A breakdown of notarizations

A notarization from a notary public means that the document in question's legality has been authenticated by a notary public appointed by the government (regional or federal.) A notarization is also often referred to as a verification or authentication in some places in the world. This term is very important for E2 visa applicants wishing to come to Korea as a couple of the documents require a notarization prior to another authentication called an Apostille which is also required by Korean Immigration to obtain approval for obtaining an E2 visa.

Obtaining a notarization from a notary public is not such a difficult task in most places. The easiest way to find a public notary closest to you is to check out your local phone book's yellow pages. In almost all cases, you will have to be physically present to have the document notarized if it is for your own personal or professional use. In the case that you cannot be physically present to do so, then it is usually possible to have a Power or Attorney do it for you. Most documents also require your signature somewhere as well. If you are not in your home country to obtain a notarization for a document originating from your home country, then it would be a good idea to get a hold of a consulate or embassy official in your current location to see if they offer notary public services. (They usually do!)

In some countries, there are some notary publics require an appointment to be scheduled and the time it takes to return the notarized document varies from person to person. It is a wise idea to contact the notary public whose services you would like to use prior to going to see him/her to get a better idea of costs, times, appointments, etc.

Notarizations may seem like a tedious step on the way to obtaining your required E2 visa documents, but they are usually relatively easy and quick to get!