Educational Documents

How Educational Documents are Notarised and Legalised for use abroad

If you need to use your educational documents abroad, they must often be notarized and legalized (or apostilled) to be accepted by foreign institutions. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of the process:

1. Obtain Certified Copies

Start by obtaining your educational documents, such as diplomas, transcripts, or certificates, from the issuing educational institution

2. Notarisation

The first step in the legalization process is notarisation. Here’s how it works:

• Find a Notary Public: Take the originals of your documents to a notary public.
• Verification: The notary public will verify the authenticity of the documents and the identity of the person presenting them.
• Notarial Seal and Signature: The notary will then make copies of the documents and notarise them by applying their seal and signature to the documents.

3. Legalisation (Apostille) Process

Depending on the country where you intend to use the documents, the next step involves either legalisation or obtaining an apostille.

Hague Conference on Private International Law

If the country where the documents will be used is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, the documents will need an apostille. The process is as follows:

• Submit to Competent Authority: Submit the notarised documents to the competent authority in your country that issues apostilles (e.g., the Department of State or the Foreign Office).
• Apostille Issuance: The authority will attach an apostille to your documents, certifying their authenticity for use in other Hague Convention countries.