Legal Document Attestation
Looking for legal documents attestation service in Qatar? There are many reasons why you would need to provide proper documentation of legal papers. When you move to Qatar with your family, you may need to show proof of valid documents issued in your country of origin. You may be seeking to rent an apartment, or you may be applying for a lengthy training course as part of your career advancement. You may need to provide a marriage affidavit certificate, or you may have to show authentic contracts or agreements to your business partners.
Regardless of the nature of the legal document you need, Afreno can offer fully reliable legal documents attestation services so that your endeavours can go on without a hitch. We can also offer translations for legal documents, as well as arrange to draw up a power of attorney (POA) and attest it for you. Our relationship with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is strong enough to facilitate all of your legal documentation concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a POA?
A general Power of Attorney allows a person to decide on behalf of another on all matters allowed by the state. A limited POA grants the agent decision-making only on specific matters during a limited period of time.
What can an agent do under a general POA?
The agent is authorized to decide on the principal’s bank accounts, property, check signing, tax filing, etc.
Who can be assigned as an agent under the POA?
It must be a person you trust to look after your financial affairs should you be rendered helpless by any reason. It does not have to be a lawyer per se.
Why do I need my POA attested?
The POA must be submitted to the relevant authorities, and attestation is mandatory. Otherwise, your permission to exercise the stated decision-making responsibilities in the country will be denied.
What do I need for POA attestation?
You will need the original and photocopy of your passport, proof of your address, your original visa, and other relevant documents relating to the POA such as recent bank statements and the like.
Why do I need my contracts and agreements attested?
Attestation is mandatory for contracts and agreements to make sure that the legal document that all parties signed is indeed valid and effective. It proves the document’s authenticity especially when it comes to business and commercial dealings.
What is the purpose of a marriage attestation?
In Qatar, living together without the bond of marriage is strictly forbidden. You must therefore have your marriage certificate attested in order to prove its validity should governing bodies request it from you.
What else is required for the marriage certificate?
Both the marriage certificate and its Arabic translation must be registered at the Office of Land Registration and Legalization at the office of the Ministry of Justice. Afreno provides expert translation services as well.
What is the nature of the legal will in Qatar?
Legal will protects the assets of the deceased against being frozen after death. It secures the future of the loved ones left behind, as well as determines rulings on guardianship if applicable.
What is the role of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ)?
The Ministry of Justice supervises the law in Qatar, as well as oversees registration of various legal processes and documentation. A good working relationship with the MOJ is required to facilitate processing of legal documents, and Afreno takes pride in its longstanding liaisons with the Ministry.
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POA
The Power of Attorney works this way: an individual who acts as the attorney-in-fact or agent is given all the full rights to act for another individual. This person is called the principal. As such, the appointed agent can then decide issues on the principal’s affairs such as the person’s medical care, finances, and even some limited level of legal authority of the person’s property. Normally, the Power of Attorney is used when the principal is temporarily disabled by some form of illness. If the principal is unable to sign any necessary legal documents for any reason, the POA is also applied. While the term itself may refer to an attorney, the assigned agent does not necessarily need to be a lawyer. Because of the sensitive nature of the POA, it is important to have it attested by a trusted consultancy partner as proof of its validity when the need calls for it.
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Contracts
There is a wide range of different contracts that can be drawn up in various business dealings or commercial purposes. For instance, you may wish to draft a rental contract for your family as part of your residency application in Qatar, wherein the legal documents attestation of the rental or lease contract is mandatory for a family visa. Tenancy contract attestation may also be required, in which case, you will need your original tenancy contract with its true copy in 2 sets, your ownership deed, your owner’s ID, and your tenant ID.
For employment purposes, you may also need to have your job contract attested for whatever reason, like when you wish to resign or you wish to have a job change request from your employer. Afreno provides expert legal documents attestation services for all kinds of contracts no matter where you need to use them to ensure their validity for the necessary authorities.
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Agreements
Just like contracts, agreements between parties must also be attested for their authenticity. An example would be a Rent Agreement, the legal documents attestation of which is a pre-requisite for the processing of the Family Residence Permit. Once the lease contract is effective, the lessor is required to register the lease agreement within two months at the Real Estate Lease Contracts Office. The Real Estate Lease Contracts Office will then require 0.5% of the annual rental value as a yearly registration fee. The minimum fee will be 250 QAR, while the maximum fee will be 2,500 QAR.
