Marriage Certificate Attestation
Marriage is an important part of the journey of life where two different individuals vow to stay committed to a lifelong partnership and share a beautiful companionship during the ups and downs of life. This is a sacred institution that operates under social laws.
A marriage certificate is a formal document that recognizes the marriage. This acts as the evidence of the legitimacy of your marriage. A marriage certificate contains specific details regarding the marriage such as the name of the couple, the name of the witnesses and the place and date of marriage.
Though this is enough to prove the legal validity of your marriage, if you want to use it in foreign countries Marriage Certificate Attestation is necessary. Attestation of the marriage certificate is necessary if spouses want to avail themselves of the legal and societal benefits of being married.
Importance of Marriage Certificate Attestation
Marriage certificate attestation is an absolute necessity to use your certificates internationally. The process of attestation is done as per the standard rules and regulations set by global authorities ensuring it is accepted without a second thought.
Attestation of marriage certificate is required in visa processing if anyone among the couple wants to bring their family or wants to live with their partner. is imperative to claim financial benefits. It is essential to get passports for your children and admit them to school. To live, work, or travel with your spouse internationally without any legal complications or obligations, marriage certificate attestation is to be done.
Procedure for Marriage Certificate Attestation
Marriage certificate attestation is similar to the attestation of any other personal document. The process of attestation necessitates the attestation from multiple departments of different ministries of the origin and destination countries.
The marriage certificate attestation process typically involves the following steps:
Initially, the marriage certificate must be attested by the notaries. Notaries, being recognized as official authorities, are vested with the legal authority to authenticate certificates.
After undergoing local attestation, the document requires further attestation from the appropriate state government authority or the Home Department. Additionally, at the state level, verification procedures can be conducted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
The subsequent stage following the state level attestation involves obtaining MEA attestation. MEA, which stands for the Ministry of External Affairs, is responsible for handling a country’s external affairs, and MEA attestation is indispensable to validate your document. MEA offers two types of authentication: Apostille attestation and Normal attestation. Apostille documents are recognized by countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention, whereas those countries not part of the Hague Convention follow the Normal attestation procedure.
In cases where a country is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, it is essential to have the marriage certificate verified by the embassy or consulate of the destination country located in the country of origin. However, please note that this requirement may not be applicable in all nations.
In some cases, it may be necessary to obtain an attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or MOFA Attestation in the country you plan to visit.
If your marriage certificate is not in the official language of the destination country, it might be required to have a translation done before seeking attestation. It’s important to note that the attestation process generally follows these steps, although the specific requirements may differ depending on the countries involved.
Documents Required for Marriage Certificate Attestation
Different documents are required for various certificate attestation procedures. These are:
- Original marriage certificate
- Copies of passport and visa
- An authorization letter (if applicable)
Your photographs, address and contact details are also required.
Time and Cost for Marriage Certificate Attestation
The cost involved in attestation depends on several factors. This includes notary fees, government fees, translation fees and courier charges. Marriage certificate attestation is tiresome and time-consuming. As it requires verification from multiple levels of authorities, without prior knowledge a considerable amount of time will be required. So, it is better to seek service from a service provider.
With New India Attestation, your marriage certificate attestation is completed in the least time possible at competitive prices.
