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Degree and Transcript Legalization for Colombia

August 16, 2021/in Frontpage Article /by legal52

Best known for its beauty and culture, Colombia has earned the title, “Happiest place in the world” in history. It’s no wonder so many people want to move there! A flourishing economy and rising standards of education have made it an ideal host for many international students. If you are one of these people, get ready for an experience of a lifetime! Before you set foot on this journey, there is some important paperwork to complete. Doing your due-diligence ahead of time will save you time and money. Ready to get your paperwork in order? Keep reading to learn about degree legalization for use in Colombia!

Before Degree Legalization

You will need to provide documents such as your school transcripts, degrees, and ID when applying to colleges or universities. Similarly, this applies when you have secured a position there or applying for a visa. Whatever the case, you will need to authenticate and legalize your documents.

Find out which documents you need for your school and Colombian visa requirements and start collecting them early. It could take weeks to receive requested documents from the institutions here in Canada! Create a checklist and a folder to keep track and gather them all together. Often, you will need to translate your documents, as well as notarize them. All of this also takes time, so find out the specific requirements and allocate time for these tasks.

Degree Authentication for Colombia

Document authentication is the process of validating your documents from one country so that it will be recognized as credible in another. The terms authentication and legalization are synonymous with attestation and mean the same thing. In Canada, authentication is conducted by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), located in Ottawa, Ontario. GAC will review the signatures on each of your documents (such as degrees and transcripts) and will verify that the signatures and seals on it are valid. They will place a stamp on your documents to indicate that they have authenticated the document.

Colombia Embassy Degree legalization

For the last step, you will need legalize your documents at the appropriate embassy. In this case, your documents will need to be submitted to the Consulate General of Colombia, located in Ottawa and Toronto. The embassy will review the authentication stamp and ensure that your documents meet all of their country’s standards. They will place a stamp or certificate on the documents to signify completed legalization.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Settling down in a different country to attend school is already a very big decision. There’s certainly a lot of planning and preparation that goes into the endeavour. At Legalization Service Centre, we understand how full your plate is and are happy to help with all of your paperwork from inception until your document requirements are fully complete. If you get in touch with us early, we will take the entire burden of document preparation and attestation off of your shoulders and deliver the paperwork to your desired destination fast, secure, and hassle-free.

Our work has earned us an A++ reputation with the BBB and a 5-star rating on Google for customer service and efficiency. But we realize that sometimes all you need is just a little bit of guidance in the right direction, so feel free to call with any questions. We are happy to help where-ever we can! We wish you a successful journey ahead!

Image Credit: Colombia-Travels

Exporting Commercial Goods to Iraq | Authentication & Legalization

September 20, 2020/in Frontpage Article /by legal52

Commerce between Canada and Iraq is governed by processes that regulate what can and can’t be exported. As well as the equality of exports and strategies for shipment. To control all of these factors, goods leaving Canada must be accompanied by a Certificate of Origin and Commercial Invoice. These documents contain many vital pieces of information. They are critical to keep buyer and seller commitments in check. They also allow the governments of the two countries to have oversight of the products leaving and entering. Vital information contained are details of the seller, place of production, price, and attestation that the products meet certain criteria of production and distribution. They need to undergo authentication and legalization.

Canada and Iraq in Trade

Trade relations between Canada and Iraq are quite strong. We see this by the staggering $200 million reported in trades between the two countries in 2018. Since then, the numbers have only increased as opportunities for trade have expanded. The Canadian market makes a significant contribution in terms of exports to Iraq. For example, in past years Iraq has been one of Canada’s biggest buyers of wheat, coming in second after the United States. Strong trade relations between the two countries is not surprising! Our economies and natural resources combined complement each other significantly. Moreover, Canada takes an active initiative via funds and programs to stabilize the Iraqi government, support humanitarian efforts, and promote developmental strategies.

What is Authentication?

In order for the Certificate of Origin and Commercial Invoice to be valid to Iraq, they must undergo authentication and legalization by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Iraqi embassy. Before authenticating documents, they must be notarized by a Canadian notary public. GAC will verify that the signatures are true and that they meet their standards for export documents. Afterwards, they will place a red stamp to finish the authentication process. Once authentication is complete, the documents are ready for legalization.

What is Legalization?

The embassy of the country you plan to use your document(s) in will review them a second time. They will confirm that the document(s) meets the standards of their country. Additionally, they also confirm GAC authentication. In this case, once authentication by GAC has been completed, the Certificate of Origin and Commercial Invoice will be submitted to the Iraqi embassy in Ottawa. The Iraqi embassy will then conduct their review, then place their stamp or attach a certificate signifying that legalization has been completed.

Overwhelmed? We Can Help!

Authentication and legalization can be quite complicated. Exporting goods is already difficult, involving careful documentation, reporting, and liaisons between two countries. At Legalization Service Centre, our professionals have years of experience authenticating and legalizing trade documents which has earned us an A+ ranking at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a stellar 5 star client review on Google.

