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se_bocere
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Mancs
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 Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject: Saudi Embassy London Help. |
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Dear all fellow TESOLers,
I have a question about educational documents being certified in the UK and applying for a Saudi visa.
I am an American living in the UK, because I am doing my PhD here, and soon I will be applying for a Saudi visa from the London embassy. I would like to know if I would need to have my American university certificate authenticated somewhere before I apply for the visa? I have the dept. of State authentication already for my certificate, but does it need to be authenticated by any Saudi authority?
Also, I asked a visa agency in London about the procedures for apply for a visa, after I looked at the Saudi embassy website of course, and they told me that it really doesn't matter if I have the education certificates authenticated because all they need is a copy of the documents. Is this accurate?
Best. (sorry for any spelling errors, but I was typing fast). |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Saudi Embassy London Help. |
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| se_bocere wrote: |
Dear all fellow TESOLers,
I have a question about educational documents being certified in the UK and applying for a Saudi visa.
I am an American living in the UK, because I am doing my PhD here, and soon I will be applying for a Saudi visa from the London embassy. I would like to know if I would need to have my American university certificate authenticated somewhere before I apply for the visa? I have the dept. of State authentication already for my certificate, but does it need to be authenticated by any Saudi authority?
Also, I asked a visa agency in London about the procedures for apply for a visa, after I looked at the Saudi embassy website of course, and they told me that it really doesn't matter if I have the education certificates authenticated because all they need is a copy of the documents. Is this accurate?. |
Yes, your academic certificates, whether Americans or British, should be authenticated with the Saudi Consulate/Embassy, after being authenticated by the foreign office in London.
You have to check with the Saudi Embassy if they accept the state department authentication without going through the foreign office in London.
Before you authenticate your certificates with the foreign office, you need first to authenticated the copies with a lawyer in UK.
Advice:
DO NOT GIVE THE ORIGINAL COPIES OF YOUR CERTFICATES TO THE SAUDI EMBASSY. JUST GIVE THEM THE PHTOCOPIES WITH THE AUTHENTICATION FROM THE FOREIGN OFFICE. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| your academic certificates, whether Americans or British, should be authenticated with the Saudi Consulate/Embassy, after being authenticated by the foreign office in London. |
I'm not sure if the British foreign office is able to authenticate degrees from a US institution. In any case, if it has already been "authenticated" (what a silly word, and concept) by the relevant US authorities, that should be sufficient.
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| it really doesn't matter if I have the education certificates authenticated because all they need is a copy of the documents |
Yes, but the copy must be 'authenticated'. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:32 am Post subject: |
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Have a word with someone at the Office of the Educational Attache at the Saudi Embassy in London. A personal visit would be good.
I have always found them helpful - and I first dealt with them in October 1970. (Do you suppose I will ever get to retire ?) |
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se_bocere
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Mancs
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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The Saudi information is quite vague.
Cleopatra said:
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| Yes, but the copy must be 'authenticated'. |
Is this the copy that I will have had signed by the lawyer and authenticated by the foreign office in London? Do the Saudi's need that copy with the original authentication from the foreign office, or a copy of the authentication?
Also, the foreign office does not authenticate foreign university certificates, and the US embassy in London said that there is no point to authenticate my State Dept. authentication with the embassy (US), because it is the same thing.
This whole process seems to be a little confusing, or maybe it's me. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Is this the copy that I will have had signed by the lawyer and authenticated by the foreign office in London? Do the Saudi's need that copy with the original authentication from the foreign office, or a copy of the authentication? |
You need to bring the "original copy" (a bit of an oxymoron, I know) with the stamp from the 'authenticating body'.
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| This whole process seems to be a little confusing, or maybe it's me. |
Not so much confusing as cumbersome and a little silly. I mean, all of this 'authentication' business - which can take up a lot of time, cause a lot of hassle (especially if you're not based in a capital city) and turn out pretty expensive - basically proves nothing. |
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se_bocere
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Mancs
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the clarification.
I think that it is possible to authenticate my foreign university certificates here, as long as I 'authenticate' the copy with the foreign office after I get it notarized by a lawyer here. This would probably be the best bet. If this is a totally waste of time then please let me know.
This whole thing is becoming a pain in the arse. |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| se_bocere wrote: |
Thanks for the clarification.
I think that it is possible to authenticate my foreign university certificates here, as long as I 'authenticate' the copy with the foreign office after I get it notarized by a lawyer here. This would probably be the best bet. If this is a totally waste of time then please let me know.
This whole thing is becoming a pain in the arse. |
You are in the correct way. The foreign office in LOndon will not certify (or authenticate) any certificates, regardless if it is a UK or a foreign one, until it is certified by a registred lawyer in UK.
Check with the lawyer that his signature is registred with the foreign office, if not you will have trouble with them! |
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se_bocere
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Mancs
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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I think that the lawyer is registered, although I have not checked. He is part of one of the largest Law firms in Manchester, so he probably is.
Thanks. |
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