Based on experience, consular legalization can be required in conformity with international private law, for the organization of life or business abroad.

Numerous cultural, economic and family international relationships nearly always require presentation of certain set of documents on the territory of the other state. It may include academic certificates, acts of civil status, employment history acts, medical certificates, constitutive acts…Based on experience, many procedures can be required for the organization of life or business abroad.

For that matter, the legalization of documents implies a set of formal procedures with the purpose to confirm their legal status in the institutions of foreign states. The process of document’s legalization takes usually place in the state that originally issued the document. The problem comprises only the uncertainty about the procedure’s difficulties.

From the perspective of international law, it is stipulated by the regulation of Hague Convention. If a state joins the mentioned convention, the legalization process passes in the simplest way via apostille certification. But if a state is not a member of this convention, like many Arab states, the documents submitted to the institutions of these countries, must pass through the process of consular legalization.

Consular legalization represents more complex procedure of legal authentication of the signatures on documents, because in this case it is a multilevel process and usually comprises the following stages:

• Notarial legalization of documents;
• Legalization of documents by the authorities of the Ministry of Justice;
• Legalization of documents by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Legalization of documents by consulate of country of destination.

After passing all described above stages, the document is considered to be completely prepared for the official institutions of the country of destination. If procedure did not fulfill all requirements, the document will not be considered valid by the official authorities.

Consequently, the best recommendation when the official documents are required to be presented at foreign states authorities, is to find out all specified requirements regarding the legal preparation. By the way, it is worth mentioning that many states, non-members of Hague Convention, can recognize the documents with apostille certification. And, vice versa, the official documents submitted for Germany require consular legalization.

For this reason, it will be possible more effective to ask for assistance at translation company Diplom, whose employees are well-instructed about the process of legal preparation of documents.