How to Get Birth Certificate Apostille in India
A university, employer, school or immigration office abroad has asked for your birth certificate with an apostille, or your child’s. Getting it done is mostly about four decisions: whether the certificate you hold is the right one, whether your country takes an apostille, which version of the apostille you want, and how the original reaches Delhi. This guide walks through each.
Quick answer
How to get birth certificate apostille in short: hold a birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths with the person’s name on it, confirm the destination is a Hague Convention country, and send the original with a passport copy. It is then attested by a notary and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Delhi and apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which lists birth certificates among the documents it apostilles.
Through INFINITYGRO this costs Rs 1,000–1,500 per certificate, all-inclusive, and usually takes 2–3 working days in Delhi. Courier is extra, both ways. The online QR apostille is also available if the receiving office accepts it.
Is the certificate you hold the right one?
The first part of how to get birth certificate apostille is making sure the paper itself will pass the notary, the SDM and the foreign office.
Goes through normally
- Certificate issued by the municipal or panchayat Registrar of Births and Deaths
- Printed with the person’s name, date and place of birth
- Signed and sealed, or with a verifiable registrar reference
- Not laminated, torn or written over
Ask us first
- A hospital discharge or birth slip
- A certificate without the child’s name
- A school certificate used as birth proof
- A very old handwritten extract
Does your country take an apostille?
Most countries people move to from India do: the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Oman, among many others. A few common destinations do not, or not for Indian documents.
| UAE | MEA attestation, UAE Embassy, UAE MOFA online; usually 5–7 working days |
|---|---|
| Qatar, Kuwait | MEA attestation and embassy legalisation |
| China | MEA attestation and Chinese embassy, because India objected to China’s accession |
| Germany | Does not accept the Indian apostille; the German authority decides what it needs |
| Vietnam | Apostille for personal documents since 11 September 2026 |
Check the HCCH status table or ask us if your country is not listed.
Physical apostille or online QR apostille
The standard MEA apostille is a sticker on the certificate itself. We also offer the online apostille (e-Sanad / QR apostille service). Done through INFINITYGRO it is usually ready in 2–3 working days; send the document and a copy of your passport, because the passport number is entered online.
For a child, send the child’s passport copy. If the receiving office says nothing about the format, ask it before you choose.
Birth certificate apostille steps once you have decided
With those decisions made, how to get birth certificate apostille through us comes down to five short stages.
- 1WhatsApp a photoWith the country name. We confirm the route and cost in writing.
- 2Send the originalBy courier with a passport copy, or drop it at our New Ashok Nagar office. No home pickup.
- 3Notary and SDMAuthentication in Delhi, for certificates from any state.
- 4MEA apostilleLodged through the MEA’s outsourced centre.
- 5ReturnedBy Blue Dart or another secure courier, or collected from our office.
Birth certificate apostille: cost 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 |
For the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait or China the MEA attestation stage costs the same and the embassy fee is extra, confirmed in your written quote.
How to Get Birth Certificate 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: How to Get Birth Certificate Apostille in India
How to get birth certificate apostille without visiting Delhi?
Courier the original certificate with a passport copy to our New Ashok Nagar office. We arrange the notary, SDM and MEA stages and send it back by Blue Dart or another secure courier. Nobody needs to visit the MEA or any other office.
Who can send a child’s birth certificate?
Either parent, or a relative acting for the family. Send the child’s passport copy with it; if the child has no passport yet, tell us and we will advise what to send. The child never needs to be present.
My birth certificate has no name on it. Can it be apostilled?
It can be stamped, but foreign offices usually reject a certificate that does not name the person. Adding the name is done by the registrar who issued it. Once you have the named certificate, send it to us for the apostille.
Is the apostille accepted in Germany?
Yes, in our experience. Our clients use the MEA apostille for Germany and German offices have not asked for German Embassy legalisation. A German translation may be needed, which we can prepare.
How long does it take?
Usually 2–3 working days in Delhi once the original reaches us, plus courier time. The online QR apostille through INFINITYGRO is also usually ready in 2–3 working days when you send the document and a passport copy.
Does the birth certificate need state Home Department attestation first?
Not on our route. In Delhi the notary and SDM authenticate it before the MEA, for certificates from any state. Some people use their own state’s Home or General Administration Department instead; that route varies by state.
Do I need a translation as well?
Only if the receiving office cannot read the certificate. Many Indian birth certificates already include English. If a translation is needed, INFINITYGRO translates into any language, and it can be apostilled too where the country wants that.
How old can the birth certificate be?
The apostille itself does not expire. Some receiving offices ask for a recently issued certificate, while others accept any date. Read the instructions you were given; if they ask for a recent copy, get it from the registrar before sending.
Official sources
Send a photo of the birth certificate to start
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