Certifying documents

[appletwist]

Hello all,

My partner in the UK is applying for the Prospective Marriage visa and he needs to provide certified copies of his passport and birth certificate. I read on Royal Mail's website that they have a Document Certification Service and it mentions which documents they can certify, passport being one of them. However, it does not mention birth certificates on the list.

Can someone please tell me how my partner can get his birth certificate certified in Scotland?

[Beffers]

You can normally just nip into a solicitor and get documents certified. I thought the Royal Mail certification service was only if you were applying for a passport, but I may have that wrong! There's a PMV thread on here so hopefully someone will see this post who has been thru the process. 

[Jen56johns]

There's a whole raft of people who can certify documents.  One of my friends is a pharmacist and she did all of mine for me.

According to the migration booklet: 

You should provide ‘certified copies’ of original documents. ‘Certified copies’ are copies authorised, or stamped as being true copies of originals, by a person or agency recognised by the law of the country in which you currently reside. All of ces of the department outside Australia have a person who can certify or witness documents and statutory declarations if necessary (this service may attract a charge). For certification in Australia, see the indicative list of persons on the next page under ‘Who can witness statutory declarations and/or form 888’. 

So as you reside in the UK, you can use their guidelines for who can certify a document.  https://www.gov.uk/certifying-a-document

This provides you with a better range of people you might have more contact with and won't charge you for doing this.  Your financial accountant at work, for example. Or your child's teacher?

I have my visa granted so can assure you this worked for me.  Good luck and don't stress!

[Guest]

When I had my docs done it was only a solicitor or a JP who could certify.

If the application is being done online and colour scans are being uploaded do they need to be certified ? 

[Beffers]

9 hours ago, snifter said:

When I had my docs done it was only a solicitor or a JP who could certify.

If the application is being done online and colour scans are being uploaded do they need to be certified ? 

I was advised to only get my Stat Decs certified, all other documents had to be colour scans uploaded with no certification necessary. 

[stevej]

The important factor regarding certifying of documents is that the country/organisation asking for the document often stipulates who they allow to certify the documents such as AHPRA for nursing only accept JPs, Notary and consulate officer outside Australia, however in Australia their is a large list.

Only certain people can witness a statutory declaration due to it being a legal statement and not a certified copy of an original document, this is usually a notary or JP.

Edited April 7, 2017 by stevej

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Beffers said:

I was advised to only get my Stat Decs certified, all other documents had to be colour scans uploaded with no certification necessary. 

That is what I thought. Stat decs are usually done by Aussies in Aus and so witnessed etc as per Aus law and then mailed over to the applicant to include in their application. Everything else can be colour scans (good quality, not fuzzy) and uploaded without issue. IIRC though black and white scans/copies of things would need certifying still if planning to upload.