Certification of document authenticity (legalisation) means verification of signature and seal of a document.
Before going abroad to work, study or get married etc., a person should clarify in advance what kind of documents will be required and whether the authorities of the relevant country accepts public documents issued in Latvia after they have been legalised or other procedures are in place.
The authentication of document authenticity is regulated by several international conventions and intergovernmental agreements, and also by the Document Legalisation Law and Legalisation of Public Documents of Latvia.
Before submitting documents for authentication, it is highly recommended to consult the mission of the relevant country in advance, in order to find out if it is necessary to certify the authenticity of (legalise):
1. only the original document/ a copy of the original document certified by a notary;
2. only the original document;
3. both the original document/ a copy of the original document certified by a notary, and its translation.
It takes 2-3 working days to legalise a document in a regular order or 1 day if you need it urgently (for an extra charge).