legalization is the process of certifying a document so a foreign country’s legal system will recognize it. The process is used routinely in international commerce and civil law. It is generally performed by validation of the signature on a document by an authority which is higher in hierarchical terms. For example, a school diploma may need to be legalized by evaluation by the Ministry of Education, followed by legalization of the signature of the Ministry of Education by the Ministry of Foreign affairs. Once authenticated by the foreign ministry the documents then need to be reviewed and approved by the consular staff of the country in which the transaction is to occur.Often also certified translation is required for full legalization.The importance of Embassy legislation in a foreign country is inexhaustible. The United Arab Emirates is a hub of job opportunities and can always have something to offer for the qualified visitor. It is mandatory to have certificate attestation to get an employment card in the UAE. One can also register with a university in the country in order to access advanced education. One can also obtain a visa of residence in the foreign country and partake in sharing the national resources with the locals. Medical students pursuing their doctoral degrees also gain access to the country’s examination bodies which is otherwise a rather sensitive issue which involves difficult registration in normal applications.

Documents issued in one country and intended for use in another country must be “authenticated” or “legalized” in order to be recognized as valid in the foreign country.The number and type of authentication certificates you will need depend on the nature of the document and whether or not the foreign country is a party to the multilateral treaty on “legalization” of documents.If the country where the document will be used is not a party to the Convention , you will need “Embassy (Consular) Legalization” ( “Chain Authentication”). “Embassy (Consular) Legalization” of official documents is a procedure of confirmation of the validity of originals of official documents or certification of authenticity of signatures of the officials, authorized to certify the signatures on documents, and also the validity of prints of stamps, seals by which the document is fastened.

The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents has supplanted the default procedure by a system of apostille. It is available if both the country of the document and the country for which the document are party to the treaty. The apostille is a stamp on which standard validating information is supplied. It is available (dependent on the document) from a notary public or court.