Legalization of your Certificate of Origin, and other paperwork, may be required when sending to some countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, or when your consignee requests it.
Legalization is the process of having documents reviewed by the destination country’s consulate. You may also hear the process referred to as consularization. Consularization and legalization are the same thing. This process is used by the destination country’s customs officials to verify the value, quality, and nature of the shipment before it leaves the exporting country. There is normally a cost involved, payable to the consulate or processing service. The legalization process may also be used to obtain special treatment, refunds, or elimination of duty & tax when the shipment is imported.
Typically, a commercial invoice or consular invoice and certificate of origin are the documents required when presenting to a country’s consulate for legalization. A lead time needed before export can be up to a weeks time so you will want to begin this process immediately.
Please contact our International Help Desk or your local shipping expert to discuss if your shipment’s destination requires legalized paperwork. If you need legalized paperwork, we recommend using Red Hot Document Company (RHDC) to assist you in the process.
