What is a notarized copy?
A notarized copy is a copy of an original document certified by a notary, which has the same legal force as the original. The notary personally verifies the authenticity of the original document, compares it with the copy, and confirms their full correspondence with their signature and seal. After certification, such a copy is officially recognized by government agencies, banks, courts, and foreign authorities.
Notarized certification of a copy is necessary when you cannot or do not want to provide the original document. For example, if you need to preserve the original, if you are abroad and cannot personally present the document, or if the original contains multiple pages that are inconvenient to carry around constantly. A notarized copy solves all these problems — it is compact, legally equivalent to the original, and can be used multiple times.
It is important to understand the difference between a regular photocopy and a notarized copy. A regular copy is simply a reproduction of the document on paper; it has no legal force and is not accepted by official institutions. A notarized copy, on the contrary, is an official document that passes verification by a notary and receives their certification. Only a notarized copy can be used for official purposes — submission to government agencies, banks, consulates, courts, and foreign authorities.
Notarized copy = original: After notarization, the copy has the same legal force as the original document. It is accepted by government agencies, banks, courts, and foreign authorities.
Which documents can be copied?
Almost any official Russian document can be copied and certified by a notary. Below are the main categories of documents that we work with regularly and for which notarized certification of copies is standard practice.
ZAGS Documents
Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce certificates, name change certificates. The most common category of documents for notarized copying.
Educational Documents
High school certificates, diplomas, diploma supplements, professional development certificates, academic degree certificates.
Passports and IDs
Russian passport, international passport, driver's license, military ID. Passport copying is only possible for presentation abroad.
Notarized Documents
Powers of attorney, consents, applications, contracts that have already been notarized previously.
Corporate Documents
Articles of incorporation, founding agreements, extracts from EGRUL/EGRIP, meeting minutes, founder resolutions.
Certificates and References
Criminal record certificates, medical certificates, pension certificates, INN, SNILS, and other official documents.
Apostille on a notarized copy
One of the main advantages of a notarized copy is that an apostille can be placed on it. This opens the possibility of using the document in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention without the risk of losing or damaging the original. The process works as follows: first, we make a notarized copy from your original, then we place an apostille on the notarized copy, and if necessary, we make a translation into the language of the destination country.
An apostille on a notarized copy confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal of the notary who certified the copy. This means that foreign authorities receive double certification: the notary confirms that the copy corresponds to the original, and the apostille confirms the notary's authority. Such a document has full legal force abroad and is accepted without any restrictions.
We recommend using a notarized copy with an apostille in the following situations: when the original document needs to be preserved in perfect condition, when the document will be submitted to several institutions simultaneously, when you are abroad and cannot personally present the original, as well as when the document is required for immigration purposes and will be kept in the file of a foreign authority.
Process of making a notarized copy
1. Send a request
Contact us via WhatsApp or Telegram and tell us which document needs to be copied. If you have the original, send it to us by courier. If the original needs to be obtained, we will help request a duplicate.
2. Original verification
The notary verifies the authenticity of the original document: absence of erasures, corrections, damage. Confirms that the document was issued by an authorized body and has all necessary details.
3. Preparation and certification
We prepare a copy of the document on special paper, and the notary certifies it with their signature and seal. The copy indicates the certification date and registration number in the register of notarial actions.
4. Apostille and delivery
At your request, we place an apostille on the notarized copy. Then we send the finished document to you by courier mail to any point in the world with full tracking.
How much does a notarized copy cost?
The cost of making a notarized copy consists of several components: the notarial fee (established by law), copy preparation services, and, if necessary, apostille placement. We provide a full cost calculation before starting work — no hidden fees or additional charges.
Factors affecting the cost include the number of pages in the document, the need to place an apostille on the copy, the urgency of preparation, as well as the need to pre-obtain the original from the authority. Contact us via WhatsApp or Telegram — we will give you an accurate calculation within 10 minutes after receiving information about your document.
Why choose Global Docs Pro
- We have been working with notaries for over 9 years — we guarantee proper execution
- Copy preparation on the same day if the original is available
- Apostille placement on a notarized copy in one order
- Obtaining duplicates of originals from any Russian authorities
- Translation of notarized copies into any language
- Delivery of finished documents to any country in the world
- Personal support in Russian, English, and German
- Transparent prices without hidden fees
Notarized copy for immigration
When preparing documents for immigration, notarized copies are often the optimal solution. First, originals of important documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas) are best kept in a safe place and not sent to consulates and immigration authorities where they may get lost or damaged. Second, many immigration processes require submitting documents to several institutions simultaneously, which is impossible with a single original.
For immigration to Germany, we recommend the following order: notarized copy of the document → apostille on the copy → sworn translation into German. Such a package of documents fully meets the requirements of German authorities (Standesamt, Ausländerbehörde, Bürgeramt) and is accepted without questions. A similar approach works for the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and other countries.