Passport Copy Apostille in India
Passport copy apostille for opening a company, a bank account, buying property or signing a power of attorney abroad. You keep travelling on your passport. We prepare a notarised true copy of the pages the foreign office wants, have it attested by the SDM in Delhi and apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Passport copy apostille: quick answer
Passport copy apostille is an MEA apostille placed on a certified copy of your Indian passport, not on the passport booklet. The MEA states that it does not legalise photocopies, so the copy is first certified as a true copy by a notary who has seen the original, and the notary’s signature is then attested by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Delhi.
INFINITYGRO completes the notary, SDM and MEA stages for Rs 1,000–1,500 per copy, all-inclusive, normally in 2–3 working days. Courier is extra. A Hague Convention country accepts the apostilled copy as it is. The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait need MEA attestation and embassy legalisation of the copy instead.
Who asks for an apostilled passport copy?
When you cannot be present in person, a foreign bank, notary or registry still has to check who you are. A certified and apostilled passport copy is the usual answer.
Company formation abroad
Registrars and corporate service providers ask directors and shareholders for an apostilled passport copy as identity proof.
Bank and investment accounts
Banks opening an account for a non-resident often want a certified copy that has been legalised in the home country.
Property and power of attorney
Buying, selling or managing property abroad through a representative usually needs your identity proven by an apostilled copy.
Family and residence files
Spouse visas, child registrations and residence renewals may list a legalised copy of each family member’s passport.
Which pages to copy, and what to check
Pages usually requested
- The front page with your photo and passport number
- The last page with address and family details
- A visa or residence permit page, only if the checklist asks
- Each page on a separate sheet or all pages bound in one set, as the receiver prefers
Check before sending
- Validity: many offices want at least six months left
- Signature on the passport matches the one you will use abroad
- Address on the last page is current
- Old and new passport: send both if the file mentions the old number
How the passport copy apostille is done in Delhi
- 1Confirm on WhatsAppShare the request letter or checklist and a photo of your passport front page. We confirm the pages, route and total in writing.
- 2Show the originalVisit our New Ashok Nagar office with the passport, or courier it if you are not travelling. The notary must compare the copy with the original.
- 3True copy and SDMThe notary signs and seals the copy as a true copy; the SDM then authenticates the notary.
- 4MEA apostilleThe certified copy is lodged at the MEA collection centre and receives the apostille sticker with its own number.
- 5ReturnThe passport and the apostilled copy come back to you by Blue Dart or another secure courier, or you collect them.
If you have a trip coming up, tell us the date. In Delhi we can usually return the passport the same day and keep only the certified copy.
Apostille countries and attestation countries
MEA apostille is enough
Hague Convention members such as the Netherlands, Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Oman accept the sticker without an embassy step.
Confirm a country on the HCCH status table before you send anything.
Documents that often travel with a passport copy
A passport copy is rarely the only paper in a company or property file. Address proof, a power of attorney or a board resolution usually go in the same request.
Passport copy apostille fees and time
| MEA apostille, personal or educational document | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, all-inclusive: notary, SDM attestation, the Rs 50 MEA fee and our service |
|---|---|
| Usual time | 2–3 working days in Delhi after the document reaches us |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
| Translation | Quoted by language and page |
Each certified copy set counts as one document. For the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt or China the MEA stage costs the same and the embassy fee is extra.
Passport Copy Apostille in India: real sample
A real document from our files, with personal details hidden. Check the stamps on your own document against it.
FAQs: Passport Copy Apostille in India
Does the MEA put the apostille on my actual passport?
No. The apostille goes on a certified true copy of the passport pages. Your passport booklet is not stamped and stays valid for travel. That is why a notary must first see the original and certify the copy before the SDM and MEA stages.
What is the fee for a passport copy apostille?
Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per certified copy, all-inclusive. This covers the notary, the SDM attestation, the Rs 50 MEA fee and our service charge. Courier is extra both ways. Translation, if the receiver asks for it, is quoted separately.
Do I have to give you my passport for three days?
Not if you are in Delhi. The notary only needs to compare the copy with the original, so you can usually take the passport back the same day. If you courier it, we return it with the apostilled copy.
Can I apostille a self-attested photocopy?
No. A copy you have signed yourself is still a photocopy, and the MEA does not legalise photocopies. The copy must be certified by a notary and attested by the SDM first. We arrange both in Delhi.
Is an apostilled passport copy accepted in Dubai?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. A passport copy for the UAE needs MEA attestation, then UAE Embassy legalisation in New Delhi, followed by UAE MOFA attestation online. Tell us before you send it.
My passport is about to expire. Should I wait?
Usually yes. Foreign banks and registries tend to reject copies of a passport near expiry, and a copy made from the old booklet will show the old number. Renew first if the timing allows, then apostille the new passport.
Can a relative get my passport copy apostilled?
Yes, if the relative can bring the original passport to the notary stage with an authorisation note from you. If you are abroad, send us a photo first and we will tell you what the notary will accept.
How long is the apostille valid?
The apostille itself has no expiry date. The receiving bank or registry decides how recent the copy must be, and some ask for one made in the last three or six months. Check their checklist before ordering it early.
Official sources
Get your passport copy apostilled
WhatsApp a photo of your document and the country it is for. We confirm the route, time and total in writing before you send anything.
Office: C – 5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi – 110096 · Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM · office drop-off or courier, no home pickup
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Disclaimer: INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service, not a government office or embassy. Apostilles and attestations are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassies concerned; we do not issue, correct or verify certificates. Rules and fees can change, so check the requirements of the authority that will receive your document.
Last reviewed: October 2026