Legalization of documents in this context simply means the process of certifying that a document is legit or authentic, i.e. it is the process of confirming the veracity or the authenticity or otherwise of a document.
Because people tend to act funny or try to play smart sometimes and present fake or forged documents, the authorities they are presented to are being forced to confirm the genuineness or legitimacy of such documents presented before them. If they confirm that such a document is legit and not forged or faked, they will accept it i.e. authenticate, or legalize it but if they see that it is fake or forged in any way they will discountenance such document.
Authentication comes before legalization. You can only legalize a document you have authenticated.
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Authentication of documents simply means to check or confirm the authenticity, genuineness, or originality of the document presented before the authority. Authentication checks the authenticity or legitimacy of the document while legalization checks or confirms the legitimacy or genuineness of the authenticity carried out on the document. Legalization tries to confirm if the authenticity stamp on the document is real or forged.
Authentication of a document is done by Nigerian authorities while legalization of the document is done by the foreign embassy of the country where the document is presented before.
Legalization of documents in Nigeria, therefore, connotes the certification of a document, which has already been authenticated. It is a process by which a foreign embassy in Nigeria certifies the genuineness of the signature or stamps and/or seal made by the authorized officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria.
The reason why every official document leaving Nigeria and is to be presented to a foreign authority is legalized by the foreign embassy even when it has already been authenticated by the Federal Ministry of foreign affairs in Nigeria is because Nigeria is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. The Hague Apostille Convention entered by some nations of the world on 5 October 1961 abolished the requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents moving from one member state to the other.
The most common documents individuals authenticate and legalize include but are not limited to the following;
-Educational documents; WASSCE, Bsc, Msc, Ph.D. certificate, and educational transcripts.
-Professional licenses
—Birth certificate or Attestation of Birth Certificate
-Marriage certificate ie legal proof of marriage
-Divorce certificate ie legal proof of divorce
-Single status affidavit/ Bachelorhood/ spinsterhood certificate.
-Police character certificate or Criminal Record Check Certificates
-Nigerian International Passport Data Page
-CAC Incorporation documents
-Authorization letters
-Employment Letter certificate
-Declaration of assets
-Bank statements/ proof of funds (POF).
-Sponsorship letters,
-Power of Attorney.
-Change of Name Certificates
-Adoption Papers
-Citizenship and Immigration Documents
-Medical Reports
-Contract Papers or Agreement; etc
Please note that all documents issued by an authority in Nigeria, be it a government authority, or a private institution that is to be presented or submitted to a foreign authority need to go through the process of legalization whereby the foreign authority confirms the authenticity or legitimacy of such documents ensuring that is not forged or faked but documents required to be authenticated or legalized is peculiar to an individual country that is to be presented to.
You can either undertake to go through this process by yourself or you can engage the service of a legal practitioner or an agent. But for Nigerians residing abroad who need to authenticate or legalize their documents, it is advisable that instead of coming down to Nigeria for just that purpose, you should rather employ the services of a legal practitioner residing in Nigeria.