Notary Public is an individual who is able to administer oaths and acknowledge or witness signatures on legal documents. Many legal documents require the endorsement of a Notary Public. Notaries also notarize documents for authentication.
Authentication of a Alabama document for foreign use is based on two factors: the official signature on the document and the country in which it will be used. The official signature must be of a currently commissioned notary public, and probate judge, circuit clerk, or the current State Registrar. Documents for countries that are party to the Hague Convention Number 12 receive apostilles. Documents for all other countries receive certifications.
Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must be "authenticated" or "legalized" before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. This is a process in which various seals are placed on the document. Such documents range from powers of attorney, affidavits, birth, death and marriages records, incorporation papers, deeds, patent applications, home studies and other legal papers. The number and type of authentication certificates you will need to obtain depend on the nature of the document and whether or not the foreign country is a party to the multilateral treaty on "legalization" of documents.
If your document is intended for use in a country which is a party to a treaty called the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents obtaining a special "apostille" certificate is generally all that is required. If the country where the document will be used is not a party to the Convention, you will have to begin the cumbersome, time-consuming process of obtaining a series of certifications known as the "chain authentication method". This is literally a paper chase in which authorities will have to attest to the validity of a succession of seals beginning with your document and ending with the seal of the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States.
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