Almost every overseas job or scholarship application asks for attested documents. The word covers several different processes, and doing them out of order means starting again.
What attestation is
It is official confirmation that a document is genuine. A degree certificate attested by the awarding body, then by the relevant government department, then by the destination country’s mission, carries a chain of verification that a photocopy does not.
The usual order
- Verification by the issuing institution: the university, board or employer
- Attestation by the relevant national authority
- Attestation by the ministry of foreign affairs
- Attestation by the embassy or consulate of the destination country
Each step normally requires the previous one to be complete. An embassy will not attest a document the foreign ministry has not seen.
What usually needs it
- Degree certificates and transcripts
- Experience certificates
- Birth and marriage certificates, where family are travelling
- Police clearance certificates
Practical advice
Start before you have an offer, not after. Attestation is slow, and the deadline you are working towards will not move because your paperwork is in a queue. Keep several attested sets. Originals are frequently retained.
Requirements and the responsible authorities change. Confirm the current chain with the destination country’s mission before beginning.