested.

What is Hague Convention?
On October 5, 1961, many nations joined to create a simplified method of “legalizing” documents for universal recognition. This group of nations is known as the Hague Convention. They adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that is internationally recognized by all member nations.

What is document attestation/embassy Legalization?
It is when you get a document attested (signed/sealed with embassy stamp) from embassy/consulate. It basically means, the documents are valid and can be produced in the non-member of the Hague Convention. But, embassy will not accept any documents submitted by an individual/agent. It needs to be validated by ministry of external affairs before proceeding to the embassy.

Why do we need to get the documents attested?
Document attestation is basically validation and scanning of the document and will be eligible to be submitted to the respective country which we are applying for. The non-English speaking countries can accept the documents only if it is attested by the country of origin. These documents are needed while applying for a job, PR (permanent residency), marriage, study and many.

Which documents needs attestation?
 Birth/Death Certificate
 Degree certificates
 Adoption Certificate
 Affidavits
 Proof of ownership/power of attorney.
 Police Clearance certificate
 Proof of single/not married
 Work permit/ agreement of work/ PR application
 ….etc
http://www.apostillepros.com/

What is Apostille?
An Apostille is the legalization of a document for international use (only in the member countries of the Hague Convention). They adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that is internationally recognized by all member nations. In order for documents to be accepted and recognized abroad in another country, they will most likely need to be legalised for authenticity. When you present a legal document in a foreign country, it is often very difficult to determine whether the document is genuine and legal. In 1961, the process for legalising documents for use abroad was abolished and replaced by a simple certificate of authenticity, called an ‘Apostille’, under the Hague Convention. An ‘Apostille’ is a certificate that is attached to an official legal document to verify that the signatory on your document is genuine and person who signed your document is a recognised and authorised person of the organisation that issued the document. Each Apostille is dated, given a unique reference number and registered.

MEA (Ministry of External Affairs).
MEA attestation is required for all the documents before being submitted at Embassy. MEA will accept the documents only if it is notarized and is approved/attested by the state government which issued the certificate/document. MEA attestation can be done either in Mumbai or Delhi.
http://attestationmea.com/

HRD Attestation
The documents/certificates need to be attested by the state/local government which issued the certificate. Each state has respective officials for the same.
http://apostille4u.com/
http://www.hrdattestation.com/

How to get the documents attested?
Attestation involves step by step process of verification and validation of the documents.
 Identify and get the all the documents (Originals) and get enough photocopies of these documents. (Document attestation is done on photocopies )
 Notarize the document from a valid attorney (notary). It won’t necessarily cost much.
 HRD
 MEA
 Embassy attestation - Visit the embassy website for detailed information.
 Copies of Passport
 The desired documents
 Fees (Fees of the documents varies with countries)
 Processing time (minimum of 2 working days….)

The process in India will be delayed due to bureaucracy, unawareness about the methodology and unavailability of right resources. Before proceeding with this process skim through the procedures, read forums, FAQs and social networking communities like Facebook, orkut, twitter…etc. It is also an expensive engagement and needs to have good patience to face the realities. But, the right directions and right actions will not lead us to the
There are agencies in India which does these activities with a limited period of time. But, if we have an advanced plan (buffer of 40 – 60 days), we can accomplish this task.

For any information regarding document attestation, kindly contact me @
Vadakkedathraju.narayan.poojari@gmail.com | +55 19.93876227

http://www.urogulf.com/attestation_certificate%20attestation.html
http://www.attestation.in/Apostille.php
http://attestationmea.com/#
http://apostille4u.com/
http://apostille.us/Documents/embassy_legalization.shtml
http://ukinindia.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-india/how-to-legalise
http://www.attestationhelp.com/