CERTIFICATION AND LEGALIZATION OF DOCUMENTS
Reliability, speed and simplicity for the legal documentation of companies.
requiring the intervention of a third-party certification body.
Michelez Notaires provides businesses with a certification service for all their legal acts, especially in connection with a foreign country requiring third-party certification. This service meets three imperative demands – reliability, speed and simplicity.
Reliability: the documents submitted to Michelez Notaires are protected by professional secrecy. Certification is conducted by a notary of our Office, in compliance with the applicable regulations and with the instructions of the Paris Chamber of Notaries. In addition, Michelez Notaires has the advantage of specializing in business and company law.
Speed: the Michelez Notaires teams are mobilized to provide this service all year round with very short lead times (subject to additional delays imposed by the legal services or consular authorities of the country concerned).
Simplicity: depending on the selected format, the documents are certified immediately in our Office or are delivered to our clients. Invoicing is monthly and complies with standard accounting procedures (including quotation of the purchase order references).
Certification of signature:
What is signature certification ?
Signature certification is the formality that certifies that the signature has been verified. Certification of the signature does not signify validation of the contents of the document but simply certifies that the authenticity of the signature has been verified.
Procedure to be followed:
The signatory must come to our offices with the document to be certified and a valid identity document (photocopied ID documents are not accepted). If the same person will subsequently be required to obtain additional certifications of signature, we can proceed to issue these certifications without requiring the person to return to our offices each time (except if the document explicitly states that the signature must be certified in the presence of a notary). For this purpose, we will offer to keep a specimen signature in our office.
Cost:
This service is invoiced at €120 excluding VAT (volume discounts on request)
Authenticated copies:
What is authenticated copy certification ?
Authenticated copy certification is a certification that the reproduction of a document conforms to the original.
Procedure to be followed:
The client must present the original document. Michelez Notaires will photocopy the document. We cannot certify:
– a copy made by the client
– a copy of an identity document
– copies of official vital records (registration of births, marriages and deaths)
Cost:
This service is invoiced at €120 excluding VAT (volume discounts on request)
Certificate of empowerment:
What is a certificate of empowerment ?
Our Office can issue Certificates of Authority (“Certificats de Capacité”) for all French companies. This certificate confirms that the signatory is empowered to sign on behalf of the company.
Procedure to be followed:
The certificate shall be issued on seeing:
– a recent company registration certificate (K-Bis), presented in the original,
– an updated original of the Articles of Association of the company or authenticated copy certified by a duly authorized person (a copy of said person’s identity document must be provided),
– report of the appointment of the manager concerned, either in the original or an authenticated copy certified by a duly authorized person (a copy of said person’s identity document must be provided).
Cost:
This service is invoiced at €500 to €1,200, depending on the case.
Legalization of documents – apostilles
Depending on the international agreements signed between France and the destination country of the document, the certified documents are subject to three alternatives:
– they require mandatory legalization (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs + Embassy of the country concerned,
– or they require mandatory apostille (Paris Court of Appeal),
– or they are exempt from legalization and apostille.
The updated list of countries can be consulted at www.diplomatie.gouv.fr (legalization service).
What is legalization ?
Legalization is only used to certify the authenticity of the notary’s signature and seal on the authentic document or on the signature certification form. The effect of this formality is to ensure that the document signed in France has probative force in the destination country.
Procedure to be followed:
Michelez Notaires certifies the signature and then requests legalization by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the embassy of the country concerned and finally delivers the document to the client. The consular fees vary from country to country (ranging from €10 to €800 per legalized document). To be legalized, public legal documents and private agreements must be in French or, if not, must be accompanied by a French translation provided by a sworn translator registered with the Paris Court of Appeal.
Cost:
The cost of this service is added to the signature certification price and is invoiced by our Office at €220 excluding VAT per document + chancellery / consulate costs + courier service
What is an apostille ?
The purpose of the apostille is to verify the authenticity of the source of a public document, the authenticity of the signature of the person issuing it and the authorization of said person to make copies of the document. In France, the apostille is obtained from the Court of Appeal having jurisdiction over the certifying authority.
– If the document is certified by Michelez Notaires, the apostille must be issued by the Paris Court of Appeal.
– If the document requiring an apostille was issued by another authority, the apostille must be provided by the Court of Appeal having jurisdiction over this authority (for example, if a K-Bis company registration certificate is issued by the Clerk of the Nanterre Commercial Court, the apostille must be delivered by the Versailles Court of Appeal).
Procedure to be followed:
Michelez Notaires certifies the signature and then requests the apostille of the Court of Appeal and finally has the document delivered to the client.
Cost:
The cost of this service is added to the signature certification price and is invoiced by our Office at the rate of €190 excluding VAT / document + courier service.