Document Authentication and Legalization

Travel the World Visas' affiliate Consular Document Express Services offers a complete document authentication and legalization service. We will take care of the entire process and return to you documents that are ready for use in the designated country.

Send us notarized documents and tell us in which country each document will be used. If a document needs to be legalized for more than one country, then a separate original of the document must be legalized for each country.

Send us documents that have already been certified by the Secretary of State of the state where the document was executed (notarized). We will obtain the U.S. State Department authentication and/or embassy legalization.

Benefits of Using Consular Documents Express Services:

Convenience. Relieves you of the frustration associated with sending documents directly to the U.S. State Department for authentication and to consulates/embassies for legalization. Eliminates the need to write multiple checks to Secretary of State (of the State where the documents was notarized), U.S. Department of State or to the consulates/embassies.
Peace of Mind. With a decade of experience in the document authentication and legalization process, we assure that your documents are correctly and promptly processed and hand carried to the U.S. State Department for authentication and the embassies/consulates for legalization. With one phone call or click of a mouse, we can immediately give you status of your in-progress documents.
Saves Time. Reduces the turn-around time for processing your documents. CDES ensures authentication by the U.S. State Department will be done on a �same day� (while you wait) basis, and that legalization by the consulates/embassies within 24 to 48 hours. If you were to mail documents yourself without using our services, processing takes much longer. The U.S. State Department takes 5-7 business days to authenticate documents received by mail. Consulate/embassy legalization of documents received by mail takes up to 5 business days. If there is a problem with your document, the U.S. State Department and the embassy/consulate just returns your documents without any action taken, resulting in the loss of valuable time.
Instant Feedback. Consular Documents Express Services examines the documents you submit and immediately notifies you whether or not they meet the authentication and legalization requirements for submission to Secretary of State (of the State where the documents was notarized), U.S. Department of State, or consulates/embassies. If there is a problem with your document, the U.S. State Department and the embassy/consulate will not notify you. Rather, they just return your documents.
Affordable Rates. We offer a flat service fee that covers the handling of the document from the Secretary of State where the document was notarized, to the U.S. State Department and the embassies/consulates.

�          $100/document - U.S. State Department and consulate/embassies*

�          $150/document - Secretary of State where the document was notarized, U.S. State Department and the consulate/embassy*

                *Excludes the Secretary of State, U.S. State Department, consulate/embassy and return mailing fees.
NOTE: We offer discounted rate if you have more than 5 documents for the same country per shipment.

Documents issued in one country, which need to be used in another country, must be "authenticated" or "legalized" before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. This is a process in which various seals are placed on the document.

Such documents range from corporate documents like company by laws and articles of incorporation, power of attorney, patent applications and trademarks, diplomas, transcripts, letters relating to degrees, non-marital status, references and job certifications, home studies, deeds of assignments, distributorship agreements, papers for adoption purposes, affidavits, birth, death, marriage record, etc.

The number and type of authentication certificates you will need to obtain 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.

a) If your document is intended for use in a country which is a party to a treaty called the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents ("Hague Legalization Convention"), obtaining a special "apostille" certificate is generally all that is required. Click HERE for List of Counties who has joined �The Hague Convention.�

b) If the country where the document will be used is not a party to the Convention, you will have to begin the cumbersome, time-consuming process of obtaining a series of certifications known as the "chain authentication method". This is literally a paper chase in which authorities will have to attest to the validity of a succession of seals beginning with your document and ending with the seal of the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States.

The following conditions must be met for all documents requiring authentication:

3. All documents in foreign text must be accompanied with a certified (notarized) English translation.

4. Whenever a copy (if acceptable) is used, it must include a statement that it is a true and accurate copy.

5. Foreign governments require the U.S. Department of State to authenticate documents in order for the documents to be considered legal. Requirements for authentication:

         a. Signed before a notary public;
         b. Certified by the clerk of court of the county in which the notary is commissioned*; and
         c. Certified by the Secretary of State of the state in which the document is executed.

* Item �b� may be omitted if the authority in item c will certify directly to the notary.

If your document is to be used in one of the countries on �The Hague Convention� list, it should be:

3. Certified with the Apostille by the Secretary of State of the state in which it being executed in.

After the above steps have been fulfilled, the document requires no authentication by the
U.S. Department of State. It is ready to go directly to the country of use.

Documents requiring certification with the Apostille by the U.S. Department of State are the ones which have been executed under a Federal agency seal or certified by an American or foreign consul.