Apostille

How to: Get a Diploma Apostilled in Japan

January 24, 2014 By Atlanta Apostille

Japanese students and recent graduates looking to work and study abroad will need their degrees, diplomas, or certificates earned in Japan to be recognized overseas. The Certificate Section of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular and Migration Division handles certification of these types of documents.

In Japan, there are two types of certification for a document: a koin, which is an official stamp, and an Apostille, which is an official addendum.

A koin is available for degrees, diplomas, and certificates from any educational institution, private or government-funded, from primary school through university.

An Apostille, however, can only be obtained for degrees, diplomas, and certifications received from government-operated schools and universities. The upside is that you do not have to bring these documents to the Japanese Embassy, but it is important to note that the documents will only be recognized by countries that are members of the Hague Convention.

In order to have your documents certified by koin or apostille, you need to provide the original document containing the stamp of the school or principal. For an Apostille you will also need to produce a copy of the document.

If you are unable to appear at the Foreign Ministry in person, you may send a self-addressed, stamped envelope, in addition to a letter explaining that you need an application form to validate your degree, certification, or diploma.

When you receive the application form, complete and return it to the ministry with the appropriate documents and copies, as well as a self-addressed, stamp envelope. It will usually take a week for the certified document to be returned to you.

Hague Conference and NNA Collaborate on Electronic Apostille Program

January 24, 2014 By Atlanta Apostille

The Hague Conference on Private International Law is partnering with the National Notary Association (NNA) to introduce the Electronic Apostille Pilot Program (e-APP). The program is intended as a solution to reduce document fraud and business costs by streamlining business and fortifying security.

Apostilles are used all over the world for a variety of documents, including powers of attorney, contracts, and international adoptions. The apostille provides a “seal of approval” from the issuing country that all participating members can trust as accurate and authentic.

The e-APP offers a standardized, secure format for authenticating documents and relies on a paperless process. More than 90 states are currently participating in the e-APP program. The United States alone issues about 1,000,000 apostilles each year and is expected to do so with even more speed and security thanks to the e-APP.

The e-APP will save US residents both time and money by reducing the number of documents that are rejected by foreign countries, simplifying the process of using documents overseas.

Are We There Yet? Travelling Internationally With Children

December 31, 2013 By Atlanta Apostille

Travelling abroad with children can get complicated because governments want to do their best to prevent parents from taking their children out of the country and not coming back, which is also known as international child abduction.

If you are vacationing with your children out of the country and are married, some countries (such as Mexico), may require you to obtain your spouse’s permission in order to take your children out of the country without him/her. If you are divorced this is not necessary, although you will need to produce a certified copy of your custody order in order to travel to and from Mexico.

Be aware that certain countries, such as Australia, Canada, Israel, Lebanon, and Mexico, will not admit children travelling without parents or with only one parent unless they have notarized permission from the absent parent(s) to do so.

If you are travelling with your children to one of the aforementioned countries, you will need to have your custody order certified with an apostille. Atlanta Apostille will help you get the certification you need quickly and efficiently so you can travel without delay or worry.

Russia’s Price on Higher Education

November 29, 2013 By Atlanta Apostille

Although many Americans complain about the price of higher education, in Russia the price tag for an advanced degree (Master’s, Ph.D., etc.) runs around $40,000—literally. Russian citizens have been purchasing fake diplomas for years with little to no consequences.

With the penalty for knowingly buying a fake diploma being a maximum $2600 fines and two years of “correctional labor,” coupled with the fact that employers seldom check the authenticity applicant’s diplomas, it is unlikely the fraud will cease anytime soon.

What’s more, companies that do try to verify candidates’ diplomas are often turned down because the information is “confidential.” Ironically, though, foreigners who apply for Russian work permits are required to produce apostilles that prove the authenticity of their diplomas.

Although the Russian government has promised for years to set up a database where employers could validate diplomas, little moves have been made to actually get the project off the ground. Unfortunately it seems the government is not concerned with how academic plagiarism has corrupted the education system and devalued the work of honest students.

With no immediate solutions on the horizon, the question remains: how will Russia be able to continue to modernize while so many leaders of industry—such as managers, engineers, economists, doctors, lawyers, bureaucrats, and politicians—hold fake credentials?

Oman Joins the Hague Apostille Convention

October 18, 2013 By Atlanta Apostille

Citizens of several countries planning to move to Oman will see a change in document certification regulations.

These changes are a result of Oman joining the Hague Apostille Convention in late January. Under the convention, official documents issued in Oman can now be certified, or apostilled, for legal use in all other participating countries.

This news benefits the large South Asian expatriate community in Oman that is now able to use Indian documents more easily.

Those planning to come to Oman on work visas should expect changes in document attestation, according to the Indian Embassy.