Legalization constitutes a fundamental legal and procedural pillar in the Egyptian legal system, aiming to grant formal authenticity to official and private documents for both domestic and international use. It is a crucial step, particularly in cross-border matters such as international marriage, foreign academic credentials, and overseas litigation.
Competent Authorities in Egypt:
According to Egyptian laws and regulations, the responsibility for legalization is divided among several entities:
1- Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Responsible for legalizing documents intended for use abroad, whether official or private documents that have already been authenticated by the relevant authority.
Operates through legalization offices across Egypt in accordance with Ministerial Decree No. 110 of 2009.
2- Real Estate Publicity and Notarization Department (Ministry of Justice):
Responsible for notarizing private and official documents for domestic use.
Private documents are not recognized by official entities unless notarized or legalized.
3- Administrative and Educational Institutions:
Such as the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Education for academic documents.
Other administrative bodies include civil registration offices, courts, and universities.
Legalization Procedures:
Legalization in Egypt involves a number of legal steps:
Authentication by the issuing authority:
The document must first be issued or authenticated by the competent entity (e.g., university, court).
Intermediate authentication (if applicable):
Some documents require further approval by a supervising ministry (e.g., Ministry of Education or Justice).
Final legalization by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
The document is stamped to confirm its legitimacy for international use.
Legalization by a foreign embassy in Egypt (if required): Some countries may require consular legalization after the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp.
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