During the global era in recent years in which people relocate from their home country, whether temporarily or indefinitely, the persons seeking relocation will in most cases be required to present different public documents in order to complete the immigration process in accordance with the requirements of the destination country. These public documents are in most cases acceptable if certified by the home country.
Certification of public documents is divided into two main categories in accordance with the destination country:
- Certified Public Documents to countries who are parties of the Hague Convention.
- Certified Public Documents to countries who are not parties of the Hague Convention.
Certified Public Documents to countries who are parties of the Hague Convention
The Hague Convention, amongst other things, regulates the certification of public documents between countries who are parties of the Hague Convention. The certification of documents will be done with an Apostille Stamp, and parties of the convention will not require additional certification other than the Apostille Stamp.
Certified Public Documents to countries who are not parties of the Hague Convention
Certifying public documents for destination countries who are not parties of the Hague Convention will require other certification by the Branch of Certification of Public Documents at the Ministry of Exterior. However, this certification alone will not suffice, and the certified document should also be certified and stamped by the destination country’s Representation / Consular office in Israel.
The Branch of Certification of Public Documents at the Ministry of Exterior is in charge of certifying public documents, and the service includes government fees which are subject to change. The documents to be certified should be presented as originals, and the Apostille Stamp or certification stamp (in accordance with the destination country) will be placed on the original document. Certification of documents is relevant for public documents only, such as certificates from the Ministry of Interior, Marriage Certificates, Divorce Certificates, Academic Certificates, Licensing Certificates, Inheritance Orders, Court Orders, and Military Documents etc.
The above explains the process of certification of Public Documents to be presented in different countries in the world. In addition to that, Notarized documents require public certification as well in order to be accepted by the destination country. Certification of Notarized documents is divided into two categories as well:
- Notarized Documents to countries who are parties of the Hague Convention
- Notarized Documents to countries who are not parties of the Hague Convention
Notarized Documents to countries who are parties of the Hague Convention
Notarized documents to destination countries who are parties of the Hague Convention require an Apostille Stamp as well, yet the certification and stamp will be given at several different courts in Israel. It should be noted the service is not available at every court.
Notarized Documents to countries who are not parties of the Hague Convention
Notarized documents to destination countries who are not parties of the Hague Convention will be certified by different courts in Israel as well. However, the court certification alone will not suffice, and the document should be certified by the destination countries Representation / Consular office in Israel.
The above is general information only, it should be noted every case is considered individually. If you have additional questions regarding the process please contact us for further information.
