There are a number of reasons why one would need to have his or her documents apostilled. It could be for a sale or transfer of property, for applications abroad, and other such transactions that require documents that can be obtained in the Philippines to undergo the process of apostille.
However, not all documents that are needed by a person are public in nature. More often than not, those documents that are required to be apostilled are private in nature. In order for the document to be apostilled, it must undergo a change of its nature from private to public. A document becomes public from being classified as private when it becomes notarized.
Once the document becomes notarized, can you have it apostilled right away?
Not yet. It is required by the Department of Foreign Affairs that the document must have a CANA before it can become apostilled.
What is a CANA?
The CANA or the Certificate of Authority for Notarial Act is issued by the Regional Trial Court where the notary where the document was notarized, proving that the said notary is authorized to do so. It serves as a verification of the authority of the notary public. The Executive Judge or the Vice-Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court shall be the one who shall issue the CANA.
What kinds of documents are usually being notarized that may require a CANA before being apostilled?
Some of the documents are affidavits, contracts, a special power of attorney, or other private documents that require notarization.
How then can you obtain a Certificate of Authority for Notarial Act?
First, if you must go to the proper court where the notary public is under the jurisdiction of. An example of which is, if you have notarized your affidavit in Taguig, then you must also obtain the Certificate of Notarial Act from the Regional Trial Court of Taguig.
Note that the location of the court must be specific for it to have the correct jurisdiction.
After which, you shall go to the Office of the Clerk of Court or RTC-OCC where your notary public is registered, specifically the authentication division. Make sure that you have with you all the necessary requirements needed to be able to process the CANA. These may be the notarized document in its original, as well as photocopies. You must also have with you the necessary fees for the CANA processing.
On the event that a representative shall be the one to process your requirements on your behalf, the authorized representative must bring the photocopies of the ID of the person on whose behalf he or she is processing the CANA, his or her own ID, as well as a special power of attorney which shall serve as a proof that the representative is indeed authorized to transact.
Once the CANA of the notarized documents have been processed, you may now submit it together with the necessary requirements for apostille to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Need further information and assistance regarding affidavits with Regional Trial Court Certificate in the Philippines? Talk to our team at FILEDOCSPHIL to know more about the requirements and process. Call us today at (+632) 8478 5826 or send an email to info@filedocsphil.com for more information.