Invoice and Certificate of Origin Attestation

An invoice certificate refers to a piece of written or printed material issued by a seller to the buyer with the intention of shipment of items and goods. Invoice and Certificate of Origin Attestation refers to the legalization of shipping or commercial invoice certificate. Invoice and Certificate of Origin attestation are done for the legal importing and exporting of goods to a foreign country. It proves the authentication of the candidate as well as the candidate's documents that are involved in commercial activities with a foreign state.  The invoice and certificate of origin attestation helps the foreign country to determine the actual value of goods for evaluating the custom duties. 

What is the Process of Invoice and Certificate of Origin Attestation? 

The process of invoice and certificate of origin attestation is not direct. There are several steps that one needs to go through before the final attestation is done. The detailed procedure is mentioned below.

1. Attestation through Chamber of Commerce: The Chamber of Commerce refers to the organisation of all the local businessmen of India. Getting the attestation through the Chamber of Commerce helps in stating that the business of the specified candidate is lawful. 
2. Attestation through Ministry of External Affairs: The attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs or MEA is the last stage of attestation that the candidate will get from the home government. MEA, being a central organisation, looks after the country's foreign affairs. Hence, it is the highest level of attestation that one needs to get from their home country. 
3. Attestation through the Embassy:  This is the last stage of attestation that one needs to have in order to have legal and commercial relations with a foreign country. The Embassy attestation is done by an authorized official of the country that the specified candidate is visiting. For instance, if you engage in import and export trade with the UAE, then you have to get your documents attested by the UAE Embassy. 

How much time does it require to get Invoice and Certificate of Origin Attestation? 

The time required to get commercial documents depends on numerous factors like the type of certificate or document one is dealing with, the country a candidate is having commercial relations with, and other related factors. Roughly, commercial attestation takes nearly eight to ten working days in order to complete the entire process. However, the attestation process can even stretch over a few weeks or even a month depending on the situation. 

How much does commercial attestation cost?

Commercial attestation of documents depends on the country that one is preferring. The cost also depends on the severity of the situation, type of document, and attestation service provider. If a candidate is hiring an attestation service provider, it can cost quite a bit. However, there are various cost-effective service providers who offer commercial attestation services at really cheap rates. 

Should I Hire Service Providers? 

Service providers have the required experience as well as knowledge to help their clients get their commercial documents attested as quickly as possible. To make the process more hassle-free, they also offer document pick-up and drop-off services to their clients so that they get to enjoy a seamless engagement.