Authentication / Legalization and Power of Attorney

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The following requirements apply to documents issued by Ethiopian government offices before authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (as published by the Embassy).

Birth, marriage, death certificates and documents declaring applicant’s marital status as single:

• Documents issued by Addis Ababa city administration municipality and in sub-cities and Dire Dawa city Administration Municipality shall be given services without any requirements of certification.
• Where a document is issued by different organs of national regional governments, the document shall be certified by the concerned regional bureau.
• Where birth and a marriage certificate is issued by religious institutions; it shall be certified by supreme organs of the respective religious institutions residing in Addis Ababa.
• Death certificates issued by medical institutions shall be certified, in the case of documents issued by institutions in Addis Ababa and Dire-Dawa by the respective health bureaus and in the case of regional governments by regional health bureaus.
• Death certificates and documents declaring a status of the applicant as single shall not be issued by religious institutions and where such document is submitted to the directorate such documents shall not be regarded as a valid document.

• Elementary school and high school transcripts — Dire Dawa/Addis Ababa: city education bureaus; regional: regional education bureaus.
• Grade 10 and 12 General School Leaving Certificate Examination — National Examination Agency of Ethiopia.
• Education diplomas and certificates — Regional TVET agencies; private college diplomas: Addis Ababa Technical and Vocational Agency; private college degrees: Higher Education Quality and Relevance Agency.
• Graduate and post-graduate degrees from Ethiopian private universities — Ethiopian Higher Education Quality and Relevance Agency.
• Education documents from Ethiopian public universities signed and sealed by the relevant registrar offices — AAU: University Registrar; regional HEIs: registrar of issuing institution.

• Medical certificates — Addis/Dire Dawa health bureaus; regional health bureaus; MoH institutions: Ministry.
• Driving licence — regional/city transport bureaus.
• Forensic (criminal record) evidence — Federal Police Forensic Bureau.
• Ethiopian passport copy — Main Department of Immigration and Nationality Affairs.
• Court judgment, order, decree — Addis/Dire Dawa first instance: court registrar; regional courts: Supreme Court registrar or authorized body; Federal High/Supreme: respective registrars; Sharia: Supreme Council of Ethiopian Islamic Affairs.
• Power of Attorney, declaration, affidavits — document authentication and registration offices; regional justice bureaus / authentication offices.
• Translated documents — original + translation from licensed office; authenticated by city/regional authentication offices; submit original attached.
• Trade licence and trade related documents — trade bureaus; certificate of origin: Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce or Authorized Regional Chamber; quarantine/sanitation of export: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Investment licence — city investment bureaus / relevant regional organ / Federal Investment Agency authorized official.
• Adoption documents — court of law with jurisdiction, certified by court registrar.
• “To whom it may concern” — Woreda → Sub-Cities/City Admin; Dire Dawa → Regional Justice Bureau; regional → regional justice bureau; federal → authorized officials of issuing organ.
• Other documents — must be authenticated by relevant government body; NGO documents certified by the governmental organ that issues their operation licence.
• Documents originating from foreign countries — authenticated by Ethiopian mission in that country or country’s mission to Ethiopia before MoFA authentication; if no mission, authenticate first by origin country’s mission in a convenient country, then Ethiopian mission.

• Support letters for importation of goods by returning Ethiopians: authenticate within 1 year of issuance.
• Education credentials, birth, death with signature samples in MoFA database: always authenticable.
• Other documents: within 2 years of issuance by authorized MoFA official.
• Expired service documents are not eligible.
• Certified document older than 2 years: renew/replace for submission.
• Previously authenticated document for renewal: services up to 10 years from issuance.

Previously issued documents that require replacement or renewal must be presented as originals. Incorrect details require replacement or renewal before authentication.