also called certified copy
A copy of a document officially certified to match the original, accepted where an original can't be submitted.
The question of when a certified copy of a document is accepted instead of handing over the precious original. A notary or official verifies the copy matches the original, and many offices take that rather than the real thing. The certified copy is the object; notarization is the act of certifying it. Knowing which offices accept a copy saves you posting irreplaceable originals abroad.
Someone is asked to submit their degree certificate for a visa and does not want to mail the only original overseas. They get a notarized copy made instead, which the office accepts, so the original stays safely in a drawer rather than lost in the post.
Sending originals abroad is risky, so knowing when a certified copy suffices avoids losing key documents.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
These are the stamps that turn a home document into one a foreign office will accept, in the order they usually stack.
A notary confirms a signature or that a copy matches the original, which is what a certified true copy or notarized copy is; a certified translation puts it into the local language; then an apostille certifies the whole thing for countries in the Hague Convention, while legalization or attestation is the longer chain for countries that do not accept the apostille.
Power of attorney, a long-form birth certificate and a school leaving certificate are the kinds of document that most often need this treatment.
Apostille · Certified translation · Certified true copy · Legalization · Long-form birth certificate · Notarization · school leaving certificate
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