Legalization is a process of verifying one country’s document for authenticity, Originality and correctness for another country. Any document which is being used outside its issuing country must go through a process of legalization, without which the documents will not be accepted in foreign countries.

When presenting a document originating in one country for use in another, often the receiving party requires proof of authenticity for the signature and seals of the public official who executed, issued, or certified a copy of the document. The October 5, 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, or Apostille Convention, has simplified the process of document legalization a great deal through a document called an apostille, which eliminates the need for an embassy or consular legalization. Over 120 countries are now parties to the convention.

For documents originating in the US destined for a country that is not a member of this Hague Convention, there are many more steps involved in the document legalization process (as outlined below). The process varies depending on whether you are legalizing public documents, such as certified copies of court documents, or private documents, such as corporate bylaws for a US company or a private contract.

Let’s take a look at how the legalization and authentication of documents works in different scenarios.