Types of personnel who are qualified to certify passport copies include lawyers, notaries public, customs or police officers, embassy or consulate workers, senior civil servants, judiciary members and directors or managers of regulated financial institutions. The certifier's name and occupation must be clearly stated on the certification document.
Passport certification is necessary if you wish to prove your identity using a photocopy of your passport. Qualified agents must see you and your passport at the same time in order to perform certification, completing and signing a form that includes an official institutional stamp.
If you choose to have your passport certified by an embassy or consulate official, he or she must work for the same country in which your passport was issued. If a lawyer certifies your passport, he or she should be a member of a national legal council.
