Why apostille or legalize Certificate of Incumbency
A Certificate of Incumbency is a corporate record authorizing a person to act on behalf of a company. This legal document designates an individual to be an authorized representative of the company who may perform specific actions as designated by the document. A Certificate of Incumbency is not a Power of Attorney and differs in both scope and magnitude. The Certificate of Incumbency generally allows one person to act on behalf of the board for specific tasks when all members cannot be present. The CI is only valid for the stated duties and a new CI must be issued if or when another matter arises. Even if you are the only member of your corporate board, some countries will require the use of a Certificate of Incumbency as part of their established rules.
When doing business overseas, most countries will want to see the Certificate of Incumbency because it specifically outlines the responsibilities of the company officers, confirming the identity of signing officers, and delineating who can endorse transactions.
There are a number of specific items that must be included on a Certificate of Incumbency including the business letterhead, the full name of the officer to be designated, a signature card of the authorized officer, a list of authorized actions specific enough to be limiting (open bank accounts in Greece versus open bank accounts), legal address of the main office, and so forth. Once the document is properly prepared, it needs to be legally notarized and then authenticated.
Authentication, apostille or legalization of Certificate of Incumbency
The authentication process varies depending on the country or countries in which you will be doing business. For example, member countries of the Apostille Convention of 1961 (currently 80 countries, 79 states, and one Regional Economic Integration Organization) require a stamp of authenticity known as a “document apostille”. Other countries require a Certificate of Authenticity from the U.S. Office of Authentications or U.S. Department of State, but may also require further stamps and seals including Consular certification by your embassy and theirs.
In short, if you will be in a Hague Convention country, Certificate of Incumbency apostille certificate can ensure that all business practices take place under a full legal guarantee. If operating outside of the Hague Convention countries, you need to ensure you know which authentication process is required.
Official translation of Certificate of Incumbency
Once you receive your apostille, you will want to have it and your documents translated. Most countries will not consider documents “legal” unless they are written in the language of the country in which they will be presented. Accepted business document translations must meet stringent certification and notarization requirements.
Having documents apostilled when you are overseas can be time-consuming and troubling. Time differences, mailing costs, and other obstacles can make the process seem impossible. If you find yourself in this situation, you may want to consider using a document retrieval service.
In order to ensure your documents are valid and serve the purpose for which they were prepared, it is highly recommended that you avail yourself of professional notary, translation, and apostille agencies. You do not want to be searching for services in another country and hoping that their services will be acceptable.
Why hire professional legalization services
Apoling Solutions is a full-service apostille, translation (over 55 languages and English dialects), and document retrieval service familiar with international law, business regulations and the business laws of foreign countries. Apoling Solutions understands the details and potential challenges of the Certificate of Incumbency apostille process, and will ensure your documents are properly legalized. This means that from one location, Apoling Solutions retrieves documents, notarizes documents, orders certified copies, apostilles and authenticates documents, translates, certifies translations, and expedites your documents back to you.
With Apoling Solutions, you need to contact just one agency regardless of where you live or how many document apostilles you need. Even better, you have peace of mind knowing that your documents will be legal, accepted, and not require any additional services because they are guaranteed to align with all international and domestic requirements.