Legalisation and Authentication of Marriage Certificates in Nigeria

Quick answer: Legalisation and Authentication of Marriage Certificates in Nigeria is a public legal-education guide. The correct legal step may depend on the facts, documents, location, timing, and current law, so readers should seek tailored legal advice before acting.

This article is provided for general legal education only and is not a substitute for advice on a specific matter.

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LEGALISATION/AUTHENTICATION OF MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE IN NIGERIA

Authentication of marriage certificate in Nigeria is done at the Department Of Foreign Affairs, Abuja. The authentication of a document by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is required before any document emanating from Nigeria may be used for any official purposes abroad.

As such, if you plan to travel abroad with your spouse for work or residency, for this purpose you are expected to process the authentication of marriage certificate for a marriage registered in Nigeria. The originality of the certificate and competence of the marriage registry where the marriage certificate was awarded will be determined by the Staff at the Department Of Foreign Affairs before authentication.

Authentication or legalisation requirements vary from one country or embassy to the other depending on the country where you contemplate to use the marriage certificate. For instance, embassies require certified true copy (CTC) or the original of the marriage certificate should be certificated before bringing it to the embassy. Thus, the procedure for authentication of marriage certificate in Nigeria involves the following steps:

• The first phase is to obtain the certified true copy (CTC) of the marriage certificate at relevant registry, make two photocopies of the document along with the original certificate.
• The next phase is to notarize the marriage certificate with the notary public in Nigeria
• The finally stage is the authentication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After other steps have been followed, take all three copies to the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, where you would be directed to the Legal Services Division (LSD), after submission, notification will be sent to you once the document has been verified.

Normally, the ministry will not place the authentication stamp and signatures on the original certificate because any alteration to the original copy will render it invalid. Since the authentication was only collected for verification, the photocopy is what will be stamped and signed. Once the authentication has been completed, you will be given two copies out of the three you submitted i.e the original and one photocopy, while the ministry would retain one copy for record purposes.

In conclusion, in order to avoid rejection or any form of delay when traveling abroad, it is important that necessary steps toward authentication is made and not only the steps alone it must be duly stamped by the designated authority.

WRITTEN BY CHAMAN LAW FIRM TEAM

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