So you’ve taken the giant leap of accepting a teaching position overseas.
Congratulations! It’s a very brave and exciting move, but one that can be fraught with pitfalls for the un-initiated. Our purpose is to relieve you of one of the major headaches you’ll encounter when preparing for your move – document legalisation. I know, it doesn’t sound like the most interesting of topics, but trust me, this is one part of the process you’ll definitely want to get right!
This is a 2 part blog, read part 2 for more country specific advice.
Lesson 1, educate yourself
An absolute necessity of going to work overseas is acquiring the correct visa from the country you will be teaching in. Without exception, you will need to submit a specific set of documents to the authorities in your destination country to obtain one. These documents generally include your highest qualification, a criminal record check, and if you happen to be working in education, possibly a teaching qualification. Other documents can be required if you are sponsoring a spouse or taking your kids along for the ride. These usually consist of a marriage certificate and a birth certificate for each child.
The first port of call before parting with your hard-earned cash would be to confirm which documents are required with your prospective HR department. They will be best placed to advise you as to what you will need, including any additional documents that they might personally want to see. Your HR department will usually take care of the visa application as well, so it’s always good to get to know them as early as possible!
Document Legalisation, the basics
Once you’re confident that you know what’s required, it’s time to get those documents legalised. And here’s where the real fun begins. Not every country follows the same process, and this applies to both the country of origin and your exotic new destination. There is the general rule of thumb though…
- Notarisation/Certification
- Application of an Apostille
- Legalisation by an Embassy
Each of these steps must be carried out in the country in which the document was issued (with a few rare exceptions). Then, on arrival at your destination, there will usually be a final stamp required from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to complete the process.
Megan Grey has written a very useful blog on getting your Chinese working visa.
Document Legalisation, the dark side
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it can just as easily get incredibly complicated. A high number of non-Hague Convention countries (see Part 2) have their own additional steps or requirements specific to them. These can range from the fairly straightforward to the head-bangingly frustrating.
Also, not all documents are created equal. While certain documents require all of the steps outlined above, others don’t. Some might even require more!
One of the main issues with undertaking this process yourself is the time and expense involved. Many departments will not accept applications by post which means an unexpected road trip. Sounds like a fun idea in theory, but in reality is an exercise in tedium, and a waste of both precious time and money.
Like watching the movie Road Trip. Twice.
So, who are we and how can we help?
Vital Legalisation has been in the document attestation game for over 10 years now. With three offices across the UK and Dubai and a network of satellite offices worldwide, we’re able to process documents from over 70 countries.
We take care of every step of the process so you don’t have to. All you have to do is send your documents over. We’ll take care of the rest. If you have anything out of the ordinary, chances are we’ve already come across it. If not, we have a team with over 80 years of experience that are dedicated to finding a solution that’s right for you.
We’re incredibly happy to be part of the Teacher Horizons community and can’t wait to help you adventurous folk get over there and get teaching!
Interested in learning more? Join us in Part 2 of our blog, where we’ll cover the most common (and not so common) issues that might arise during legalisation, as well as specific requirements for individual countries, one of which might soon be your new home!
To contact Andrew and his team at Vital Legaslisation, email andrew.howden@vitalcertificates.co.uk and quote Teacher Horizons for a discounted rate.
