by Are you planning to study abroad? Getting accepted into your dream college in a new country is incredible; however, it comes with a lot of paperwork. If you think getting accepted into your dream college is hard, you haven’t experienced the lengthy paperwork involved in studying abroad.
According to the latest report by NAFSA, in the year 2022-23, US students’ participation in foreign universities for their studies increased by 49% to 280,716 students. The data further highlights the global trends of students moving to the UK, Canada, European countries, and Australia for their studies.
Furthermore, the country and university often require apostille documents for the admission process and as a part of your student visa.
If you are a student planning to study abroad, this article will help you understand apostille documents better. We will provide you with further details on the notarization process for educational documents.
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What is an Apostille?
An Apostille is a certification issued by government officials that confirms the origin of the public document for use in another country. In simple terms, an Apostille simplifies the document verification process internationally.
An Apostille confirms these things:
- The signature in the document is authentic.
- The official authorities issue the document.
- It is officially legal to use in another country,
Another point to remember is that an apostille is only accepted by those countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Why You Need to Notarize and Apostille Documents for Overseas Education?
Most of the universities and embassies require proof for your academic records. To ensure that candidates have legal and genuine academic background, these academic records are required for verification. It is important to notarize your educational documents for verification of your identity and confirmation of your signature.
Additionally, apostille certification proves that the notarized documents are legally valid in the foreign land, that are the part of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Thus, notarization and apostille becomes necessary for the students who are planning to study abroad. If you fail to attach these documents, the immigration authorities and the universities may reject your application. Thus, this causes delay in the visa verification and you might need to attach additional documents for your verification.
That’s why, it is recommended to complete both the steps in advance, to ensure that your transcript, diplomas, academic records and other educational documents are accepted for admission, or visa purposes.
Common Documents that Require Notarization and Apostille
A lot of documents need to be notarized and apostilled before they are sent abroad. This will help the individuals to authenticate their identity and prove their academic record. Here are the common types of the documents that needed to be notarized and apostille.
- Educational Documents: Transcripts, diplomas, academic degrees, and mark sheets for study or work abroad.
- Legal Documents: Power of Attorney (POA), affidavits, court orders, and adoption papers.
- Business Documents: Articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, contracts, and company bylaws.
- Personal Documents: Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and divorce decrees.
- Medical Records: Vaccination records or health certificates required for visas or enrollment.
- Government-Issued Documents: Identity proofs, licenses, and permits that need to be validated internationally.
If these documents are notarized, followed by an apostille, it confirms that the documents are officially legal. This is applicable whether you are using education documents, immigration, employment and business related documents.
Conclusion
Notarizing and apostille of education documents becomes necessary when someone is moving abroad for study. In addition, this process becomes necessary even if you are planning to move overseas for the employment and immigration purpose. If you want to notarize your educational documents, you can choose online notary services, like eNotary On Call.
Our online notary service provides instant notarization services to the customer. Connect with the certified online notary instantly and get the document notarized within a few minutes. Sign up now and get started with your journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Apostille an education certificate?
Firstly, you need to notarize your certificate, and then visit the state authority for the authentication. Next, you need to submit the forms to the Secretary of state for the apostille. Many countries like the U.S. Department of State or embassy verification may be required.
- What documents are apostilled for a student visa?
For a student visa, the most commonly apostilled documents include: Educational certificates (degrees, diplomas, transcripts), Birth certificate, Police clearance certificate (PCC), Medical certificates (if required by the destination country), and Financial documents or affidavits of support (in some cases).
- Which is better, an Apostille or attestation?
An Apostille is used for countries that are under the Hague Convention, while attestation is required for non-Hague countries. The right option depends on your desired location.
