Legalization

If the country from which the document emanates is not a party to the Hague Convention on Legalization, then a more formal process of legalization is usually required. Generally in these cases the document will first be notarized by a public notary and appropriate authorities in the issuing country as proof that the document was issued by a competent official, it then will be presented to the destination country´ embassy or consulate located in the country from which the document emanates. That embassy or consulate will then legalize the document internally, usually by affixing a special stamp or seal.

It is therefore important to find out at an early stage which process of legalization is appropriate.
Legalization simply means confirming that a signature, seal or stamp appearing on a document is genuine.
Countries that are non-participating in the Hague convention require documents issued in a foreign country to be legalized before they can be used in their country.