Apostille for Marriage Certificates- Addressing Common Myths .docx (1)

1. Apostille for Marriage Certificates: Addressing Common Myths Apostilles are a crucial necessity for any form of authentication of documents from one country to another. They are mainly used to authenticate one jurisdiction documents used in another jurisdiction. Marriage certificates as well can cause some confusion in terms of the apostille process that many people might not be aware of. Let us demystify some of the frequently held beliefs about apostilles of marriage certificates. Myth 1: Apostilles are needed only for international marriages that take place outside the couple’s native country. To this date, the biggest myth related to the marriage certificate apostille in Oman is that it is necessary only for the marriage that has with taken place outside the country of the certificate’s origin. However, this is not true. Whereas, apostilles are necessary for the marriage certificates that shall be used or accepted in another country, whether or not the marriage was solemnized within the territory of the issuing country. Myth 2: Apostilles are only required for Specific Countries The third myth regarding apostilles for marriage certificates is that these apostilles have to be sought for particular countries. However, this is not true. Apostilles are legal in most of the countries that are members of the

2. Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing requirement for legalization of Foreign Public Documents. This means that only marriage certificates, with apostilles affixed to them are legal in any nation that is a member to this convention. Myth 3: Apostille is a complicated procedure Apostilles are normally viewed strictly as a complex procedure that has to be performed as a lengthy endeavour. However, this is not true. In general, the procedure of marriage certificate apostille in Oman is rather unproblematic and does not require much time. It is done by presenting the first marriage certificate to the right governmental office that affix the apostille stamp to it. Myth 4: Notary Services for a Marriage Certificate is equal to Apostille Here, it is important to understand that notarization and apostilling are not same service. Notary service confirms the identity of the person signing the document; apostille, in its turn, confirms the origin of the document, as well as the authority of the issuing officer. Apostilles, therefore, have effect in an international manner than notarial authentication alone. Myth 5: A Marriage Certificate in a foreign language does not require an apostille. Even if you have had your marriage certificate translated for purposes of using it in a foreign country, you will need to apostille the original. The translation may as well require certification or apostille, depending on the country of the issuing of the credential. It is often inadequate merely to produce an unofficial translation of the document which was accompanied by an apostille on the original. Myth 6: Marriage Certificate has an indefinite validity after being Apostilled.

3. Although, apostille does not have a time limit affixed to it the relevancy of the marriage certificate attached to the apostille varies depending on the law of the country it is being utilized at. Some of the countries may specify the time within which the documents have to be delivered meaning that the documents have to be produced within sixth months from the time they were submitted. One ought to check the requirements of the doc with the foreign authority. Myth 7: The apostilling is not important in the digital transactions. For many legal documents, they are still required to produce marriage certificate apostille due to physical paper even in the developed nations. Some states may accept documents after digital apostille, but the law in this respect is different in every country. You should always consult and verify with the authorities in the given state that you wish to produce this document in an electronic format. If you plan on using marriage certificate apostille in another country then you will require an apostille. Therefore, it is crucial to destroy some misconceptions regarding the objective and usefulness of apostilles in the process. Knowing the basics about the apostille process and what is required, might assist a person in planning all the necessary steps needed for proper document legalization of the marriage certificates.