Authentication of Documents
Official documents issued by the authorities of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo do not have any legal relevance in the Czech Republic unless they are authenticated (superlegalized) by the Czech Embassy in Accra.
The working hours for legalisation, superlegalisation and translation verification of documents are on Friday 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. (deposit of documents only at 9.00 a.m.).
In exceptional cases, after previous consultation (phone, e-mail) with the Visa section, it is possible to apply for authentication of documents outside these working hours (primarily for non-residents of Ghana).
Authentication is a verification process in which the validity of an original public document (e.g. birth certificate, marriage and death certificates, criminal check, university diploma) is verified (i.e. it confirms that the document is not a fake and that it has been issued by a competent clerk.
All applications for the superlegalization of public documents should follow the laid down order in chronological sequence:
- Obtain the stamp, signature and seal at the rear of the legalized document from the competent Public Notary.
- The original document should bear a brief statement, preferably stamped by the Public Notary, that the document is an original, or that they certify the signature and the office of the authorizing signature on the original document. (For example: I Public Notary, hereby certify that this document is an original Ghanaian document and bears the signature of an authorized competent authority).
- Obtain a letter of attestation from the judicial service, that the stamp, signature and seal of the Public Notary are authentic (in place of the affidavit as was previously the case. Please note that affidavits are no longer accepted.
- Obtain a letter of certification (i.e legalization) from the (Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
- Submit your documents at the Embassy of the Czech Republic for superlegalization.
Documents that do not chronologically follow the above sequence will not be accepted.
The superlegalization fee is 600,- CZK and it can be paid only in cash in Ghanaian cedi according to the current exchange rate which changes montly.
It is not possible to submit more than one document within the single legalization and every document (e.g. criminal check, birth certificate, etc.) which you intend to superlegalize at the Czech Embassy in Accra must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs separately. Except for the university diploma and transcript of academic records which can be submitted together within one legalization.