Documentation Overview

Obtain, Authenticate and Legalize Documents Anywhere.

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Documentation Overview

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Anyone doing business internationally knows this simple truth: the right paperwork is crucial. Missing or inaccurate documents increases risks, causes delays, generates needless costs, and jeopardizes deals.

VisumCentrale has the expertise, the years of experience, and the knowledgeable professionals to guarantee you get the documents you need in time, every time. Our service couldn't be simpler: start a request to tell us about your document needs. We'll ensure everything is accurate and lodge as soon as possible at the appropriate agency or government entity. You can track your document's progress in real time and we'll return them via courier or through encrypted transfer, within the hour in some cases.

Export Shipping Documents

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We provide a wide range of solutions for export documentation requirements to exporters and freight forwarders across the globe, including arranging Certificates of Origin, Customs Declarations, EUR-1's, ATA Carnets and CCVO's.

Whether you are an exporter or a freight forwarder, we can assist you with the certification and legalization of your export documentation in order to clear customs overseas. .

As Belgium's largest consular documentation provider, we specialize in raising Certificates of Origin, liaising with Chambers of Commerce and obtaining any required Embassy stamps. We can assist you every step of the way, providing advice on proof of origin and country requirements, in addition to information on how to claim preferential duty rates or collating documents for banking purposes when your customer payments are made by Letter of Credit.

We offer a range of Chamber certification services to suit your needs. All of our documents are treated as urgent, however you can also visit our Brussels offices in person to collect your stamped documents.

If you require Embassy legalization, our own couriers lodge and collect at the relevant departments on a daily basis, and we can even return completed documents directly to your offices if you are located in one of our many collection/delivery areas, or we can forward them to any requested third party worldwide.

Documents we process on a daily basis include:

  • EC Certificates of Origin
  • Legalized Certificates of Origin
  • EUR-1s & ATR-1s
  • Company Contracts/Agreements
  • Price Lists

Please contact our experts on [email protected] to discuss your Export Shipping Document needs.

Notarization

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We work with a network of Notaries, allowing us to assist with the notarization of documents across Belgium in as little as 24 hours. In addition to this, we can arrange company visits to arrange multiple signatures to be witnessed in one session (online option available), to ensure the fast, secure notarization of future documentary requirements.

We are also able to arrange additional authentication steps where required, such as FPS Foreign Affairs - Apostille, Technical Translations or Embassy legalization.

The notarization of a document usually involves a Notary Public checking the identity of an individual and his/her capacity to sign the document. Once the required checks have been performed, the Notary will affix a notarial seal (and often also a notarial certificate) on the document. notarization might also be required to certify the authenticity of an official document, e.g. an Education Certificate, or to issue a certified copy of an original document, e.g. a Passport.

A Notary Public is a qualified lawyer, whose primary role is to:

  • Prepare and witness power of attorney for use overseas
  • Authenticate company and business documents and transactions
  • Authenticate and Certify signatures and documents for use abroad
  • Deal with purchase or sale of land and property abroad
  • Authenticate documents for immigration or emigration purposes, or to apply to marry or to work abroad

We work with a network of Notaries, allowing us to assist with the notarization of documents across Belgium in as little as 24 hours. We also frequently arrange company visits to allow multiple signatories/signatures to be witnessed in one session (online option available), which ensures that future document processing will be actioned more efficiently.

Please contact our experts on [email protected] to discuss your document notarization needs.

FPS Foreign Affairs Apostille

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We work closely with the FPS Foreign Affairs to assist our clients' with securing Apostille legalization for their documentation, on either a same-day or next-day service.

We offer a fully electronic application process as an accredited partner of the FPS Foreign Affairs. In addition to arranging Apostille legalization, we can assist our clients' with any required supplementary authentication, such as notarization and Embassy legalization.

An Apostille is issued by the FPS Foreign Affairs and is used to certify a Belgian document for use in another country.

An Apostille is issued by the FPS Foreign Affairs and is used to certify a Belgian document for use in another country. An Apostille is a streamlined method of document legalization, which is accepted by all countries who are party to the 1961 Hague Convention Act. Participating countries have agreed to do away with lengthy legalization processes and will instead accept documents with the Apostille as being authentic, saving significant time compared to Embassy legalization.

We offer a complete Apostille service, offering either a 24 hour or same day service. In addition to arranging an apostille, we can arrange other required steps, such as notarization, Chamber of Commerce certification and Embassy legalization.