Our customer service is definitely a driving factor for these ratings. We also have strong networks within GAC and local Ottawa embassies. This means that your documents can be prepared in record time and hassle-free. We can review your documents for accuracy, submit to GAC and the appropriate embassy. Eventually, we can courier the completed documents to your desired address. Our location within Ottawa and proximity to the GAC and embassies allows us to follow through with your documents until completion and take any action necessary promptly.

Contact Us Anytime

Trades to Iraq or any other country is a great way to enhance our own economy and strengthen those of the countries that benefit from our products. Let us help you along your way as you do the best you can on the front of commerce. Contact us to speak with one of our professionals with any questions you may have at 1-800-857-1215 or reach us via Whatsapp at +1-613-501-0555.

Image Credit: joc. com

What You Should Know About Document Apostille in Canada

March 14, 2018/in Frontpage Article /by legal52

Are you planning to move to a new country to pursue a career or further your education? If you’ve already started the application process, your prospective school or employer will probably ask that you get an Apostille. Many people are confused when it comes to the world of document authentication or legalization and transfer, so an extra step in the process can seem overwhelming. It’s not as complicated as it seems once you know the core aspects of Document Apostille in Canada. In this post, we’ll cover the basics you should know along with how we can help you.

What is Document Apostille?

Before you can start going through the process, it helps to know what Document Apostille is. In essence, having your documents authorized by an “apostille” will ensure that they will be recognized in another country. Under the Hague Apostille Convention, all of the countries that signed the treaty all agreed that they would recognize public documents such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Power of Attorney, etc., from other signatory countries. This doesn’t happen automatically, so before you travel, you must ensure that you bring these documents to an official apostille in your nation.

Document Apostille in Canada

So, now that you know what Document Apostille is, how do you have your documents certified by an apostille in Canada? This might come as a surprise, but because Canada was not a signer of the Hague Apostille Convention in 1961, you can’t have your Canadian documents authorized by an apostille in the country.

So where does that leave you? Luckily, in Canada, we have alternative services that essentially accomplish the same thing.

Alternative Options

In Canada, to make sure that your documents are accepted in the country you are traveling to, you must either have them authenticated or legalized. During this stage, your documents are verified by professionals, and you receive their stamp of approval that foreign governments will recognize.

You’ll need to get these stamps and signatures before you travel, so it is crucial that you make sure you check off all of your boxes before leaving the country. Otherwise, you might run into trouble once you reach your new job or school.

To have your documents authenticated, you can go directly to Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa and then to the Embassy or Consulate of your destination country to have your documents legalized.

Why Document Legalization is Different in Canada

September 7, 2017/in Frontpage Article /by legal52

Many things set Canada apart from our world neighbors, and one of them is the process of document legalization. If you have ever sought attestation for your documents before, you may have heard the Apostille process mentioned. This is a distinct set of procedures that, in many other countries, serves the same purpose as Canada’s authentication and legalization process. The difference in procedure can add to the confusion surrounding issues of international document certification.

What is Canada’s Document Legalization Process?

In Canada, your public document passes through many trusted hands to make sure it is authentic, and that all relevant information including dates, signatures and seals are valid. This is the process of authentication and legalization, also known as attestation. Attestation will include the steps of authentication by Canadian authorities and legalization by foreign consular officials. In some cases, the signature of a notary is also required.

What is the Apostille Process?

In 1961, a conference was held at the Hague to discuss conventions of international law. It was here that the signing nations agreed upon a standard procedure they would all use for certifying public documents. It is formally called the Convention Abolishing The Requirement of Legalisation For Foreign Public Documents, though it is also known as the Legalization Convention or, more commonly, the Apostille Convention.

Apostille resembles the simple process of a notary, only specifically intended for international purposes. A single official recognized by both nations is all it takes to apply an Apostille and certify the validity of a shared document.

Why Has Canada Not Signed the Apostille Convention?

Initially, Canada was not satisfied with the Apostille Convention. This was mainly due to the lack of a Federal State clause which would have allowed individual provinces to implement the convention’s stipulations locally at their own pace.

Since 1961, a majority of countries have signed the treaty. Chile signed on to the convention in August of 2016. In that country, there was a call from international stakeholders in Chilean businesses to streamline what they considered troublesome and time-consuming regulations.

Currently, there are barriers to implementing the Apostille process in Canada. Setting up the new system requires resources, and existing professionals stand to lose revenue or even their jobs. Additionally, officials in the attestation chain might not fully trust being streamlined out of the process. Canada’s current authentication and legalization process might be a little complicated, but the strength of a certifying institution may lie in its thoroughness.

Will Apostille Ever Be Adopted In Canada?

It’s hard to tell if Canada will eventually become a member of the Apostille Convention. While the treaty continues to slowly draw in more signatures, no recent moves have been made by our government, and it does not appear to be a priority issue at this time.

Over the decades we’ve been helping customers through the document legalization process and we have developed a keen eye for detail. The Legalization Service Centre has always taken care to verify that all documents meet every requirement in both Apostille and non-Apostille countries. We’re certain to offer experienced service assisting our customers, no matter what tomorrow’s circumstance may bring.