Why you should not laminate official documents
Kevin Kaboyo, a Ugandan based in Austria, laminated his Interpol letter.
He was later advised by the foreign affairs ministry to go back and make other copies of the same for certification.
Kaboyo is however not alone, many people, especially students and graduates are quick to laminate their documents for reasons of safety.
These however cease to be official documents as laminating tampers with security features.
In an online conversation with Thomas Ddumba, a United Kingdom based Ugandan Immigration lawyer, he said that once laminated, a documents considered tampered with its authenticity.
Ddumba advises international clients especially from Uganda who are either eligible for British citizenship and or their children are eligible for the same.
Ddumba says that often when the Home Office Passport Office that deals with citizenship and passports requests for document, often his International clients from Uganda send in laminated documents, which are always rejected by authorities.
“These documents are rejected by the authorities as they cannot check their authenticity. So my clients have to get certified copies which delays the whole application process and also adds costs as most of the documents are sent in via DHL,” Ddumba told this reporter.
He adds that authenticity covers security features on the documents.
The documents that are usually rejected vary from birth certificates, marriage certificates to academic documents.
Although institutions in Uganda usually accept these laminated documents, Ddumba advises that unless is looking at working within the country's border for all their life, they should not laminate them.
“We live in a global and changing world therefore, citizens of today need to realize that their documents could be rejected by other global institutions or government agencies because they are laminated,” Ddumba advised.
Ddumba added that those who have already laminated their documents should get a certified copy from the relevant institutions and or authorities.
