Using official U.S. documents in other countries or official documents from other countries in the U.S. requires those documents to be legalized. What does this mean, and how do you get it done? Document legalization seems straightforward, but the process can be long, detailed, and costly.
To expedite the process, your document legalization services packet must contain all of the relevant documents, supportive documents, and corresponding signatures. There are important seals you must obtain, there are fees to pay, and the overall turnaround time is at least 10 business days in some states.
Legalizing Documents the Old Fashioned Way
Legalized documents have a public official’s authentic, validated seal or stamp on their documents. Whether you’re taking documents abroad or bringing them here, at some point, your documents must be attested (officially notarized), legalized by an embassy, or given an apostille or an authentication certificate.
Embassy legalization is another kind of authentication certification process. Both forms of authentication take the place of an apostille in countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention. In countries that are members, legalizing your documents calls for notarization, secretary of state certification, U.S. Department of State certification, and the receipt of an apostille.
The Perks of Document Legalization Services
Having your documents legalized is a cinch when you use document legalization services. A dedicated, seasoned team works on your behalf, gathering all of your forms, filing them correctly, and obtaining document legalization in a correct, timely manner. For more info contact US Authentication Services at USAuthentication.com.
