If you are going to emigrate, you need to attest your documents. This step is a crucial step. You cannot get off from it because the immigration departments of any country want to determine whether the document is genuine and legal. So, you need to go through document attestation.

This procedure has different levels, which the emigrants have to pass through step by step. Let’s have a look over what these levels are:

Different Levels of Attestation in India

• District or Sub-Divisional Magistrate of District
• Home Department of The State Government
• Ministry of External Affairs of the Central Government

MEA Verifies These Facts

• The originality of documents
• Authentic signature of Indian officials on docs
• Different level of departments’ stamp

Attest Originals, Not Photocopies

The verifying authority prefers the originals to be stamped on the reverse of those documents. Sometimes, the originals are found laminated, the authorized agency removes it to get it attested. Sometimes, your originals get damaged in this process, which you cannot reverse. So, you should be ready to withdraw the new ones in that case.

What if you lose originals?

There are some instances when you may lose or damage your educational certificates or degrees or diplomas. Rather than wondering, you should immediately lodge a complaint for the education certificates being lost. Do mention the reason in the FIR. Indian states have this facility available over their police website in the local area. If you want to file that FIR,

• Access the website.
• Put your email id and contact details there.
• Write the complaint of the certificates being lost.
• Hit the “Submit” tab.

A reference number will be sent on your registered email id that you have mentioned there. This will also have a copy of the FIR so that you can directly save and get its print out for submitting with the application to withdraw the new original certificates from the university or school. This FIR does not require any stamp or signature to be enclosed with the application.

Applicant’s Information is Protected

The personal and educational certificates contain sensitive information, which is valuable. The hackers often look for this kind of accurate information to take away and sell at a good price in the market. There are just four agencies that have been authorized to collect applications for attestation on the behalf of the government. This is done to keep your personal identifiable information safe and secure in the robust IT network, where breaching is hard to carry out. This is how the competent agencies ensure no loss of personally identifiable information.

Is Notary Stamp Compulsory?

The red coloured seal is called the notarization stamp. It’s not necessary to have on your documents, as it has no value on educational certificates.

However, it becomes important in the cases of getting CENOMAR or marriage certificate. This is done by a notary public, an authority in the court, to identify if the applicant is telling the truth or not. The notary discovers fakeness through a volley of questions about the certificates and face expressions.

Fingerprint Scan Attestation

It is significant that the applicant would visit the embassy in person, where his scanned fingerprint data are collected at the time of visa interview. This is done to match them with the fingerprints scan at the airport entrance. The airport authority does it to prevent the misuse of visa.

One point that one should always keep into account is that no third party can ever submit scanned fingerprints on your behalf. You have to go on your own.