Marriage certificate attestation is an elaborate process. And the requirements for such attestation are also special. However, before we talk about the requirements and the process of attestation, it’s crucial for us to understand what attestation of a marriage certificate implies. Marriage certificate attestations are usually required when you are travelling abroad for certain purposes— the attestation is done to validate your marriage certificate. It declares that the appropriate authority has issued the certificate in question. Attestation also indirectly states that the seal and signature that feature on a marriage certificate are genuine.
Here, we will talk about marriage certificate attestation and the process it entails in detail. We will also see what documents are required for authenticating marriage certificates. Read on-
Procedure-
The process of attestation depends on the destination country. You need to follow the attestation process according to the rules laid by the country for which you need your marriage certificate authenticated. Pre-authentication can easily be done at Indian government departments.
Stages of attestation-The attestation process may vary for different countries. That means the process is determined by the country you want to migrate to. The process involves a pre-authentication phase, which takes place before the MEA apostille. This you can get done at various departments of the Indian government.
The first step involves getting the marriage certificate attested by GAD, HRD, Mantralaya, Notary, State Home Department, or SDM of the state where the certificate was issued.
The second stage involves attestation of the certificate by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.
In the third step, the certificate is forwarded to the embassy for legalization.
- Documents–
The documents required for attestation include the authorization letter, 2 passport-sized photographs, a copy of the visa, a copy of the applicant’s passport, and the original marriage certificate.
- Why is Marriage Certificate Attestation important?
The marriage certificate attestation procedure is one of the most important procedures for legalization. It requires an attestation stamp on your certificate from designated officials. This must be done from the country that issued the certificate, i.e., India in your case. The marriage certificate attestation is required to verify the document’s authenticity. This is usually needed to prove that you are legally married and your reason for migrating to another country is genuine. This document is required to obtain a sponsorship or family residence visa for your spouse. For further processing of your visa, the issuing authorities will require the attested document. The country in which the marriage took place can issue this certificate.
- How to get help?
Legalization is required for a Marriage Certificate. To prove your legitimacy, the Marriage Certificate must be authenticated. This is a way by which the home government grants permission to enter another country. When you apply for a visa or show attested documents, the target country’s government office will require evidence that you are an expedient individual. The process of authentication can, however, be slow and tedious. Hence, you can hire a consultancy firm to help you through the process. From the initial document attestation to the final one, they take care of everything.
