Legalization procedures
Legalization procedures
Legalization is a process that can be defined as a procedure for giving legal value to a document for or from abroad. Due to the wide variety of document types, the order for legalizing a document is different, sometimes complex and time-consuming. Therefore, always allow for longer deadlines to have time to avoid critical situations.
The terms for legalization are directly dependent on the services through which the document will be certified. Sometimes additional checks are carried out, additional documents are required, new ones are issued. To help yourself and not get into such situations, carefully check the names, personal identification numbers and the presence of the mandatory details /published on our website/.
Legalization of documents can be carried out in different ways depending on the document, but in the most common case, the main steps are:
1. Prepare your documents for legalization: make sure that all official stamps and signatures are present, that the document is issued in a form suitable for legalization. Research the need for an apostille depending on the country for which it is required.
2. In order for the documents to be legalized, they must be translated by a sworn translator, certifying with his signature the accuracy of the translation.
3. Obtain government tax stamps, depending on the legalization period at the consular department. Great care must be taken as to which document the tax stamps are affixed to, and sufficient space must be left for the certifications.
4. The translated documents, attached to the respective original or duplicate, certified by the relevant ministry or service, shall be described and submitted to the consular department for final certification of the translator’s signature, as well as, if necessary, affixing an apostille.