When you plan your move away from Canada to another country, you first need to get your paperwork in order. If you’re married, this means getting your marriage certificate attested so that it’s recognized in the country you’re moving to.
Confused about what marriage certificate attestation is? Read ahead to know all the details regarding this procedure.
What Is Marriage Certificate Attestation?
Simply put, it’s a method to legalize and authenticate your marriage certificate from both your own country (i.e., Canada), as well as the embassy of the intended country. It’s a seal of verification that makes your document acceptable and legally recognised in the intended country, legitimising your marriage there.
Why Do I Need To Attest My Marriage Certificate?
You want your document to remain valid in the country you move to. What may be a perfectly legal marriage certificate in Canada may not hold as an authentic document in, say, the UAE. Therefore, for the UAE authorities to consider your marriage as valid, you need to have an attested copy ready for submission.
This is especially important in foreign countries where couples aren’t allowed to live together without a valid marriage document. Similarly, you’ll need an attested marriage certificate if you’re applying for a spousal visa.
How Do I Attest My Marriage Certificate?
Now that you know why attestation is absolutely necessary when you’re moving abroad let’s look at what the process entails.
The Canadian marriage certificate attestation procedure consists of three steps. First, you need to prepare your marriage certificate for processing it. For this, you may need to attain a Certified True Copy of your original marriage certificate along with any other required supporting documents.
Next, your marriage certificate will be transferred to the Global Affairs Canada office in Ottawa for authentication. The staff there will verify your documents, and once they’re deemed as legitimate, a red stamp will be inserted directly on your marriage certificate. This will officially authenticate your certificate. Global Affairs Canada has certain rules for accepting marriage certificates, though, so you’ll have to ensure you’re providing them the right type of document for authentication.
Finally, your marriage certificate will be legalized at the relevant embassy of the country you’re relocating to. Once you’ve submitted your authenticated marriage certificate to the designated embassy or consulate, the staff there will verify the authentication of your document and ensure that it complies with their specific requirements. Upon close verification and conformation of the marriage certificate’s legitimacy, a stamp or sticker will be applied to your document, thus legalizing it.
Our team at Global Legalization Services can help you navigate through the complex attestation process. We also extend our legalization services to educational certificates, degrees, work permits, and other important documents. Contact us today for comprehensive document attestation and legalization services. You can call our team at 1-877-595-1276 or schedule an appointment at our office at 4 Florence Street, Suite 203, Ottawa, Ontario.