document authentication | visaservices

ISO 9001 certified? Many companies may know what this means. In business, it is an international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It is a certification acquired based upon a company’s Quality Management System (QMS). This means that a company claiming to have a QMS meeting the requirements of ISO 9001, has been assessed and determined to have the ability to effectively provide consistent service within their area of business.

ISO requirements cover topics such as:

Quality Management System continuous improvement
Management commitment to quality
Resource adequacy
Employee competence
Process Management, such as administrative processes
Business Planning
Product or Service Design
Order Reviews
Customer Complaint Resolutions
Customer Perception Management

A customer may not know the definition of ISO 9001 Certification, yet they know exactly what it means. It means quality. It means reliability. It means trust. It means better sleep at night. It means your process prevents errors, even if it’s their own. It means proven expertise. It means you have customer care. It means they have a business relationship that works every time.

Washington Express Visas decided to solidify its’ position as the most trusted and reliable service for expedited Visas, Passports and Document Legalization in the Nation’s Capital by becoming ISO 9001 Certified. Washington Express has been in business for 29 years with offices in Washington DC. We are the only single source provider of expedited document processing in the nation’s capital. Being within the sect of courier services we are in, having a quality management system that executes optimal service every time is vital. Our team prides itself on quality service and meeting the needs of our customers.

We are internationally proven to have a Quality Management System established that works. Let Washington Express Visas be your single source visa and passport services provider. We know the meaning of being ISO 9001 certified, but we also know what it means to you!

Document Legalization refers to the four-step process in which documents are certified as authentic/genuine prior to being used in countries that are not signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention (Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents). These steps are mandatory for having the document recognized as legally binding and bona fide by foreign governments, agencies and corporations.

The four steps are as follows:

1st step: the document must be notarized by a notary public
2nd step: the document must be certified by the Secretary of State that the document was notarized in
3rd step: the document must be authenticated by the U.S. State Department Authentication Office
4th step: the document must be legalized by the consular office of the embassy of the country that the document will be used in

Wikipedia defines Document Legalization:

In international law, legalization is the process of certifying a document so a foreign country’s legal system will recognize it. The process is used routinely in international commerce.

The procedure for legalizing a foreign document varies from country to country. The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents has supplanted this procedure with the use of an apostille for countries that are signatories to that convention.

For purposes of document legalization, countries are divided into two groups: those that are signatories to the Hague Convention and those that are not. Signatories of the Convention have agreed that Consular authentication of documents is no longer required and in most cases, execution of the documents by a Notary Public is sufficient.

Countries that have opted to not participate in the Hague Convention of 1961 typically require that documents be authenticated by the foreign affairs ministry of the originating country (eg in the United States, the Department of State, in Washington DC). Once authenticated by the foreign ministry the documents then need to be reviewed and approved by the consular staff of the country in which the transaction is to occur. Typically, this process must be completed before an international shipment of goods will be allowed entry into a non-participating country.

Paul C. Hofford
Operations Manager
Washington Express, LLC
12240 Indian Creek Court
Beltsville, MD 20705
301-210-3500
www.washingtonexpressvisas.com

(202) 393-3030

Get Started

Document Order Forms

Visa Order Forms