Public Documents of Bangladeshi people now will be authenticated in e-APP

Now the way to issue electronic Apostille certificate is open for Bangladeshis. Therefore, the authenticity and correctness of the document can be verified from anywhere in the world with the QR code present in the certificate in the e-APP or electronic apostille program system. As a result of this, from now on, students, professionals and immigration aspirants who are going abroad will be able to get the public documents attested which had to be authenticated in the traditional way in the case of admission and employment abroad, faster, easier and cheaper.

For this, Bangladesh has become a party to 'The Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents' or Apostille Convention - 1961. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Hasan Mahmood officially handed over the 'Instrument of Accession' on behalf of the country at the Apostille Convention held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands on Monday (July 29) at noon in The Hague.

As a result, the documents attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country will not need to be re-attested in other countries and the Bangladeshis going abroad will save an estimated Tk 500-600 crore every year.

At the beginning of the program, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands welcomed Dr. Hasan. In his speech, the Foreign Minister explained the necessity and immediate benefits of this agreement for millions of citizens of Bangladesh.

Joining this convention is deemed as a landmark step for Bangladesh and the country's students will benefit the most, said Dr. Hasan. He further said, as a result of electronic Apostille Certificates which will be issued by verifying the e-APP or Electronic Apostille Program system, whose authenticity and correctness can be verified from anywhere in the world with the existing QR code on the certificate. This will completely reduce the various types of harassment and suffering of students and professionals going abroad.

Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan also said that if you use an Apostille certificate issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you do not have to go to foreign embassies or foreign ministries or any other foreign authorities for verification by spending labor and money. This will save approximately Tk. 500-600 crores of Bangladeshis going abroad every year.

At present, various documents (such as academic certificates, birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.) of citizens going abroad and staying abroad for various purposes including taking higher education in foreign universities, applying for jobs, settling abroad, marrying foreign citizens, need to be verified by multiple authorities. After the verification of various ministries of the country including the verification of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the service candidates have to appear again at the foreign embassies, foreign ministries of the respective countries and various foreign authorities for verification, which is very time-consuming, laborious and expensive.