Apostille FAQ: MEA Apostille and Attestation Questions Answered

An apostille is a certificate the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attaches to an Indian public document so that it is accepted in countries that belong to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. In India it is a printed sticker fixed on the back of the document, and it replaces the old chain of embassy stamps for those countries. See the MEA apostille page for the official description.

MEA attestation is the Ministry of External Affairs confirming that the signature and seal of the Indian authority on your document are genuine. It is used for countries outside the Hague Convention, and it is never the last step: after the MEA stamp, the embassy of the destination country legalises the document.

The country decides. A Hague Convention country accepts the MEA apostille on its own, so one stamp is enough. A non-Hague country, such as the UAE, Qatar or Kuwait, needs MEA attestation followed by its own embassy's stamp, and sometimes a further stamp after arrival. The checks before the MEA stage are the same for both.

Only the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. No state government, university, notary or private agency can issue an apostille. Agencies like ours prepare the document, take it through the verification steps that come before the MEA, and collect it back once the MEA has fixed the apostille.

No. Notarisation is usually the first step, where a notary certifies a document or a copy. The apostille comes later, from the MEA, after the notary's signature has been verified by the competent authority. A notarised document on its own is not accepted abroad where an apostille is required.

It follows the standard model set by the Hague Convention: the country of issue, the name and capacity of the person who signed the document, the seal it bears, the place and date of the apostille, the issuing authority, a unique number, and the MEA's seal and signature. The receiving authority uses these details to confirm it.

The apostille itself has no expiry date. But many receiving authorities only accept documents issued recently, especially police clearance certificates, single status certificates and bank statements. Check how old the underlying document may be before you apostille it, so you do not have to repeat the process.

Yes. An MEA apostille is accepted in every Hague Convention country that recognises India's apostilles, so the same document can be used in several of them. Some authorities also ask for a sworn or certified translation, which is a separate step and differs from country to country.

About 130 countries are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, including the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain. The list changes, so we check the HCCH status table for your destination before we start.

No. The UAE is not a Hague Convention member, so documents for the UAE need MEA attestation and then UAE embassy attestation in New Delhi. After that, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamps the document inside the UAE; your employer or a typing centre there usually handles that last step. See our degree attestation fees page for the route.

No. Qatar and Kuwait are outside the Hague Convention. For both, the document is attested by the MEA and then legalised by that country's embassy in New Delhi. Embassy rules, fees and timelines differ, so we quote them separately in writing.

Yes. Saudi Arabia joined the Apostille Convention in 2022, so Saudi employers and authorities can accept the MEA apostille instead of the old MEA plus Saudi embassy route. If your Saudi employer still asks for embassy attestation, share their written instruction and we follow it.

China joined the Convention in 2023, but India formally objected to its accession. Because of that objection, the apostille does not operate between India and China, and Indian documents for China still go through MEA attestation and Chinese embassy legalisation.

Open the HCCH status table published by the Hague Conference on Private International Law and look for the country. Also check whether India appears in any objections for that country. Or simply tell us the country on WhatsApp and we confirm the correct route before you send anything.

For most documents our route is: the document is notarised in New Delhi, the notary's signature is verified by the SDM office (for personal and educational documents) or by a Chamber of Commerce (for commercial documents), and then the MEA fixes the apostille. A police clearance certificate from Passport Seva goes straight to the MEA.

The first steps are the same as for the apostille: notary and SDM, or notary and Chamber of Commerce. Then the MEA puts its attestation stamp instead of an apostille, the destination country's embassy in New Delhi legalises it, and some countries add a final stamp from their foreign ministry after arrival.

It depends on the document, the verification step it needs and the MEA's workload at the time. We do not promise a fixed number of days on this page; your written quote gives the expected completion date for your document, and we send a WhatsApp update after every stage.

No. Applicants do not go to the MEA in person for this route. You courier the original to our New Delhi office or drop it off, we take it through every stage, and it is couriered back to the address you give.

Not on our route. The MEA accepts educational documents verified through our New Delhi notary and SDM route, whichever State issued them. Some documents can also be verified through e-Sanad or the State education department; we do not offer State HRD or university verification. If an employer specifically asks for it, tell us before you send.

