Foreign Trade & Export Document Legalization

Foreign Trade Document Legalization Services

Washington Express Visas provides prompt and reliable document legalization of all types of export and trade documents including certificates of origin, certificates of free sale, invoices, and certificates of good manufacturing practices just to name a few. What is document legalization and why does your company need to have documents legalized? When trading and exporting your products to foreign countries, many international governments require that certain documents be submitted before shipping your cargo overseas. These documents must go through an authentication process involving the US Department of State and possibly the local embassy of the country where the products are being shipped that, in the end, verifies that the authenticity of the documents.

The legalization process differs based on the country the cargo is being shipped to as well as the type of cargo being exported.

Here is a basic overview of the Document Legalization process:

Legal documents intended for use in a country which is a member of the Hague convention require an Apostille, which is Notarization and then State Secretary of State Certification.

Legal documents intended for use in a country which is not a member of the Hague convention require a Full Legalization (also known as Chain Authentication or Consularization), which is Notarization, State Secretary of State Certification, Federal Authentication, and then Embassy Legalization.

Washington Express Visas offers same day pick up and expedited service for your Document Legalization and Translation needs.  We ensure that your documents are processed properly and efficiently, and for an affordable price.  Click here to see our rate schedule for prices.  The Document Legalization process can be confusing and frustrating, so we’re here to make that process easier and faster, to help relieve that burden.   Washington Express Visas can save you time and provide peace of mind by saying in constant contact and letting you know immediately of any problems or delays.

Need a document authenticated for one of these common countries? See our country specific pages for the procedures to follow for these Embassies.

Algeria Afghanistan Angola  Bahrain Bangladesh Benin Bolivia Brazil Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon

Chile China Cuba DRC Egypt Ghana Guatemala Guinea Haiti Indonesia Iraq Jordan

Kuwait Lebanon Libya Pakistan Philippines Nigeria Qatar Saudi Arabia Thailand Taiwan United Arab Emirates Vietnam

Many countries require that any document relating to shipping be legalized. Please contact us for further details.

Procedure

Please complete the attached request form and credit card authorization form (if paying by credit card) and send along with your document to Washington Express Visas and Document Legalization.

In order to obtain legalization, we will need the original document. This needs to be a signed-and-notarized or a State-issued Document.

The Legalization processing time at the Embassies varies, but usually takes about 3 – 5 business days.

Documents requiring legalization will be processed through the appropriate Embassy consular office. In order for the document to be recognized by the Embassy, it first needs to be certified by the U.S. State Department. As part of our service, we can take your documents to the U.S. State Department and also advise you on their exact requirements before they will place their seal.

Still confused? Download our Document Legalization Flow Chart to better understand the process.

---

Washington Express Visas Fees:

The fees for document legalization are as follows (not all fees will apply, depending on the type of document):

• Notary Public – $10 (if necessary)
• DC Notary & Authentications – $15 (if necessary)
• US State Dept – $8 (2-3 business days processing)
• WEX Visas & Documents fee Apostille or Authentication only – $95
• Embassy – Fee Varies
• WEX Visas & Documents fee – $120
• WEX Visas & Documents fee (including Notary) – $155
• WEX Visas & Documents Expedited fee (including Notary)- $210
• WEX Visas & Documents fee (documents that need Secretary of State outside of DC if necessary) – $220
• Copy fee – $3 Per page (copies of documents are required by many embassies)
• Return FedEx shipping – $45 ( if you send your own return FedEx air bill, there is a $12 charge to hand-deliver to FedEx for scanning).  International shipping is additional.
• Cash Layout Fee – 10% of layout amount

PLEASE CALL IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION OR FURTHER DETAILS

For more information on our Document Legalization and Translation services, please contact a Visa Services Agent at (202) 393-3030 or info@washingtonexpressvisas.com.

The Washington Express Visas Advantage

• Washington, DC based.
• We are an SSP (Single Source Provider) – Tracking capabilities and technologies that integrate our services.
• Agent Expertise with the Embassies and Department of State.
• Experience – 30 years experience in Washington, DC.
• We provide all cash and other fees up front for you so there are no delays in processing.