Are you looking to study, do business, or gain employment in Saudi Arabia? If so, you will need to get all your important documents attested in both India and Saudi Arabia. Attestation is a process where the relevant Saudi Arabian authorities verify the validity of all your attested documents and provide their stamp of approval, making the documents legal in Saudi Arabia.
This is a necessary procedure that must be completed before you shift to Saudi Arabia for your specific purpose. The process of getting your necessary documents attested is a complicated procedure that involves many steps that you need to take before your documents get attested.
So, keep reading to learn about Saudi certificate attestation in India and how Saudi attestation services in Chennai can help you with the process.
Why Do I Need to Get My Certificates Attested for Saudi Arabia?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently become a part of the Hague Convention where member states don’t require attestation of public certificates to be considered legal within their territory. However, you still need to prove that the public documents you received were issued by legitimate authorities in India.
Thus, any citizen of India, living in any part of the country like Chennai, has to get Saudi Cultural Attaché attestation in India and the apostille for Saudi Arabia from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia for all of their important certificates before their certificates gain legal validity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
If you wish to work within Saudi Arabia, you must apply for a work permit which can be done after certificate attestation for a Saudi work visa.
The Process of Attestation of Certificates
To get attestation of certificates for Saudi Arabia, you first need to get attestation of your certificates attested from Tamil Nadu’s relevant authorities and the Ministry of External Affairs of India. The relevant authorities for certificate attestation in Chennai will be different depending on what type of certificate you wish to get attested.
Educational Certificates
Citizens looking to get Saudi Arabia document attestation in Chennai for educational certificates will need to follow the following steps:
- Approach the issuing school, college, or university for attestation of documents
- Notary attestation
- Get your Certificates Attested from the Educational Department of Tamil Nadu
- Get Certificate Attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs
- Get Certificate Attestation from, Saudi Cultural Attaché in India
The Education Department of Tamil Nadu is located in Chennai so you will have to submit your educational certificates and documents there for attestation.
Non-Education Certificates
If you wish to attest any non-educational certificates other than commercial certificates, you will need to follow the following steps:
- Notary Attestation
- Get Certificate Attestation of the authority that issued the document in Tamil Nadu (for example Home Department)
- Get Certificate Attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs
- Get Certificate Attestation from Saudi Cultural Attaché
The Home Department of Tamil Nadu is also located in Chennai and you will have to submit your documents there for state attestation of your documents and certificates.
Commercial Certificate
Any citizen that possesses any kind of commercial certificate for their business in Chennai will need to follow the following steps for Saudi Arabia document attestation in Chennai:
- Notary Attestation
- Chamber of Commerce Attestation in Tamil Nadu
- Get Certificate Attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs
- Get Certificate Attestation by Saudi Cultural Attaché
The Chamber of Commerce of Tamil Nadu is located in Madurai. Submitting documents and keeping track of the attestation process in each of these departments can be a very costly and time-consuming process which is why it is advised that you work with a certificate attestation partner to get all of your necessary documents attested by each authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Saudi Arabia become a member country of the Hague Convention?
In the year 2022, Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Convention. Because of this, embassy attestation of public documents is no longer necessary for legal validity in Saudi Arabia. Citizens of Chennai and the rest of India have to receive the attestation of only the Saudi Cultural Attaché to gain legal validity.
- What documents are needed for Saudi Arabia document attestation in Chennai?
To get your certificates attested in Chennai, you will need the following documents
- Original copy of the Certificate
- One copy of your Valid Passport
In certain circumstances, the Saudi Cultural Attaché can request a copy of the original certificate or a translated copy of the certificate, both of which must also be attested.
- How much time is needed to complete the attestation process?
Attestation of documents can take a lot of time depending on the documents. In Chennai, it can take up to 1 month before your documents get attested which upon being added to the usual time it takes to attest documents, can result in the process taking up to 4-5 weeks.
- Which authority of Saudi Arabia will attest my documents?
The Saudi Cultural Attaché is the body that is responsible for verifying and attesting documents in India for Saudi Arabia. Their office is located in New Delhi so you will have to submit your attested documents there.
- What can I do in Saudi Arabia with document attestation?
Once your documents have been attested by the Saudi Cultural Attaché, you are eligible to do business, pursue education, and engage in employment with anyone within Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia document attestation in Chennai is a very complex process that is prone to many mistakes which is why it is highly recommended that you take the help of a professional attestation partner who can assist you with the entire process. For assistance with Saudi Arabia document attestation in Chennai, contact GloboPrime today!