Certificate of Authentication
An Embassy Legalization of Documents is Commonly Referred to as an Authentication Certificate. Authentication Certificates are notarized documents that are traveling to countries outside the United States that are not part of the Hague Convention. If your document is traveling to a non-Hague participating country, an Apostille cannot be used. Documents must undergo a more involved process known as Authentication Certificate and or Embassy Legalization of documents, which requires the notarized documents to be notarized than passed through state or local offices and eventually to the U.S. State Department’s Office of Authentications for certification Washington, D.C. – before continuing on to the embassy or consulate of the country of intent. This process allows your documents to be used and recognized by countries that do not participate within the Hague Convention. We are here assist you. Call 800.807.1260 (ext 3).
Certifications can be issued for: certificates of birth, marriage and death; court proceedings; patents; notarial acts and acknowledgements of signatures; diplomas and transcripts.
What cannot be Apostilled or Certified?
- Documents in a foreign language that have not been translated into English
- Documents concerning immigration, citizenship or sovereignty
- Documents that do not contain an accurate and complete notarization by your states Secretary of State Notary Public or bear the signature and seal of an elected official
Note: Documents issued by the U.S. Department of State Translated Foreign Documents Before an Apostille or Certification will be issued for a document submitted in a foreign language, the document must first be translated into English. Pursuant to A.R.C.P. 1009(a) a translation of foreign-language documents and recordings, including transcriptions, that is otherwise admissible under your states Secretary of State Rules of Evidence shall be admissible upon the affidavit of a qualified translator certifying that the translation is fair, accurate, and complete.” A notary public must witness the signature of the translator by affixing to the translator’s affidavit a completed acknowledgement in addition to their notary signature and seal exactly as it is recorded with the Arkansas Secretary of State.
The Following Are Non-Hague Participating Countries:
Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burma Myanmar
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
China
Congo Republic
Congo Democratic
Ivory Coast
Cuba
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Haiti
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Myanmar Burma
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Pakistan
Palestine
Qatar
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Taiwan
Tanzania
Togo
Thailand
Turkmenistan
UAE (United Arab Emirates)
Uganda
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe