It is called certification or authentication or legalization of Documents or Certificates. In this post, we explained the requirement, costs and process of to certify, or authenticate or legalized Educational Documents/ Certificates in Nigeria.
Educational documents like WAEC certificate, NECO, OND. HND, B.Sc., M.Sc. Ph.D. and any other type of certificate issued by registered and approved training institutions in Nigeria will require to be legalize at the ministry of education first.
Why Certification or Authentication of documents?
A document that is official and legal in one country is not necessarily official and legal in another. Many documents must therefore be legalised if you wish to use them abroad.
The legalisation process involves checking the origin of the relevant document. Legalisation is official confirmation that the signature of the civil servant or the institution that has signed a document, or the seal or stamp on the document, is legitimate.
Read: How to Get a Document Notarized in Nigeria
It is not only the signature of the person that has issued the document that is legalised, the process can also legalise the signature of the legalising registrar. Every signature, every seal and every stamp will be legalised by the person authorised to do so and who is familiar with each signature, seal or stamp. This explains why various legalisations are sometimes required, in a specific order.
Educational Document Legalisation Requirements
- Sometimes document should be notarized by a local state level or notary public – it is optional for certain countries
- Original documents to be authenticated
- Photocopies can be authenticated provided the original document is provided
- Copy of your Bio page of your passport or ID
Key thing to note:
- Academic/ educational documents/ certificates are required to be legalize at the ministry of education first. The fees below do not include legalization at the ministry of education.
- Certain countries require applicant to also legalize document at the local embassy of their country in Abuja. The applicant is expected to visit the local embassy website, to find out the requirement and fees associated with it. Fees below does not include embassy legalization
- Applicant is expected to do all the necessary research involved with the case because requirements and document needed varies depending on country.
Educational Document Legalisation Procedures
The certification or authentication or legalization of educational documents like NECO, WAEC, B.Sc., M.Sc. ND. HND and any training institution certificates.
It will go through three steps of verification with the involvement of three separate authorities.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some times, Ministry of Science are involved.
– Authentication by the Nigeria ministry of Education
– Authentication by the Ministry of Science
– Authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
– Completion of the legalization process by the foreign country embassy in Nigeria
Read: School Result Management Software
Cost of Educational Document Legalisation
- Visit to Ministry of Education office – $39.99
- Gather all the document and submit to the Education ministry
- WAEC/NECO must be included with the higher degree certificates sent over
- Retrieve the authenticated copy from the ministry
- Visit to Ministry of Foreign Affairs office – $39.99
- Gather all the document and submit to the Foreign affairs ministry
- Constant follow up to know the status of application
- Retrieve the authenticated copy from the ministry and mail it to customer
Cost Break down (Estimates)
- Expedited Cost of authenticating document (Ministry of Education) is 25000 Naira
- Expedited Cost of authenticating document (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is 10,000 Naira per document
- Courier Charges
Embassy of Belgium Requirements to legalized documents
The cost for each document to be legalized with Embassy of Belgium is 9.700 NGN only payable through provided UBA bank account – NO CASH accepted.
- All documents to be legalized must FIRST be authenticated by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Any document or certificate to be legalized MUST BE A CERTIFIED TRUE COPY from the issuing authority.
- The embassy can only legalize birth certificates obtained from National Population Commission. For anyone older than 18 years, first obtain a court affidavit of age declaration and then use the affidavit to obtain an Attestation of Birth from the same state of the affidavit, then authenticate at Foreign Affairs before bringing all the documents to the Embassy for legalization.
- Please note that the affidavit MUST be sworn by an uncle or aunt (in the absence of parents) that is at least 18years older than the person being sworn for and a copy of his/her valid identity card must be attached.
- Also note that all Birth Certificates and Attestation of Birth to be legalized MUST first be authenticated by the Headquarters of the National Population Commission in Abuja. Come with a copy of the remita payment receipt and proof of confirmation from National Population Commission.
- All academic certificates to be legalized need also to be authenticated at the Nigerian Ministry of Education, then by Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.