Making documents legal for use in another country requires getting an apostille seal. The documents that should get an apostille include a death certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and educational certificates. These documents should first be notarized although the process takes some time. The Hague Apostille helps speed up and makes the legalization process simple.
What is an apostille
An apostille is a special notarial certification for authenticating documents internationally. This was adopted after the Hague Conference on Private International Law of 1961 leading to the “Hague Convention on the Exemption from Legalization of Foreign Public Documents”. An apostille certifies public documents, stamp, and signature to be authentic. Introduction of the apostille made the international transfer of documents easier and faster.
When to use an Apostille
The apostille is used between member states belonging to the Multilateral Hague Convention. Ensure to find out whether your home country and that you are traveling to belong to this convention. The Apostille convention had 115 members by August 2018. Most European countries are members of the Hague convention including India, China, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the USA.
How does an Apostille look like?
The apostille seal is placed directly on the document for authenticating. All apostille documents have a 9×9 centimeter stamp titled Apostille. This is interpreted as Convention de La Haye du 5 Octobre 1961 although the other details on the document can be in your native language. However, the authorities in your designated country will need to translate the original document.
The translated document requires certification but not the original document. You have to get your original document translated by a certified translator depending on the nature of the document. This process is very important when planning to settle or set up business in India. The business documents that need an apostille include:
- Religious documents
- Documents from British overseas territories
- Certificate of no impediment and export certificates
- Certificates of incorporation and business contracts
Handling documents in a foreign language
Are your documents not written in English? You will have to get them translated by a certified translator since the notary signs on the translated documents. The translation process should be witnessed by the notary and the translator has to sign the papers. Afterward, the translated and original documents should be handed over to receive an apostille.
The apostilled documents should have the legal signature with the official seal of the notary. In India, your apostilled documents won’t require any further certification whether by the embassy or customs. However, ensure to check all guidelines to make sure that you have everything in order before getting your documents apostilled. Fortunately, a professional agency can help you to have all appropriate documents ready for an expedited process.
Considerations before getting a document apostilled
It is important to have all documents in order including original copies of state-issued documents for notarization and authentication. You will have to tell the notary that you are planning to travel to India. This allows crosschecking with the special requirements for the apostillization process in India. This is very important since each country has particular guidelines to have documents apostilled.
Ensure that all vital record including marriage, birth, or educational certificates come from your country of origin. It is possible to order an apostille online from a professional agency. This will save you from the time and effort you would have used to go through all appropriate channels. The professional agency understands all guidelines including sending requests through the secretary of state. A professional agency will get you an apostilled document in about 7 days.
Apostille application process
Applying for an apostille is made by the document holder in the country of issue. Fortunately, you can also use a professional agency to apply on your behalf. Every Hague Convention member state determines the relevant authorities that can issue an apostille. You can check on the official Hague Conference website for the authorities responsible for issuing an apostille in your country.
Keep these in mind
For your document to be recognized in India requires being translated when not in English. The apostille is issued on the translated document but not on the original. Check with the company regulations whether the translation is necessary or not. Understanding all requirements will make the process easier and without delays. Fortunately, working with a professional agency will handle the process on your behalf seamlessly. This is because these understand the right procedures to get a document apostilled hen traveling to India.
The take-home
Regardless of the purpose of your travel to India, it is very important to have the right documents apostilled. This is a tiresome process that takes some time. Fortunately, you can hire a professional agency to handle the process of getting your certificates apostilled. This will make it easy for you during the application process for a visa to India.
About Ashly William:
Ashly William is a freelance writer, with years of experience, creating content for varied online portals. Her content is published on many national and international publications. She loves to write about business services and Technology.
