Problems having a document Attested?
If you have never worked or studied overseas, you may be unfamiliar with the term’s attestation/legalization. Even if you have and you understand the terminology you might not be aware of the multitude of different stipulations depending on either the document’s country of origin or where the document is to be used.
What is attestation?
In short, attestation is the process of having personal/commercial documents verified & authenticated for a variety of different reasons – most of which have to do with moving overseas (click here for a detailed explanation).
As with many things, when viewed initially the process seems simple enough for anyone to fairly think “I can do this myself, no big deal”. However there are a number of factors which can make it more time and cost effective to use a professional company to handle your attestation for you.
How long will attestation take?
There are many people who are unaware of attestation & it’s need until it is absolutely necessary and by then, they’re usually on a very tight deadline.
We have received countless desperate calls from individuals & companies asking for required documents to be attested “yesterday”. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have a document completely attested in 1 day. Depending on the country of issue, the attestation process can take anywhere between 1 week and 8 weeks!
As much as we would love to get things done at the speed that they are needed, this is just not the reality. And because we are dealing with government entities & large educational institutes, in a lot of cases, we have no control over processing times. We are, however, able to provide you with a realistic and accurate timeline so you can manage expectations, both for yourself and the individual/institute asking for the attested documents.
How much will attestation cost?
Like the processing times, there is no standard fee for attestation of all or, any document. The costs vary depending on the country of issue, the type of document you have, translation requirements and even what authority it will need to be presented to (additional steps may be required and with them additional fees).
What documents do I need for attestation?
For most countries, only the document you need attested is required. So, for example, if you have a degree issued from a university in the UK that you need attested for the UAE – all we need from you is the actual degree itself (your transcripts and letters from the university are not required).
There are other countries (whether country of issue or the destination country – where the document will be used) that may require supporting documents for attestation. For example, if you have a degree issued from a university in the US that you need attested for use in Saudi Arabia, you would need, along with the degree, the following (in addition to others):
* Original Document
* Confirmation Letter from issuing Educational Institution (this must be in a sealed envelope from the university)
* Official, sealed transcript direct from the issuing Educational Institution
* Copy of Employment Contract/offer/letter in Saudi Arabia
* Cover Letter to the Cultural Mission to request authentication on your diploma
* Letter from applicant giving permission to the Saudi Embassy to inquire with your university
* Authorization Letter from applicant
So apart from the actual attestation time, it may also take quite some time to put together all the paperwork needed to have your document attested. The earlier you start the better!
Get the help you need
As you can see by now, attestation is not always so straight forward and hardly ever as quick as you might hope. Do get in touch with us here or call us on +971 (0)4 556 7338 to better understand what you need and how we can help you get it done as smoothly & as quickly as possible.