Please contact our experts on [email protected] to discuss your FPS Apostille needs.

Embassy Legalization

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We work closely with all of the foreign Embassies and Consulates to arrange document legalization for our clients’.

Our fleet of couriers, dedicated to the lodging and collecting of documentation to be legalised at various Embassies and Consulates across Belgium, operate a daily lodging and collection service, ensuring that we are the most efficient method of securing Embassy legalization.

In addition to arranging Embassy legalization, we can arrange any preliminary steps, such as Chamber of Commerce Certification, Apostille or notarization.

Embassy legalization is the process of presenting a document to an Embassy for authentication and is a required step for many countries prior to a document being recognized for use in the country in which the Embassy represents. Prior to a document being lodged for Embassy legalization, it may also need to be Notarized, certified by the Chamber of Commerce and/or legalised by the FPS Foreign Affairs.

Embassy legalization can be a lengthy process, with many country specific guidelines which must be strictly adhered to prior to a document being lodged to ensure compliance with local authorities.

We offer a complete legalization service, including arranging any steps prior to Embassy legalization. Please contact our experts on [email protected] to discuss your Embassy Legalization needs.

Documentary Letter of Credit

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We provide full Documentary Letter of Credit assistance. Experienced staff and our exclusive web-based document management platform Quick L/C ensures accelerated payment collections and the eradication of bank discrepancy fees. Get paid faster and more reliably with lower overhead costs.

A Documentary Letter of Credit is a secure method of payment in international trade, which is used to guarantee payment for exports and to provide financial protection to the buyer and seller. An exporter will usually choose to use this method of payment when selling goods to high-risk clients or markets.

Although a Letter of Credit remains the safest method of export payment, preparation of shipping documents covered under this system requires great care and attention to detail, not to mention shipping and banking expertise. Many exporters face multiple problems when preparing Letter of Credit compliant documentation, including:

  • Late presentation of documents to the bank
  • Delays in payment
  • Discrepant documents and associated fees
  • Too much time spent dealing with documentation
  • Inconsistent service/information
  • Ongoing training needs for staff in L/C compliance

We were the first Dutch Consular company to recognize that the correct preparation of Letter of Credit documentation could dramatically minimize payment risk and accelerate receipt of funds for its clients. Using experienced members of staff and a pioneering web-based document management platform, we can eradicate high discrepancy fees and improve a company's working capital.

Our service includes:
  • Taking care of your credit from the outset, be it the checking of documentation to ensure that it complies with the terms of the credit, or the raising of documents such as invoices and packing lists, liaising with exporter and shipper every step of the way.
  • Downloading of L/C directly from selected banks.
  • Arranging authentication and legalization of documents if required, using our own in-house documentation service, including online certification, courtesy of the Local Chamber of Commerce.
  • Presenting documents (electronically where possible) to the bank and ensuring that payment has been made.

Please contact our experts on [email protected] to discuss your Documentary Letter of Credit needs.

Regulatory Affairs Documents

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Regulatory support for the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare sector. Worldwide Marketing Authorization support, including CPP application and issuance, global legalization.

Regulatory Documentation Support

We provide a comprehensive list of services for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, including global legalization services and submissions and filing in both the Netherlands & overseas markets.

Our service for Regulatory documents was initiated in the early '90s as a result of the increasing level of services requested by our existing client base. In addition to providing a comprehensive external legalization service, we also provide both external and in-house support for our clients' global submission of documents to the relevant Health Authorities. We prepare and complete applications for submission to the FPS - Federal Public Service, fasfc.be, European Medicines Agency, as well as authorities overseas.

Legalization

We process 1000's of documents for legalization on a weekly basis, and a significant proportion of this volume are CPP, GMP, M/L and pharmaceutical related documents (e.g Price Certificates), which we either receive directly from the manufacturer/exporter directly or via third party agencies.

Depending on the market concerned, we evaluate the 'optimum' legalization route in terms of compliance, speed and cost to deliver the best possible service to our customers.

Typical applications with which we deal on a daily basis include:

  • FPS
  • fasfc.be
  • EMA
  • Veterinary Sector of EMA

We also provide technical translations for all pharmaceutical documents, using experienced certified translators, a service which is often required when lodging documents at Embassies/Consulates overseas for certain markets.

Please contact our experts on [email protected] to discuss your Regulatory Affairs Document needs.

Legal, Corporate & IP

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