Moving overseas involves more paperwork than most people expect
You have your passport.
Your flight is booked.
Your employment or university offer is confirmed.
Then someone asks:
“Have you had your documents attested?”
For many Malaysians moving overseas, document attestation only becomes an issue when an employer, immigration authority, university or government department requests an authenticated document.
Preparing certain documents before leaving Malaysia can make the process considerably easier.
Here are some of the documents you may need.
1. Degree, diploma and educational certificates
If you are moving overseas for employment or further education, your qualifications may need to be authenticated.
These can include:
- University degree
- Diploma
- Professional qualification
- Academic transcript
- School certificate
- Other educational certificates
The exact requirements depend on the destination country, institution and purpose for which the qualification is being submitted.
2. Birth certificate
Birth certificates may be required for:
- Residency applications
- Dependant visas
- Family applications
- School registration
- Citizenship-related matters
- Marriage procedures
- Other immigration purposes
If you are relocating with children, check whether their birth certificates require authentication before departure.
3. Marriage certificate
A marriage certificate may be required when applying for:
- Spouse visas
- Dependant visas
- Family residency
- Immigration benefits
- Certain government registrations
The destination country may require the marriage certificate to undergo authentication before it will be accepted.
4. Certificate of Good Conduct
Some countries or employers require evidence of an applicant’s criminal record status as part of an immigration, employment or professional-registration process.
For Malaysians, the relevant document may be the Certificate of Good Conduct (CGC) issued through Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Depending on where the CGC will be submitted, further authentication may also be requested.
5. Professional qualifications
Doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers and other regulated professionals may need additional documentation for overseas professional registration.
These can include:
- Professional certificates
- Registration documents
- Good standing certificates
- Employment records
- Educational qualifications
Check directly with the overseas professional regulator before beginning the process.
6. Powers of Attorney and legal documents
If you will continue to manage property, companies, banking matters or other affairs while overseas, you may need legal documents such as a Power of Attorney.
Where a Malaysian legal document will be used overseas, the receiving jurisdiction may require notarisation, authentication or embassy legalisation.
7. Company and commercial documents
Business owners relocating or expanding overseas may need documents such as:
- Company documents
- Board resolutions
- Commercial agreements
- Powers of Attorney
- Certificates of Origin
- Commercial invoices
Commercial-document procedures can differ considerably from those for personal documents.
Should I attest everything before moving?
Not necessarily.
Attesting documents that nobody has asked for can waste both time and money.
Instead, identify the likely requirements for your particular move.
Ask your:
Employer
University
Immigration adviser
Professional regulator
Foreign government authority
Receiving organisation
which documents they require and what form of authentication is acceptable.
A useful pre-departure document checklist
Before leaving Malaysia, consider keeping together:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate, if applicable
- Children’s birth certificates
- Degree/diploma
- Academic transcripts
- Professional certificates
- Employment records
- Certificate of Good Conduct, if required
- Relevant legal documents
Keep secure digital copies as well.
Do Malaysian documents automatically work overseas?
Not always.
A document can be completely genuine and valid in Malaysia while an overseas authority still requires authentication before accepting it.
Attestation provides a chain of authentication that allows the receiving authority to verify the relevant signatures and seals associated with the document.
Make document attestation part of your moving checklist
Don’t wait until you are already overseas to discover that an original document in Malaysia requires additional verification or authentication.
If you know which country you are moving to, Settle My Docs can help you identify the likely attestation process for your Malaysian documents.
Moving overseas? Send us your destination country and the documents you have. We’ll help you work out what needs to be done before you leave.