Yes. You get the courier tracking number for both directions, and we update you on WhatsApp when the document clears each stage: notary, SDM or chamber, MEA, and embassy where needed.

Degrees, diplomas, provisional certificates, marksheets, transcripts, 10th and 12th certificates, migration and transfer certificates, course completion certificates and professional qualifications such as CA, AMIE and NTC. Each has its own guide; start with degree apostille fees or marksheet apostille.

Usually yes. Universities and employers abroad often ask for the degree with all semester or year marksheets, or a transcript. Doing them in one file keeps names and roll numbers consistent and saves a second courier.

Yes, if the receiving authority accepts it. A provisional certificate follows the same notary, SDM and MEA route. Many employers later ask for the final degree as well, so check before you choose.

Yes. State technical board and polytechnic diplomas follow the same route; see diploma apostille fees for charges, and the state-wise diploma pages for board details.

The apostille does not correct names; it only certifies the document as issued. If the spelling differs, the receiving authority may ask for an affidavit or a one-and-the-same certificate. Tell us before you send, and we suggest what to apostille along with the certificate.

Birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, police clearance certificates, single status and unmarried affidavits, divorce deeds, medical and experience certificates, bank statements, salary certificates, and notarised copies of passport, Aadhaar, PAN and driving licence. See marriage certificate apostille and birth certificate apostille.

A PCC issued through Passport Seva goes directly to the MEA for apostille, without the notary and SDM steps. A PCC issued by a State or district police office follows a different route, which we confirm when you share it. Read the police clearance certificate apostille guide for details.

Yes, as a notarised copy. The notary certifies the copy against the original, and the notary's signature is then verified and apostilled. See passport copy apostille and Aadhaar card copy apostille.

Yes. Affidavits such as a single status certificate, NOC affidavit or general affidavit are prepared on stamp paper, notarised, verified by the SDM and then apostilled by the MEA.

No. We start from a certificate you already hold. We do not register marriages, issue birth or death certificates, or correct entries in them; those are done by the issuing office. Once you have the certificate, we handle the apostille or attestation.

Commercial documents are notarised where needed and then authenticated by a recognised Chamber of Commerce before the MEA stage. After that the MEA fixes the apostille, or attests the document for embassy legalisation. Read the commercial document apostille overview.

Most often the commercial invoice and certificate of origin, followed by the packing list and bill of lading. Your buyer's or bank's written list decides; see import and export documents.

Yes. The MOA, AOA, board resolution, certificate of incorporation and director list are routinely apostilled for opening branches, bank accounts or subsidiaries abroad.

A power of attorney is treated as a personal document by the MEA: it is signed and notarised, verified by the SDM, and then apostilled or attested. A POA signed on behalf of a company should be backed by a board resolution.

Yes. We arrange certified translations into Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Italian and other languages, and legalise them where required. See translated certificate apostille.

The Ministry of External Affairs charges a government fee of ₹50 per document for an apostille. This is the MEA's own fee; verification, notary and service charges are separate.

For educational and personal documents our service charge is ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 per document, depending on the document; the MEA's ₹50 government fee applies on top, and courier is extra. See degree apostille fees and birth certificate apostille fees.

Embassy fees are set by each embassy and differ by country and by document type, and commercial documents usually cost more than personal ones. We quote the embassy fee, the Chamber of Commerce fee where it applies, and our service charge in writing before you send the document.

No. You get a written quote listing the government fee, any chamber or embassy fee, our service charge and courier before anything is sent. If a fee changes because of a government or embassy revision, we tell you before proceeding.

No. We do not offer a pickup service. Courier the original document to our New Delhi office through a reputed, tracked courier, or drop it at the office in person. We return it by courier once every stamp is done.

The original document, a self-attested copy of your passport (or another photo ID), and a note with your name, phone number, destination country and return address. For company documents, add an authorisation letter and the signatory's ID.

Yes, if you use a reputed courier with tracking and pack the document flat between stiff card in a waterproof cover. Do not fold or laminate it, and keep photocopies and scans with you.

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Yes. A family member, friend or company staff member can courier or drop off the document. Include your passport copy and a short authorisation note, so we know who to update and where to return it.

No. INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service. Apostilles are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs, and embassy legalisation is done by the embassies. We prepare the document, handle the verification steps and coordinate each stage for you.