Attestation is the official process of proving a document is genuine. A sequence of authorities and embassies each verify the step before them — so a degree used abroad may pass through your origin country, an embassy, and the destination's authorities in that exact order.
When do you need attestation?
The most common cases: employment (certificates and degrees for a work permit), education (university admission), marriage and family (civil documents), and business (powers of attorney and contracts used across borders). If a foreign office asks for your documents to be "legalized" or "authenticated," that is attestation.
The order matters
Attestation chains are sequential. Attesting in the wrong order means starting over — which is the most expensive mistake in the process. A competent provider maps the chain before submitting anything, then confirms the fee for the whole chain up front.
Translation usually comes first
Documents not in the receiving country's language are translated and certified before the chain begins. Translation errors at this stage are why files get returned later — another reason to use certified linguists rather than a quick machine job.
How long does it take?
Domestic chains typically take 3–7 working days. Chains involving foreign embassies depend on embassy timelines — usually 1–3 weeks. If you have a deadline, say so when you send the documents; rush handling exists because real deadlines exist.
What does it cost?
Each authority and embassy in the chain charges its own fee. A full chain is therefore priced per document based on how many steps it needs — a fixed quote you approve before work starts.
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