Notarization, Apostille, and Legalization

tovar-446939

Translation agencies often deal with all kinds of document-related issues. Other than translation, our agency offers the following services:

• notarized translation (for passports, official letters, certificates, agreements, customs declarations, and many other documents);

• apostille at the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education;

• all-round document legalization. If you value high quality and need confidentiality and a personalized approach, there is not a better agency out there.

Document Notarization

Documents often require notarization. If you are not sure what notarized translation is or why you may need it, please read on. Notarized translation means that a document is translated from/into a foreign language and subsequently certified by a notary. This procedure legally confirms your translator’s proper qualification and ensures that the translator is responsible for the quality of their work.

Please bear in mind that a notary cannot certify a translation unless they have the translator’s diploma in their archive. The point of having your translation notarized is to confirm that your document was translated correctly and accurately by a qualified translator.

Notarized translation is one of the signs of a full-fledged translation agency. By putting their signature on a document, a translator assumes full legal responsibility for every single word they translated. This is why to avoid rogue translations, typos, and inaccuracies in figures and proper names, which may cause you trouble when you are abroad, we recommend ordering notarized translation from qualified experts.

Working with our agency is easy. Just send us your document, and our professional translators will take care of having it notarized by one of our tried and trusted notaries. We will provide your final notarized translation as soon as possible.

To sum it up, working with DEIR is piece of cake: send us your documents and requirements and get your notarized translation soon afterwards.

Apostille

An apostille is a simplified way of legalizing certain documents. An apostille affixed to a diploma, a letter of attorney, a birth certificate, or other document looks like a standard square stamp. It is placed by a government authority on a document issued in one of the Hague Convention states.

An apostille has a standardized appearance and shape common to all signatory states and confirms the authenticity of the signature(s) placed on the apostilled document.

Please note that an apostille does not confirm that the document itself is authentic or its translation is accurate. Its purpose is to authenticate any signatures and seals present on a document. Here is an example to help you understand how an apostille works. Imagine that a U.S. college wants to see your diploma which was issued in the Ukraine. But clearly no one in the U.S. knows what an authentic Ukrainian diploma should look like: what if the document you are showing is just a worthless piece of paper? This is why you need to apostille your diploma so that it has the same legal effect in another country.

An apostille indicates that your document is genuine and was signed by real people authorized to sign such documents.

Please note that this kind of legalization only works for the Hague Convention states (see the full list of signatories here). Otherwise, you need to take your document through the full legalization procedure involving certification by the following three agencies:

• the Foreign Ministry;

• the Ministry of Justice;

• the Consulate of your destination country (that is, the country where you need to present your document).

This means that an apostille is a great time saver for both people and ministries when it comes to authenticating documents. The list of eligible documents includes:

• documents issued by an authority or an official of a state jurisdiction, including prosecution agencies and courts; • administrative documents;

• notary deeds;

• official stamps and marks: registration marks, visas, signature certifications, etc.

Where can I get my document apostilled? Apostilles can only be affixed by state authorities. If you need a document apostilled, you are welcome to contact our agency because we work with relevant authorities directly. We can apostille your documents quickly and save you a lot of time, guaranteed.

Document Legalization

If the country you are going to is not a party to the Hague Convention, you will not be able to authenticate your documents using an apostille, which means you have to go through the full procedure of consular legalization.

Consular legalization is done by the diplomatic or consular authorities of the country in which you need to submit your documents. Legalization confirms the authenticity of the signature of a person signing the document and the competence thereof. Any stamps or seals on the document are also subject to legalization so as to confirm their authenticity.

Legalization involves putting a triangular-shaped stamp containing text confirming that the document is legalized and the signature thereon is authentic. The stamp is put on a clear part of the document or overleaf. The document is then sealed and a protective hologram is attached to its top right corner.

A document can be legalized by a consulate or an embassy. If you need your documents fully legalized quickly, get in touch with DEIR Translation Agency in Dnipropetrovsk!

For notarization, apostille, and legalization rates, see here.