How the authentication chain works
A document gets its first stamp from the office MoFA (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) names for that kind of paper. For a translation made in Addis Ababa, that is DARS (the Document Authentication and Registration Service). For most certificates, it is the office that holds the record. MoFA then stamps it for use abroad. Some countries add an embassy step on their own side. Our published chain run covers DARS and then MoFA, under a power of attorney. If your first stamp is at another office, ask us before you pay.
"Online" here means you instruct us remotely, sending the request and the power of attorney from wherever you live. The offices still need a person at the desk. That person is from Agar, and before you pay we check that each office on your task accepts a representative. Some sites call this document legalisation, others document legalization; it is the same service.
What about timelines?
Agar lodges your file within 1 business day of receiving your power of attorney. The offices set the official time, and we cannot change it. If an office publishes a time, we tell you before you pay and name the source. MoFA does not publish one.
Fees
Each fee is fixed and published before you pay. Official government fees and courier costs pass through at cost, with receipts.
- Document procurement (standard certificate). USD 89. Timeline: 7 business days.
- Authentication chain run (DARS + MoFA). USD 99. Timeline: 5 business days.
- Document bundle + international courier. USD 199 to 249. Timeline: 10 business days door-to-door.
Proof you receive
Every document task closes with these proof items:
- A scan of every official receipt (official_receipt_scan).
- A scan of the document we collected (document_scan).
- A geotagged photo taken at pickup (pickup_geotag).
- A scan of the stamped, authenticated document (stamped_doc_scan).
Refund rule: "Service fee refunded if SLA missed for causes within Agar's control."
Common questions
Can you handle my documents if I am not in Ethiopia?
In most cases, yes. You instruct Agar from where you live and sign a power of attorney. Before you pay, we check that each office on your task accepts a representative. Then we go to the offices for you and send proof at each step.
What is the difference between DARS and MoFA?
DARS stamps some papers made in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, such as a translation. MoFA stamps papers going abroad, after the first stamp. A birth certificate or a degree gets its first stamp from the office that holds the record, not from DARS.
Do you handle embassy legalisation too?
Agar completes the Ethiopia side, through DARS and MoFA. A step at your target country's embassy follows that embassy's own rules. Agar tells you which side each step sits on before you pay.
What is a woreda document run?
A woreda is the local district office that holds many civil records. Agar goes to the right woreda or sub-city office, asks for the record, and collects it under your power of attorney.
Can you collect records from a sub-city office?
Yes. Sub-city and woreda runs are part of the standard document service. The same published fee and the same proof rules apply.
How long does it take?
Agar's own working window is published with each fee above. Each office sets its own official time, and MoFA does not publish one. Where an office does, we quote it with its source, and we never promise to cut it.