Iran provides many opportunities for people seeking employment, business ventures, or even residency. But before accessing these and other services, you must abide by the Iran entry requirements. First, you must translate your documents into Persian, the official language. Your English documents could not only get in the way of transactions but can also delay urgent processes. Secondly, you must authenticate your documents in the U.S. to make them valid for use in Iran. We explain if you can get an apostille Iran and how to ensure your documents meet the minimum entry criteria:
Secure and Reliable Document Authentication for Iran
Can you get an apostille Iran? What does an apostille mean? Well, there are two ways to authenticate documents for official use. The first is to get an apostille, and the second is to authenticate and legalize your documents. Here is how the processes work:
- The Apostille: The apostille is a certification issued to documents to verify the integrity of their stamps, seals, and signatures. This document verifies the person who signed the document, their authority, where the document originated, and when and where you got an apostille. Unlike legalized documents, apostilled documents are acceptable in all countries that use apostilles. This certification was introduced to address the time-consuming and complex authentication and legalization processes. But it is only available to countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention. While the U.S. is a party to this treaty, Iran is not. As such, you cannot get an apostille Iran, as it would not get recognition in Iran.
- Authentication and Legalization: Before the apostille existed, countries used legalization and authentication procedures. Authentication is a process to verify that signatures, stamps, and seals on documents are authentic. And in the United States, this process occurs at the U.S. Department of State under the Office of Authentications. Each country has a competent authority that handles authentications. The authority then hands you an authentication certificate. But at this point, the document is not valid for use in Iran as authorities in Iran have not legalized it. So, that is where legalization comes into the picture. It is a process conducted at the Iran Embassy where officials verify the authentication of the official document. If everything checks out, they issue a legalization stamp that validates the document for use in Iran.
In many ways, authentication and legalization are the equivalents of an apostille Iran.
Apostille vs. Authentication & Legalization
Does the document authentication matter? Would an apostille Iran be the better choice? These processes have the following differences:
- Validity: An apostille is valid in all countries that are party to the Hague Convention. But authenticated and legalized documents are only valid in the country whose embassy has legalized the documents.
- Procedures: An apostille goes through one competent authority, which can be the U.S. Department of State or the Secretary of State. But authentication and legalization occur under different authorities and will thus pass through the U.S. Department of State and the Iran Embassy.
Moreover, Iran does not accept apostilles. Thus, getting your documents authenticated and legalized is the only way to use them in Iran.
What requires authentication and legalization? Knowing what to authenticate can be a challenge. Generally, you should authenticate any document you will use for official transactions in Iran. Examples include federal documents, state-issued documents, school records, and business records. Our team can guide you on what to prepare for authentication to avoid leaving out important documents.
Guide to U.S. Document Authentication for Iran
You should follow the process below step-by-step:
- Get your documents notarized by a notary public: Kindly note that this does not apply to FBI background checks,
- Have your documents certified: Only true certified copies are eligible for authentication. You can certify your documents before a notary public. However, court and federal documents should get certified by the Secretary of State.
- Translate your documents: Iran uses Persian as an official language, and translating your documents will thus ease your official transactions.
- Authenticate your documents: Submit your documents to the Office of Authentications under the U.S. Department of State via mail. You should get a response in about five to eight weeks.
- Legalize your documents: You should submit your authenticated documents and the authentication certificate to the Iran Embassy for a legalization stamp.
The authentication and legalization processes can take months, especially when backlogs and errors occur. Thus, set yourself up for success by following all the requirements above.
Efficient and Reliable US Document Authentication Service for Iran
An authenticated and legalized document becomes the equivalent of an apostille Iran. However, due to the lengthy processes in play, getting legalization can take weeks. Moreover, the processes often prove challenging to many people, creating room for errors that further delay the process. If you need help to authenticate your documents, Travel Visa Pro is here to help.
Why choose us?
- Professionalism: We have in-house experts who are well-versed in all authentication matters. We understand the Iran legalization process and will ensure your documents meet all the requirements.
- Translation: Only certified translations are acceptable for use in Iran. We have certified translators who will provide true translations for all your official documents.
- Speed: We know that time may not be on your side. We offer rush and standard processing timelines that only take days to complete.
- Customizability: Apostille Iran applications are different, as some need extra services. We offer attestation, certification, and notarization services as a plus.
- Coverage: Our authentication services are available across 50 states, and we can get your documents legalized no matter where you are.
Plus, our process is simple! It comes down to the following three steps:
- You place an order on our website and let us know the document type, where you will use it, and your preferred timeline.
- Our agents review the order and guide you on where to send your document.
- You receive a legalized document at your address within the requested time.
Getting the equivalent of an apostille Iran can be that easy!