5 Documents Commonly Required for Employment Overseas
When planning to work overseas you should consider any supporting documentation you may need before making any permanent decisions. Depending on the type of job you are applying for it is possible you will require a number of documents which need to be legalised. It is vitally important to ensure they are legalised correctly before moving overseas as this can delay your visa in some circumstances. From our experience the following 5 documents are the most common we legalise for employment overseas.
Degree/ Masters Certificate or Other Qualification Certificates
Potential overseas employers will need you to provide evidence you have the correct qualifications for the job. The general guidance provided by overseas authorities is for your highest qualification document to be legalised. This can be A level certificates, a degree certificate, a masters certificate, TEFL or an alternative type of qualification. These documents will need certification from a UK solicitor before they can be legalised with the apostille. Order the legalisation of your education or qualification documents here.
Criminal Record Check
It is common practice for employers to request a legalised copy of your criminal records check. When employing overseas nationals a back ground check is often required to apply for a working visa. The criminal record check can be issued by different organisation in the UK. Some of the most common we legalise are issued by Disclosure Scotland, DBS, ACRO or NPCC. Depending on the issuing authority you may need the document certified by a UK solicitor before the apostille can be attached. This depends on whether the issuing organisation has signed the document or not. If the document has been signed by the issuing office you will need our standard apostille service.
Employment History or Reference Letter
In addition to providing evidence of your qualifications it is common for employers to request proof of your previous employment in the form of a letter of confirmation from you last employer or a reference letter. These type of documents will need to be certified by a UK solicitor before they can be legalised for use overseas. Order our solicitor certification and apostille service here.
Medical Report
Your application for a job you to submit a medical report or a doctors letter as proof you are fit and healthy to start your new job. This can be a simple letter from your doctor confirming your health or a more extensive report with results from tests that have been conducted. You will need to check with your future employer to confirm how detailed the report has to be. Order the apostille for your original medical report here.
Driving Licence
A driving licence may be essential for your new job or you may simply need it for your commute to work. It is likely the legalisation of your UK licence is required if you intend to apply for a driving licence in an overseas country. A copy of your licence will need to be certified by a solicitor before the apostille can be issued. We can check your licence and issue the apostille for you. Order our solicitor certification and apostille service here.
The documents above are some of the most common we legalise for overseas employment. We always advise contacting your employer to check which documents they require from you.
In addition to the apostille legalisation of your UK documents some countries may also require them to be attested by an embassy or consulate in London. If you have any questions about your documents or you are not sure if embassy legalisation is required contact us for guidance.
