Tag: document legalization

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ISO9001 Certified Visa Services

ISO 9001 certified? Many companies may know what this means. In business, it is an international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It is a certification acquired based upon a company’s Quality Management System (QMS). This means that a company claiming to have a QMS meeting the requirements of ISO 9001, has been assessed and determined to have the ability to effectively provide consistent service within their area of business.

ISO requirements cover topics such as:

  • Quality Management System continuous improvement
  • Management commitment to quality
  • Resource adequacy
  • Employee competence
  • Process Management, such as administrative processes
  • Business Planning
  • Product or Service Design
  • Order Reviews
  • Customer Complaint Resolutions
  • Customer Perception Management

A customer may not know the definition of ISO 9001 Certification, yet they know exactly what it means. It means quality. It means reliability. It means trust. It means better sleep at night. It means your process prevents errors, even if it’s their own. It means proven expertise. It means you have customer care. It means they have a business relationship that works every time.

Washington Express Visas decided to solidify its’ position as the most trusted and reliable service for expedited Visas, Passports and Document Legalization in the Nation’s Capital by becoming ISO 9001 Certified. Washington Express has been in business for 29 years with offices in Washington DC. We are the only single source provider of expedited document processing in the nation’s capital. Being within the sect of courier services we are in, having a quality management system that executes optimal service every time is vital. Our team prides itself on quality service and meeting the needs of our customers.

We are internationally proven to have a Quality Management System established that works. Let Washington Express Visas be your single source visa and passport services provider. We know the meaning of being ISO 9001 certified, but we also know what it means to you!

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Document Legalization is a Four Step Process

Document Legalization refers to the four-step process in which documents are certified as authentic/genuine prior to being used in countries that are not signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention (Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents). These steps are mandatory for having the document recognized as legally binding and bona fide by foreign governments, agencies and corporations.

The four steps are as follows:

  • 1st step: the document must be notarized by a notary public
    2nd step: the document must be certified by the Secretary of State that the document was notarized in
    3rd step: the document must be authenticated by the U.S. State Department Authentication Office
    4th step: the document must be legalized by the consular office of the embassy of the country that the document will be used in

Wikipedia defines Document Legalization:

In international law, legalization is the process of certifying a document so a foreign country’s legal system will recognize it. The process is used routinely in international commerce.

The procedure for legalizing a foreign document varies from country to country. The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents has supplanted this procedure with the use of an apostille for countries that are signatories to that convention.

For purposes of document legalization, countries are divided into two groups: those that are signatories to the Hague Convention and those that are not. Signatories of the Convention have agreed that Consular authentication of documents is no longer required and in most cases, execution of the documents by a Notary Public is sufficient.

Countries that have opted to not participate in the Hague Convention of 1961 typically require that documents be authenticated by the foreign affairs ministry of the originating country (eg in the United States, the Department of State, in Washington DC). Once authenticated by the foreign ministry the documents then need to be reviewed and approved by the consular staff of the country in which the transaction is to occur. Typically, this process must be completed before an international shipment of goods will be allowed entry into a non-participating country.

Paul C. Hofford
Operations Manager
Washington Express, LLC
12240 Indian Creek Court
Beltsville, MD 20705
301-210-3500
www.washingtonexpressvisas.com

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Document Legalization & Apostille Explained

Document Legalization refers to the four-step process in which documents are certified as authentic or genuine prior to being used in countries that are not signatory (adjective form, not noun form) to the “Hague Convention”. There are four standard steps needed to have a document recognized as legally binding and bona fide by foreign governments, agencies and corporations. These steps are as follows:

  1. The document is notarized by a public notary in the State of origin or in Washington, DC.
  2. The document is then certified by the Secretary of the State in which the document was notarized, or the DC Office of Notary Commissions & Authentications if notarized in DC.
  3. The document is then authenticated by the US Department of State Authentication Office (they authenticate the certification by the State or the District of Columbia
  4. The document is then legalized by the consular office at the Embassy of the country where the document will be used.
  • An important additional step is often required for specialized or technical documents — agricultural, commercial, economic, energy, military and scientific documents need additional consular review and approval.

Countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention and need to have full Document Legalization are the following:

Afghanistan Algeria

Angola
Bahrain Bangladesh Benin
Bolivia Brazil Burkina Faso
Burma/Myanmar Burundi Cambodia
Cameroon Canada Chad
Chile China Congo Republic
Congo Democratic Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire
Cuba Denmark Egypt
Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana
Guatemala Guinea Haiti
Indonesia Iran Iraq
Jamaica Jordan Kenya
Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos
Lebanon Liberia Libya
Macedonia Madagascar Malaysian
Mali Mauritania Morocco
Myanmar/Burma Nepal Nicaragua
Niger Nigeria Oman
Pakistan Paraguay Peru
Philippines Qatar Rwanda
Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone
Singapore Sri Lanka Sudan
Syria Taiwan Tajikistan
Tanzania Togo Thailand
Tunisia Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Uganda Uruguay Uzbekistan
Vietnam Yemen Zambia
Zimbabwe

Apostille refers to the two-step process in which documents are certified as authentic or genuine prior to being used in countries that are signatory to the “Hague Convention”.  Signatories to The Hague Convention require that documents have: one, been notarized; and two, that they are then certified. Government/Federal documents need to be authenticated by the originating countries’ foreign affairs ministry (in the US, the Department of State in Washington, DC).

Countries that are Signatories to the Hague Convention and require an Apostille are the following:

Albania Antigua
Argentina Armenia
Australia Austria
Azerbaijan Bahamas
Belarus Belgian
Belize Botswana
Bulgaria Columbia
Croatia Cyprus
Czech Republic Dominican Republic
Ecuador El Salvador
Estonia Fiji
Finland France
Georgia Germany
Greece Honduras
Hong Kong Hungary
India Italy
Iceland Israel
Japan Kazakhstan
Paul C. Hofford
Operations Manager
Washington Express, LLC
12240 Indian Creek Court
Beltsville, MD  20705
301-210-3500
www.washingtonexpressvisas.com
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Letter From the CEO

Since 1981, Washington Express has been serving our loyal corporate and professional clients in the Metro DC area with pride for courier service, documents certification, visa processing, Capitol Hill line standing, and rush international shipping. Our goal is to always exceed expectations in order to show our dedication to professionalism and efficiency to those who have used our services.

Globalization has steadily increased demand on the part of clients for services related to international business and travel. With the addition of Andrew (Smiley) KatambaLujjo to our staff as our new resident to work alongside Paul Hofford, our longtime resident expert, we are expanding our Visa, Passport, and Document Legalization processing to be called Stop Shop” for our clients’ for visa processing, passport renewal, and document translations, and authentication.

As we become a true “Global Village”, the demand for international visa and document processing is growing dramatically. Our large courier fleet, our experienced customer service and dispatch team, and our real time, command and control logistics software have enabled us to perform at a high level of speed, accuracy, and dependability for our customers, our to provide for the timely processing of documents through the various Embassies and at the U.S. Department of State.

As the world economy again picks up steam, the demand for documents for both domestic and international business travelers will grow even faster than before and has created a flood of American passports. Likewise, we have seen significant new demand from corporate clients for visas and document processing related to the new emerging industrial economies in the world: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the other ASEAN block countries.

In addition to corporate and professional firms, private individuals also have a growing requirement for the same services and we are now getting orders from across the nation and from other countries, via the internet from those who need passport and visa services that can only be obtained in Washington D.C. We have upgraded our website and have added more experienced professionals who understand how to handle these sometimes complex transactions and to accommodate these needs. We know what you need for visa processing and document certification and we can get it for you efficiently and effectively.

Gilbert Carpel / CEO