an official identification

Legalisation makes documents suitable for use in another country. The process often involves several different steps. Documents that can be legalised include civil status documents, court orders and diplomas or certificates.

Legalisation shows that:

• the document was issued by an official authority
• the signature, seal and/or stamp on the document are genuine
• the document's format is correct.

Document attestation is a process by which documents are authenticated for official use in another country. This paperwork could include anything from personal documents, such as a degree or marriage certificate, to business documents, like invoices and contracts.

Attestation may also be known as legalisation, authentication, stamping, verification, or certification. If you need to get a document attested, we can guide you to follow the appropriate processes set out by the relevant embassy for each type of document.

Notarised documents are documents that have been certified by a notary public to verify their authenticity. Notarisation includes the witness and record of the signing of documents to make sure the process is not fraudulent, and to assure that the documents can be trusted by the authorities who requested them.

• Notarised documents have been certified by a notary public to verify their authenticity.
• A notary public is an official who has been trained to verify identities, witness the signing, and record the notarisation process; notaries do not prevent fraud or provide legal advice.
• There are a series of steps you must follow to get notarised documents, including leaving signatures blank until a notary can witness.
• You can get documents notarised at financial institutions, law firms, postal offices, and many other places of business, or through individual providers.
• Some less formal documents may allow for online notarisation.

A certified document is an original, official paper that a qualified professional has affirmed, stating that they have witnessed the document and can attest to its authenticity. Certifying your documents ensures they maintain credibility throughout the approval process. A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document that a qualified professional has again affirmed, stating that the copy matches the original and remains unaltered.