To register for a lease agreement, you must present copies of the valid landlord and tenant IDs, as well as 3 sets of the original Lease Agreement. This should be signed by both parties. You may also need a copy of a Power of Attorney should authority need to be delegated if applicable, all of which need to be properly attested so that they will be acceptable to the governing bodies.
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Marriage Affidavit Certificates
To understand marriage affidavit certificates, we must first understand that an affidavit is essentially any official document that indicates how an individual agrees to perform a certain task according to legal law. After the official marriage ceremony, the Marriage Certificate (which must accompany an official Arabic translation) must be registered at the Ministry of Justice. All newly married couples must have their marriage documents attested at their embassies.
Moreover, there are many intricacies when it comes to marriage regarding Muslim marriages as well as Non-Muslim marriages, which include laws of Christian marriages and other issues regarding ministers and churches. Having a trusted consultancy partner like Afreno can help you navigate through the complexities of attaining marriage certificates and having them attested as precursory requirements for business and personal dealings. Afreno can also provide expert translation services for all required documents regarding marriage, saving you from the stress of having incomplete requirements when the need calls for it.
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Legal Records
There are many kinds of legal records in Qatar, with its independent judiciary that is divided into three court systems. First, the secular system is the one that handles criminal, civil, and commercial laws. Second, the Sharia’a system is the one that handles Islamic marriage, divorce, succession, and child support. Third, the Qatar Financial Center has its own legal system. This efficiently handles all the various commercial cases (usually regarding foreign companies and such) from the special economic zone in Qatar.
With all these plus the three stages of litigation in Qatar, it can seem overwhelming for anyone to have any of their legal documents processed. On top of this, legal documents must all be duly attested to verify their authenticity in front of the necessary bodies of authority. Afreno has longstanding relationships with the courts to help facilitate the processing of appropriate requirements regardless of your business or commercial use.
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Registration Certificates
Registration certificates can mean any number of things, as registrations can span a vast variety of topics. It can mean an application for Certificate of Qatar Registry, whether for new registrations, or to amend or duplicate them. The registry may be for cargo, where cargo ships have varying requirements and fees. If a ship is under construction, a Shipbuilding Certificate that is duly attested is required. Otherwise, the governing authorities may request for a Bill of Sale, the ship’s certificate, the commercial registration, a Certificate of Deletion, or a Mortgage Certificate if applicable.
In the instance of professional registrations, the Registration & Licensing Department in Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) is responsible for regulating healthcare practitioners. All of these registration certificates need to be fully attested to verify their authenticity. Afreno not only provides these expert services and more, but we also help provide you with some well-deserved peace of mind.
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Legal Will
What are the legal provisions on inheritance in Qatar? Not many people may want to think about life after a loved one dies, but death is a reality of life, and often, the ones who are left behind have trouble picking up the pieces emotionally and financially. Securing your legal will is a big step in helping to secure the future and to protect your loved ones. While Qatari law does not require either nationals or expats to have a will, it is still a significant document you should prepare as early as possible. This is because if there is no will in place when a person dies, the assets and bank accounts of the deceased will be frozen. This will go on until proof of entitlement from the heirs is received by the Family Court.
The legal will must then be authenticated in Qatar. The heirs must also bear the burden of providing verified documentation as proof of the ownership of the deceased when it comes to the assets left behind.
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Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice of Qatar is responsible for supervising legal processes and overseeing legal registrations. Litigation in Qatar has three stages in general, which is when a case is first filed in the courts of first instance. Then, the decisions from the lower courts are reviewed by the courts of appeal. Afterward, the final review is provided by a court of cassation. Court proceedings are conducted in Arabic, but non-Arabic speaking litigants may have the necessary translators.
Due to Afreno’s solid relationship with the Ministry of Justice, we can efficiently and cost-effectively process all kinds of legal documents attestation as promptly and as hassle-free as possible. Our government liaisons stem from expert industry knowledge and the ability to navigate through the legal complexities of various situations in the most trustworthy manner. We value client satisfaction above all else, which is why we take great care to keep our relationship with the MOJ as strong as possible.