an example photo of certified true copy

As business owner or an authorized person at the management level, you must have heard about certified true copy so many times. You will usually require it when opening a bank account, registering a company or international transaction. In most cases, financial institution and banks in Hong Kong often require certified true copy of a document to follow government requirements. Certified true copy is an official way to make accurate copy of original document in order to protect the original document from damaging or lost.

What is Certified True Copy?

It is a legal copy of an original document authorized by qualified professionals such as Hong Kong solicitors, Notaries Public and Certified Public Accountants. Normally, it is signed, dated, stamped to prove that it is an official copy. So that, you can use it as a substitute of the original document.

How Long Is It Valid?

It is technically valid 3 to 6 months. However, sometimes, there might be situations that the Hong Kong financial Institution and government resist to accept a certified true copy which is valid more than 3 months. Therefore, it is better to contact the person who is going to accept your document copy in advance.

Common Format

Here is a common format to apply a certified true copy of a document.

  • A person’s statement, which serves as the certifying person, stating that it is a true copy of the original.
  • The date when the claim was made.
  • The full name, and address of the person who did the certification with his professional title (for example, solicitor, or notary public) included.
  • The signature of the certifier to confirm the authenticity of this document.
  • The whole number of the pages in this document being certified.

Chinese or English are the language of the certification statement in Hong Kong. Mostly, the government or financial institutions do not accept any kind of certification letter in other languages.

Requirements to Apply

You must have the original document together with the application and copy of your document that will be certified. And, you have to bring identification to verify your identity and a fee to obtain one. Requirements may be different according to your purposes.

Obtaining Certified True Copy

We understand that there are several steps you have to follow to obtain the legally authorized copy. Let Fastlane HR help you out through the whole process as we’ve got staff of certified public accountants with years of experience. And we can guarantee you that we can certify your copy that meets the legal requirements issued by government. Schedule an appointment with us today and make the process easier.