What is Attestation and Its Types?
Attestation is the process of verifying and confirming the authenticity of a document or a certificate. It involves getting the document or certificate verified by a competent authority, which can be a government agency, a notary public, or any other authorized person or organization. The purpose of attestation is to ensure that the document or certificate is genuine and has not been tampered with or forged.
Attestation is commonly used for documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, degree certificates, and other educational certificates, as well as for commercial documents such as import/export documents, contracts, and agreements. Attestation is often required when a document needs to be used in a foreign country, or when it needs to be recognized by a government agency or a private organization.
There are different types of attestation, including:
1. Notarization: This is the process of getting a document signed and verified by a notary public. The notary public verifies the identity of the signer and ensures that the signature is genuine.
2. Legalization: This is the process of getting a document authenticated by the embassy or consulate of the country where it will be used. The embassy or consulate verifies the authenticity of the document and confirms that it is valid for use in their country.
3. Apostille: This is a type of legalization that is recognized internationally. It involves getting a document certified by the Secretary of State or other authorized government agency, which then attaches an apostille stamp to the document. The apostille stamp confirms that the document is genuine and can be trusted.
4. Authentication: This is the process of verifying the authenticity of a document by comparing it to a known original copy. This type of attestation is often used for documents such as birth certificates and marriage certificates.
Attestation services are provided by various organizations, including government agencies, notary publics, and private companies. These services can include document translation, document authentication, and document legalization. Some attestation services also offer additional services such as document scanning and storage, and document delivery.
In summary, attestation is the process of verifying and confirming the authenticity of a document or certificate. It involves getting the document verified by a competent authority, which can be a government agency, a notary public, or any other authorized person or organization. Attestation services are provided by various organizations, and they can include document translation, document authentication, and document legalization.