Nigeria: Document Legalization

And Authentication In Nigeria –

Step By Step Guide
Getting ready to move to a new country always entails a lot of paperwork!
Since certain countries only recognize legalized international certificates,
it's a good idea to have those you'll need abroad authenticated until you
travel. This method verifies that a certificate was issued by a legitimate
authority and that the signature is authentic. Learn about the legalization
of documents in Nigeria.

What is Document Legalization?

Legalization, also known as document attestation, is a process that involves

the formal validation of Nigerian documents for use in other countries.
The Embassies and Consulates of the destination countries are usually in
charge of this process. For example, if you need anyone in the UAE to look
after your property on your behalf, you'll need a power of attorney from
the UAE embassy in Nigeria. They have no legal standing in the UAE until
they take this important measure. All Nigerian certificates that are to be
used in any foreign country are subject to these conditions.

In Nigeria, document authentication entails the procedure of certifying

documents, while document legalization entails the certification of a
document that has already been authenticated at the embassy or mission
of the foreign country where the document may be used or presented. A
document must be authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Abuja before it can be legalized. Nigeria does not issue apostille stamps
because it is not a member state to the Hague Apostille Convention, which
eliminates the need for legalization for foreign public documents. In
Nigeria, the authentication performed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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 replaces the apostille.

Document Legalization For Education Purposes

For educational document legalization, three steps and three different

authorities are involved in the verification process before the oversea
authorities accept the public document. The documents should be
notarized in the Ministry of Education and Science, and also in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that, all the educational documents are
submitted to the consulate or the embassy of oversea country for the final
checking.

The 3 Step Procedures & Authorities in the Document

Authentication & Legalization Process:

1. Ministry of Education: Authentication by the Nigeria ministry of

education (Incase if needed; It Only applies for educational purposes)
2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Additional legalization by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Nigeria
3. DestinationForeign Country Embassy or Consulate: Completion of
the legalization process by the foreign country embassy in Nigeria

In a nutshell, the key measures for document

authentication at Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
are as follows:

If the embassy or destination country requires it, get the document

notarized. Otherwise, you may skip this stage.
Bring the document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Abuja
headquarters and fill out the authentication forms at the Ministry's
Legal Services Division (LSD).
Obtain a cost quote for the document(s) you wish to authenticate,
which is priced per page, and then make a REMITA payment to the
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 designated government account (provided by the assigned officer of
the Legal Services Department).
Return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Legal Services Department
after making payment to deposit the proof of payment (e.g. bank
deposit tellers) and receive an acknowledgment receipt from the
ministry.
Submit the document for authentication at the required LSD desk at
the ministry, and you will be notified when the document has been
authenticated.

There is no assurance that the document authentication will be done by

the recommended deadline, so you will have to wait and maybe make
several trips to the ministry to find out how far along the process is.

The time it takes to authenticate documents in Nigeria varies depending

on the type of document, as different documents can necessitate different
follow-up actions on the Ministry's part before final authentication.

What Documents We Legalize

Birth certificate or Attestation of Birth Certificate

Marriage certificate
Divorce certificate
Single status affidavit
Police character certificate
Nigerian International Passport Data Page
Academic documents (results, degree certificates and transcripts)
Incorporation documents
Authorization letters
Declaration of assets
Bank statements
Sponsorship letters, etc.
Death Certificates
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 Change of Name Certificates
Diplomas, Degrees, Transcripts
Non Impediment to Marriage Certificates
Statement In-lieu of Certificate of Non-impediment to Marriage
Abroad
Powers of Attorney
Criminal Record Check Certificates
Fingerprints
Citizenship and Immigration Canada documents
Corporate Documents
Commercial Invoices
Medical Reports
etc.

When a birth certificate, police character certificate, or marriage certificate

has to be legalized, it must first be notarized by a Notary Public, then
validated by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and finally legalized
by the embassy. It's important to note that not all documents are
appropriate for legalization. Many embassies, for example, may not
legalize any documents that are in violation of their domestic laws or
whose material may cause harm to their own people. Any document
bearing an unusual seal or stamp that differs from those used by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be disqualified for legalization.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject
matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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