Legalization is certification of a document so that a foreign nation's legal system recognizes it. A legalized document is genuine proof that it was issued by a competent and expert authority, and that the signature, seal and/or stamp on it are genuine — required for any country that isn't a member of the Hague Convention.
The procedure of receiving certification for documents from the relevant authority in the source nation, so that the documents get accepted by the legal system of the foreign nation to be visited, is termed legalization. It involves various steps for making your documents acceptable for use in a different country.
When your documents are authenticated domestically, they must then undergo certification by the foreign authority to make them valid there — getting the document signed and stamped or sealed by the relevant public official of the destination country.
Legalization vs. Apostille: Documents need to be legalized only if they will be used in a nation that is not part of the Hague Convention. For Hague member countries, a single Apostille is sufficient instead.
Legalization typically requires notarization, followed by ministry authentication, then final embassy or consulate approval.
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