Apostille for France
Admitted to a French grande école, offered a Talent Passport job, or planning a wedding or PACS in France? France has applied the Hague Apostille Convention since 24 January 1965, so an Indian public document needs one final stamp – the MEA apostille – and nothing from the French Embassy. INFINITYGRO prepares your apostille for France in Delhi and arranges the French translation by a traducteur assermenté when your French office asks for one.
- Campus France student visa
- Talent Passport
- Family reunification (OFII)
- Marriage in France
- PACS
- Carte de séjour
- Qualification recognition
- French company set-up
apostille
An apostille for France is the MEA apostille placed on an Indian public document after the competent Indian authority has verified it – the state education department for degrees, the home department or SDM for civil records, or a chamber of commerce for company papers. French préfectures, mairies, universities and OFII accept it without French Embassy legalisation. Most French offices then ask for a French translation by a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté).
France embassy attestation is not needed – the apostille for France replaces it
Older checklists, and some agents, still talk about “France embassy attestation”. That chain stopped applying to Indian documents once India joined the Apostille Convention in 2005: France and India are both parties, so a French office checks the MEA apostille and its QR code, not an embassy sticker.
The work that still matters happens in India before the apostille. A degree must be verified by the state that issued it, a birth certificate needs the right civil-record signature, and company papers need a chamber of commerce stamp. Get that order right and most papers are apostilled within a week.
Documents we apostille for France
Each document follows its own route in India. We run every step from our Delhi office:
| Document | Route in India | Who asks for it in France |
|---|---|---|
| Degree, diploma, transcripts | State education department / university verification → MEA apostille | Universities, grandes écoles, employers, recognition bodies |
| Birth certificate | Home department or SDM → MEA apostille | Mairie (marriage or PACS), préfecture, OFII family reunification |
| Marriage certificate | Home department or SDM → MEA apostille | Préfecture, OFII, spouse visa files |
| Police clearance (Passport Seva PCC) | MEA apostille directly | Talent Passport, long-stay visas, naturalisation |
| Single-status affidavit | Notary → SDM → MEA apostille | Mairie, before a marriage or PACS in France |
| Experience and salary letters | Notary → SDM → MEA apostille | French employers, Talent Passport files |
| Company documents and power of attorney | Chamber of commerce → MEA apostille | French banks, the greffe, business partners |
Why people need an apostille for France
Study in France
Degree and transcripts carrying the apostille for French universities and grandes écoles; many also want a French translation.
Talent Passport & work
Degree, experience letters and PCC apostilled for the passeport talent and other long-stay work visas.
Family reunification
Birth and marriage certificates apostilled and translated for the OFII regroupement familial file.
Marriage or PACS in France
The mairie usually wants a recent apostilled birth certificate, a single-status declaration and French translations.
Carte de séjour & renewals
Préfectures re-check civil status at renewal time – an apostilled, translated set saves repeat requests.
Business in France
Incorporation papers and powers of attorney apostilled to open a French subsidiary or bank account.
French translation after the apostille for France
The order never changes: verification → MEA apostille → French translation. Translate the document together with its apostille sticker; otherwise a préfecture or mairie may treat the stamp as untranslated. French authorities usually ask for a traducteur assermenté – a translator sworn before a French court of appeal (cour d’appel) – so confirm which form your office accepts before you order.
We coordinate the apostille for France and the French translation as one file, so names, dates of birth and certificate numbers match everywhere. See our French translation services.
SampleApostille for France sample – reading the MEA sticker
What a French office checks on this apostille for France: the heading “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)”, printed in French on every MEA sticker; the name and capacity of the Indian officer whose signature is certified; the date and place of issue; and the unique number with a QR code that links to the MEA record. Personal details are hidden in this sample.
How it worksHow we get your apostille for France done
- Share your French purposeStudent, Talent Passport, OFII, mairie or company – we tell you exactly which papers need the apostille for France.
- WhatsApp clear scansWe check names, spellings and the issuing authority before anything goes for verification.
- Hand over or courier the originalsDrop them at our New Ashok Nagar office in Delhi, or courier them to us from any state.
- Verification + MEA apostilleState, SDM or chamber verification where needed, then the MEA apostille with QR code.
- Tracked return + French translationOriginals come back by Blue Dart or another tracked courier; the French translation follows if you ordered it.
Can you visit Delhi? You are welcome to hand over your documents and collect the signed translation at our office in New Ashok Nagar. From another state or country, just email or WhatsApp a clear scan – the soft copy comes back by email and the signed, stamped copy by Blue Dart or another reputed, fully tracked courier.
FeesApostille for France – fees
For a document that is already ready for the MEA – a Passport Seva PCC, or an affidavit that already has notary and SDM stamps. We file it at the MEA and return the QR apostille for France.
For single-status affidavits, experience letters and similar papers: we arrange the notary and SDM attestation in Delhi, then the MEA apostille – one handover.
Degrees, diplomas and transcripts that need state education department or university verification first are quoted separately, and so is the French sworn translation. Compare our degree apostille fees or WhatsApp us your list for one written quote for your France file.
A frequent cause of delay in France files is a spelling mismatch between the passport and the birth certificate or degree. We flag it at the scan stage, before the apostille, because a French préfecture may raise it months later at the residence-permit stage.
FAQsApostille for France – FAQs
Does France accept the Indian MEA apostille?
Yes. France and India are both parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so French authorities accept the MEA apostille on Indian public documents without French Embassy legalisation.
Do I also need France embassy attestation?
No. For France the apostille replaces embassy attestation – there is no extra French Embassy stamp on top of the MEA apostille.
Does the French translation come before or after the apostille?
After. Get the apostille for France first, then have the document and the apostille translated into French, ideally by a traducteur assermenté.
How long does an apostille for France take?
Most documents take 2–7 working days at the MEA stage. Degrees can take longer because the issuing state must verify them first; we give you a date once we see the document.
What does an apostille for France cost?
₹1,000 per document for the MEA apostille alone, or ₹1,500 per document for notary + SDM + MEA apostille. Degree verification and French translation are quoted separately.
Do I have to visit Delhi?
No. Delhi clients can drop off and collect at our New Ashok Nagar office; everyone else couriers the originals to us, and we return them by Blue Dart or another tracked courier.
Related pages
Start your apostille for France
Send a clear scan of every page on WhatsApp or email – you get a written quote and delivery date before any work starts.
INFINITYGRO · C-5 A/2, New Ashok Nagar, Delhi – 110096Last updated: 24 October 2026 · INFINITYGRO apostille desk, New Ashok Nagar, Delhi