Marriage Certificate Attestation in India – Spouse Visa Guide by Country (2026)
Joining your husband or wife abroad, adding a spouse to a work visa or registering a child overseas? Most countries outside the Apostille Convention ask for marriage certificate attestation: the registered Indian certificate is verified in India, attested by the MEA and legalised by the destination embassy. Hague countries take the MEA apostille instead. INFINITYGRO handles both from New Delhi.
Marriage certificate attestation: the short answer
Marriage certificate attestation means: (1) India-side verification – a notary and the SDM in Delhi, or the State Home Department; (2) MEA attestation; (3) embassy legalisation by the country where the spouse will live. The certificate must be issued by an Indian marriage registrar or SDM. Our MEA stage costs ₹1,000–₹1,500 per certificate; embassy fees are country-specific.
Is your marriage certificate ready for attestation?
Embassies check that the marriage is registered with the government. Compare your certificate with these two cases.
Ready
Registered certificate from the marriage registrar, SDM or sub-registrar under the Hindu Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act or a state compulsory-registration law, with both names matching the passports.
Register first
Temple, Arya Samaj, church or nikahnama certificates on their own. Register the marriage with the registrar first, then attest the registered certificate.
Marriage certificate attestation – step by step
Check the certificate
WhatsApp photos of the certificate and both passports. We confirm it is a registered certificate and send a written quote.
Send the original
Courier it to our New Ashok Nagar office or hand it in. No home pickup.
Notary and SDM, or Home Department
We authenticate it in Delhi or route it through the State Home Department when the embassy asks.
MEA attestation
The Ministry of External Affairs attests the certificate.
Embassy
The destination embassy legalises it – or the MEA apostille is used for Hague countries.
Return
Scans by email and the original back by tracked courier.
Marriage certificate attestation by country
| Country | Final step | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | UAE Embassy, then UAE MOFA | Marriage attestation for UAE |
| Qatar | Qatar Embassy | Qatar attestation |
| Kuwait | Kuwait Embassy | Kuwait attestation |
| China | Chinese Embassy legalisation | China legalisation |
| Malaysia | Malaysian Embassy | Malaysia attestation |
| Thailand | Royal Thai Embassy | Thailand attestation |
| UK, USA, Europe, Australia and other Hague countries | MEA apostille | Apostille services |
Where to register a marriage in your state
If you need a registered certificate first, these are the usual offices:
- Punjab and Haryana – marriage registrar at the SDM or tehsil office; Haryana also accepts online applications.
- Gujarat – marriage registrar of the municipal corporation or gram panchayat under the Gujarat registration of marriages law.
- Karnataka – sub-registrar office, with online application through the state registration portal.
- West Bengal – marriage registrar under the Special Marriage Act or the Hindu marriage registrar.
- Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh – registrar at the local body or SDM office.
- Delhi – SDM office through the e-District portal.
Once you have the registered certificate, marriage certificate attestation for any country usually takes about a week on the Delhi route plus the embassy’s own time.
Names, spellings and translation – what embassies check
| Situation | What helps |
|---|---|
| Wife’s passport shows the maiden name | Usually fine – the marriage certificate itself links the two names. Some embassies ask for a name-change affidavit. |
| Spelling differs between certificate and passport | An affidavit of one-and-the-same person, notarised and attested along with the certificate. |
| Certificate only in Hindi or a regional language | A certified English translation attested together with the original, or an English certificate from the registrar. |
| Destination needs Arabic or Chinese | Translation is usually done after attestation; we can arrange certified translation. |
| Old certificate from many years ago | Accepted if it is a registrar certificate; a fresh certified copy avoids questions about faded text. |
Sorting these points first keeps the marriage certificate attestation to a single round.
Marriage certificate attestation – fees
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MEA stage (notary + SDM + MEA) | ₹1,000–₹1,500 | Per certificate |
| Embassy fee | Country-specific | e.g. UAE AED 150 + MOFA AED 150 |
| MEA apostille (Hague countries) | ₹1,000 / ₹1,500 | No embassy fee |
| Translation, if needed | Quoted | Arabic, Chinese and other languages |
We confirm the embassy fee in rupees before you send the certificate. Couples moving with children often attest the marriage and birth certificates together in one courier.
What to send for marriage certificate attestation
Send us
- Original registered marriage certificate
- Passport copies of both spouses
- Wedding photo if the certificate has one
- Name-change proof for the wife, if any
- Embassy or sponsor checklist
Common problems
- Religious certificate not registered
- Names different from the passports
- Handwritten or damaged certificate
- Hindi-only certificate without translation
- Laminated certificate
Who needs marriage certificate attestation
Spouses of Gulf workers
Family visas in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait need the attested certificate.
Spouses moving to China, Malaysia or Thailand
Dependant and residence permits ask for embassy-legalised marriage proof.
Couples in Hague countries
The UK, USA, Canada and Europe accept the MEA apostille instead.
Parents registering a child abroad
Birth registration abroad often needs the parents’ attested marriage certificate.
Marriage certificate attestation – sample
This is a real UAE e-attestation issued for an Indian marriage certificate in October 2026, with the attestation number hidden. The UAE Embassy in New Delhi and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirm the MEA stamp and signature; the embassy fee and the MOFA fee are AED 150 each, and anyone can check the document at verify.mofa.gov.ae.
Marriage certificate attestation – FAQs
What is marriage certificate attestation?
It is the authentication of an Indian registered marriage certificate for use abroad: India-side verification, MEA attestation and embassy legalisation.
Can an Arya Samaj certificate be attested?
Not by itself. Register the marriage with the registrar or SDM, then attest the registered certificate.
How much does it cost?
Our MEA stage is ₹1,000–₹1,500 per certificate; the embassy fee depends on the country.
Attestation or apostille – which do I need?
Apostille for Hague countries; embassy attestation for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China, Malaysia, Thailand and other non-Hague countries.
Do both spouses need to come to Delhi?
No – the original certificate and passport copies can be couriered.
How long does marriage certificate attestation take?
About a week on the notary route, plus the embassy’s own processing time.
Related guides
Start your marriage certificate attestation
Office: C-5 A/2, New Ashok Nagar, Delhi 110096 · Walk in or courier your documents · Returned by Blue Dart or another tracked courier · No home pickup
INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service, not a government office or embassy. Attestation and legalisation are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassies concerned. Official fees can change; we confirm the current amount in your written quote. Last updated: 27 October 2026.