Document Authentication is a process which is used to refer to embassy legalization or chain authentication process for submission of documents in an international country. The process is initiated by an individual or a corporation when they are asked to submit their documents for legal purposes to the government of a foreign country.

International Governments need to be certain that the documents being presented to them are authentic or genuine for legal purposes. To be considered legitimate documents for submission to a Foreign Government the documents must first be certified by the Federal Government in the country of issue. However, in order to be certified by the Federal Government documents must be certified by the Secretary of State in which they originated. You can obtain this certification by presenting your document to the Secretary of State’s office at the Authentication Department or the Department of Notaries. Make sure to get the “Gold” or “Embossed seal” and mention the country in which you are going to submit your documents.

Once you are past State level certification your documents are ready to be submitted to the office of authentications at the US State Department. This process normally takes approximately 4 business days when the documents are submitted in person. Once certified through this step, the documents are ready to be submitted to the Embassy of the country in which they are intended for final submission.

Most Embassies or consulates are located in Washington DC and the requirements are normally listed on the website including the fees.

US Authentication Services is a company which provides Document Authentication services and handles all of the above steps for clients and corporations to ensure the certifications are carried out in the correct manner and in the right sequence. Visit the company website at www.usauthentication.com for more details.