Document Clearance is a specialized area which requires knowledge and know how

Document clearance is an important step in the important and export trade of a country and at the same time it is a specialized area that requires adequate expertise and knowledge. As far as the definition of document clearance is concerned, it means documented permission to imported goods so that they can enter the country or to exported goods so that they can leave the country. Along with material goods document clearance also involves clearance of documents of individuals so that they can be issued in a foreign country. Document clearance of individual typically means attestation of all such documents which have been issued by the Indian government and will be used in a foreign country. For example, if you want to continue with higher academic pursuits in a country of your choice, you will have to authenticate all previous educational documents which have been issued by the Indian government.

There are different categories of document that require clearance before they are used in a foreign country. For instance, there are the:

Non-educational documents which include birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, affidavits, and others.

Educational certificates include all educational certificates that have been issued by various educational institutes based out of India.

Lastly, the commercial documents include all business related documents that may be required to carry out a business in a foreign land.

Different methods of attestation or document clearance are followed depending on the type and the purpose of the document. For example, the documents which are to be used in a foreign country needs attestation from recognized bodies from the originating State. Once that is completed, the document goes to the Ministry of External Affairs where it gets authenticated and finally the documents are validated by the Embassy of the country where the documents will be used.

It needs to be noted here that for all kinds of document clearance activities it is mandatory to submit the original copies of the document against which the photocopies will be validated. Along with that a copy of the passport and A4 sized photographs are required. When all these documents are in place the process of authentication or clearance should happen seamlessly.

However, going through the above steps an individual might feel that attestation or document clearance is a cumbersome process and it requires a lot of time, but that is not the reality. This is because in recent times, there are several authorized agencies where applicants can submit their documents without any worry and the entire process of attestation will be carried out without the candidate having to run from pillar to post.

It needs to be mentioned here the choice of the agency for the document clearance process should be done with care. Only agencies which have a good track record and have proven their ability and knowledge in the document clearance process in a comparatively lesser time should be preferred over the ones which have a new set up. Before finalizing on an agency, it is a good practice to consider the opinion of friends, family or colleagues.