The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation is the final step of all certificate attestation procedure. Every country has its own set of rules and procedures when it comes to MOFA attestation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for dealing with matters of foreign policy and international relations. Thus, when a person applies to visit a foreign country, MOFA has to reject or accept the application for a visa based on whether the applicant is meeting all eligibility criteria or not. In the UAE, the MOFA attestation means proving that the documents submitted by you are authentic.
Seeking the assistance of an attestation agency
We understand that the complete procedure of getting your documents attested is too complicated and taxing. Thus, getting the assistance of an attestation agency makes more sense. However, you should keep in mind that you should not hire just any attestation agency or service provider. The foremost thing to check is whether the attestation company is ISO certified and approved by the concerned authorities.
Many attestation companies claim to be the best to lure customers. But, unless you get the assurance that the company is certified and recognized, you should not risk providing your valuable documents for attestation, no matter how urgent it is. Once you lose your documents due to the selection of a non-reliable attestation company, then the urgency won’t matter at all.
So, whenever you wish to travel abroad for higher studies, employment or other purposes, hire a certified attestation service provider.
How does MOFA Attestation work?
To get your documents attested from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, first, you need to go through the following steps.
- HRD/Notary/Chamber of Commerce Attestation
Based on the type of documents, the initial process of attestation varies.
- For educational documents, you need to submit your documents to the HRD of the concerned state.
- For personal documents, you will need notary attestation.
- In case you are going to another country for the purpose of setting up a business, you will need to submit the documents to the Chamber of Commerce for attestation.
The next step is to submit your documents for attestation to the Ministry of External Affairs. For MEA attestation, there are two processes.
Apostille attestation is required for countries that are members of the Hague Convention. If you are traveling to a country that is a Hague member, you will need only one attestation to prove the authenticity of your documents.
For rest, you will require normal attestation.
- Embassy Attestation
Once the steps of HRD attestation and MEA attestation are completed, the documents should be submitted to the embassy of the migrating country in your own home country for further verification.
For some countries, this step is not necessary. After MEA attestation, you are allowed to apply directly for MOFA attestation.
Once you complete all these steps, then you can apply for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation. Only after completing this step, the applicant is allowed for admission grant, work permit, or join a company in another country.