International students, who want to study at higher educational institutions of the Russian Federation, have to provide legalized documents on the previous level of education (certificate or diploma) when applying to university.
Let's find out what the legalization of documents stands for and how to make it.
Legalization means certain actions with a document, after which it acquires legal force.
One distinguishes two types of legalization:
Consular legalization consisting of two stages:
1) Certification of the document by the competent authorities of foreign affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of the country having issued the document – corresponding stamps and seals are affixed by specifying the position and signature of the certifying person;
2) Certification by the consular services of the Russian Federation (consulate or representative office of the Russian Federation) in the country having issued the document – corresponding stamps and seals are affixed by specifying the position and signature of the certifying person.
Apostille represents a simplified procedure for legalizing documents.
When apostilling, the stamp "Apostille" is affixed on originals by authorities of the country having issued the document (State Secretary, Department of Education, Ministry of Education, educational institutions, etc.).
It is also worth mentioning that citizens of some countries do not need the legalization of educational documents in the following cases:
In case there are bilateral and multilateral agreements canceling the legalization procedure. The Russian Federation has entered into such agreements with 45 states (most of the CIS countries, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, Cyprus, etc.).
There is no corresponding requirement in some educational institutions, but legalization may still be required at the further stages of education or at other universities.
It should be pointed out that agreements can apply both to all documents and to certain types of references or certificates.
In case you need the legalization of educational documents to apply to universities of the Russian Federation, then you have to address the issue of legalization of a certificate or diploma a few months before enrolling, so as not to be late with the submission of documents.
Feel free to contact us to be consulted on matters concerning the preparation of documents.