Limited Notarization and Legalization Services Resumed Amid Increasing Political Unrest

Venezuela

SAREN (Servicio Autónomo de Registros y Notarías), Venezuela’s national registry and notary service, has announced that it has resumed notarization and legalization services following temporary suspension due to a fire during protests last week. Further delays in processing and ongoing stoppages should be expected.

The fire, damaging SAREN’s IT platform and severely impacting their operations, was the result of ongoing and increasingly violent political protests in Venezuela causing instability and intermittent immigration processing issues, as follows:

• Unannounced closures of government offices due to random protest actions;
• Security concerns and imminent risk preventing travel, including that of immigration providers and government staff;
• Processing delays and a high degree of government discretion and inconsistency in terms of processing times;
• Impacts on the ability of Venezuelan nationals to travel; and
• Restricted access to news and up-to-date information.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Employers and foreign nationals who need to notarize, legalize and/or apostille personal documents can follow the usual process.

SAREN has not provided any details on the expected service times; however, delays are likely, and employers and foreign nationals should factor this into their planning. Those needing to expedite this process should contact their immigration provider.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]

© 2017 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All Rights Reserved.