How Many Embassies Are There in India, and Which Ones Legalise Documents?
People ask how many embassies in India there are when they are trying to work out which one has to stamp their document. The count matters less than you might think. Most foreign missions in India never touch an Indian certificate, because their countries accept the MEA apostille. This guide explains where the embassies are and which ones you actually need.
How many embassies in India: quick answer
How many embassies in India there are changes over time as missions open, close or move, and the official list is kept by the Ministry of External Affairs. We have not quoted a figure here because we could not confirm a current one on the MEA’s website. What is certain is that almost all foreign embassies and high commissions are in New Delhi, while many countries also run consulates in cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
For documents, the more useful question is whether your destination country needs its embassy at all. Hague Convention countries accept the MEA apostille without any embassy stamp. Countries outside it, such as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, need MEA attestation and then legalisation at their embassy in New Delhi.
How many embassies in India, and what kind of mission each is
Embassy
The main diplomatic mission of a country in India, headed by an ambassador and based in New Delhi.
High commission
The same role for a Commonwealth country, such as the UK, Canada or Australia, headed by a high commissioner.
Consulate
An office in another city that mainly handles visas and services for its own citizens. Some countries also appoint honorary consuls with limited duties.
When a document needs legalisation, it is the embassy or high commission in New Delhi that we deal with. Most of them are in and around Chanakyapuri, the capital’s diplomatic area.
Foreign embassies in New Delhi that legalise Indian documents
Ask how many embassies in India legalise documents and the answer is a much shorter list. Of all the foreign embassies in New Delhi, only those whose countries are outside the Apostille Convention, or where it does not apply with India, legalise Indian documents. For everyone else the MEA apostille is the final step.
Embassy legalisation needed
The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Ethiopia and Malaysia; China, because India objected to its accession; and Oman and Vietnam for commercial papers.
MEA apostille is enough
The UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria, among many others, and Oman and Vietnam for personal papers.
How embassy attestation in India works
An embassy legalises a signature it can trust, and for Indian documents that is the MEA’s. So embassy attestation in India always comes after MEA attestation, never instead of it.
- 1AuthenticationNotary and SDM in Delhi for personal and educational papers; Chamber of Commerce for commercial ones.
- 2MEA attestationThe MEA attests the document for the non-Hague country.
- 3Embassy legalisationWe submit it to that country’s embassy in New Delhi; the embassy fee is extra.
- 4Country-specific stepsFor the UAE, MOFA attestation follows online, which we also handle.
Our MEA attestation services page explains this route for every document type, and the legalisation page covers the embassy stage.
Do you need to visit a consulate in your city?
Usually not for documents. Whatever the answer to how many embassies in India there are, consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata or Bengaluru mainly serve visa applicants and their own nationals. Legalisation of Indian documents that INFINITYGRO handles is done at the embassy in New Delhi, after the MEA stage.
- Delhi clients drop off and collect at our New Ashok Nagar office
- Clients elsewhere courier the documents to us; we do not collect
- Finished documents go back by Blue Dart or another secure courier
- Visa appointments and interviews are outside what we do
What an embassy country costs compared with an apostille country
| Hague country, personal or educational paper | Rs 1,000–1,500 all-inclusive, MEA apostille, usually 2–3 working days |
|---|---|
| Non-Hague country, personal or educational paper | Rs 1,000–1,500 for the MEA stage, plus the embassy fee |
| Commercial papers, any country | Quoted in writing after we see them |
For apostille countries we also offer the online apostille (e-Sanad / QR apostille service), usually ready in 2–3 working days; send the document and a copy of your passport, because the passport number is entered online.
Embassy attestation in India: fees and time
| MEA attestation stage, personal or educational document | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, all-inclusive: notary, SDM attestation, the MEA fee and our service |
|---|---|
| Embassy legalisation fee | Extra; set by the embassy and confirmed in your written quote |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
| Translation | Quoted by language and page |
For Hague countries no embassy fee applies; the MEA apostille costs Rs 1,000–1,500 all-inclusive. Each country’s embassy fee is on its own fee page and confirmed in your written quote.
FAQs: How Many Embassies Are There in India, and Which Ones Legalise Documents?
How many embassies in India are there?
The number changes as countries open or close missions, and the official list is maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs. We could not confirm a current figure on the MEA website, so we do not quote one. Almost all embassies and high commissions are in New Delhi.
Why do some countries have a high commission instead of an embassy?
Commonwealth countries call their missions in each other’s capitals high commissions, headed by a high commissioner. The UK, Canada and Australia, for example, have high commissions in New Delhi. The difference is in the title, not in the services.
Which embassy will stamp my degree for Dubai?
The UAE Embassy in New Delhi, after MEA attestation. The degree goes through notary, SDM and MEA attestation, then UAE Embassy legalisation, and then UAE MOFA attestation online. We handle the full route; the embassy fee is extra.
Does the UK High Commission attest Indian documents?
Not for use in the UK in the usual case. The UK is a Hague Convention party, so an Indian document for the UK needs the MEA apostille. No stamp from the High Commission in New Delhi is added.
Does knowing how many embassies in India there are help with my document?
Only a little. What matters is your destination country. An embassy will normally only legalise a document that already carries MEA attestation, and apostille countries need no embassy at all. Send us the country and we handle the MEA and any embassy stage together.
Is there an embassy fee for apostille countries?
No. For a Hague Convention country where the convention applies with India, the MEA apostille is the last step and no embassy is involved. Through INFINITYGRO the total is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per personal or educational document.
Do consulates in Mumbai or Chennai legalise documents?
Some consulates offer services to their own nationals or visa applicants. For legalising Indian documents, INFINITYGRO submits to the embassy in New Delhi after the MEA stage. Clients anywhere in India can courier their documents to our office.
Where can I check whether a country needs its embassy?
Check the HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention and look for any objection involving India, or WhatsApp us the country and the document. We confirm the route, time and total in writing before you send anything.
Official sources
Find out which embassy your document needs
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