Certified Documents

[Swannie]

Hi

I am currently in the process of sending details to my fiance in Japan so that she can apply for a fiance visa and was wondering who exactly can certify documents, namely my passport. Can banks, ministers of religion, teachers, dentists, doctors, etc do this or does it have to be a notary public ?

Thanks in advance.

[John]

A notary can do it but a Solicitor will be a lot cheaper.

In order to provide evidence for a visa application you do not need to supply a copy of each page (unlike someone applying for naturalisation as British who if they supply a certified copy of their passport they need to supply a copy of each page, even the blank ones) ... you obviously need a copy of the name and pic page, and also a copy of any relevant page which might help with the visa application, entry and exit stamps into and out of Japan for example.

Photocopy the pages you need and then take those photocopies and your passport into a solicitor.

[Swannie]

John

Thank you for the reply. Is it only notaries or solicitors that can certify a document as a true copy or can other people in positions of authority do it also ?

[John]

All I can say is ..... I don't think so. So be prepared to pay a Solicitor, but pay a lot less than you would pay a notary.

Of course if you happen to plan to be there in Japan when your fiancée is to be interviewed then don't bother with a copy ... give you real passport to your fiancée to supply as part of her "evidence folder" on the day she is interviewed.