Documents are one of the most important aspects of every organization, institution, and even government. A document is defined as any written statement and is categorized under different types, based on function.
There are three types of public documents, namely, personal, educational, or commercial documents. Every type of document has its purpose and is issued under various circumstances. When it comes to applying for citizenship, Visa, institutions abroad, and others; attestation is a compulsory process to undergo.
If you’re looking to get your documents verified to study in Dubai, try looking out for attestation services in Dubai to help you understand the procedure better. When it comes to verification and legalization of documents, there are two types: attestation and apostille.
What is legalization?
Legalization can be simply defined as the authentication of legal documents. This process is carried out by receiving a stamp or signature from the concerned departments. Legalization in some aspects can also be considered different, depending on the function of legalization.
There are two main forms of legalization of documents, attestation, and apostille. Hiring an attestation service in Dubai can help you figure out what kind of legalization and verification you require.
Attestation:
Attestation is the legalization of all concerned documents, which are done at the regional, state, and national levels. At times, attestation can be done at an international level as well depending on the criteria and reason for attestation.
This is needed for procedures like the authentication of citizenship proof, college admissions, and for a few law-related issues as well. Attestation is also required for the visa process.
In India, attestation is carried out by the Ministry of External Affairs or the MEA, and it involves the embassy of the foreign country you’re applying for as well. Attestation is carried out for countries that aren’t recognized as apostille countries.
Apostille:
The authentication of documents is done for any document verification or process that involves any of the apostille countries. These are countries that are a part of the Hague Convention and there are 117 apostille countries in total.
Documents have to be verified with an apostille sticker, only after which they will be eligible to send out to said apostille countries. Apostille in India is completed by the MEA as well.
Why is document legalization required?
Legalization may be necessary for a variety of reasons. It is done primarily to verify the validity of the documents. There are occasions when one would like to travel abroad to further one’s education, work in a foreign business, or simply live in another country.
These reasons would necessitate the issuance of appropriate visas. Attestation or apostille is performed during the visa documentation process for those documents relevant for the issuance of long-term visas including the resident visa, work visa, and student visa.
Attestation or apostille aims to ensure that the citizen is an acceptable member of society, is actually who they say they are, and to avoid any legal issues abroad. This is why the documents are verified by civil or judicial officials.
When is Apostille Convention Applicable?
Apostilles can only be issued and verified for documents that originate from a country part of the Hague Convention. If the following apply to you, you can apply for an apostille:
1. The country where the document was issued is part of the Apostille Convention and the document is considered a public document by the rules and laws of the country.
2. If the country that requires your attested documents also requires or specifies that an Apostille is necessary to recognize the foreign document.
To know more about the documents you need to get verified, the apostille process, or the general legalization process you’d have to follow, look out for a good attestation service in Dubai!
