Agency Agreement Apostille from the MEA: Common Questions Answered: real sample
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Agency Agreement Apostille from the MEA: Common Questions Answered
Indian exporters appointing an overseas agent, and Indian companies appointed as agents for a foreign principal, end up with the same task: getting the signed agreement accepted abroad. This guide answers the questions we are asked most, in the order they usually come up, from signing the agreement to the stamp the MEA puts on it.
Agency agreement apostille from MEA: quick answer
Agency agreement apostille from MEA is the apostille the Ministry of External Affairs places on an agency or distribution agreement signed in India, after the agreement has been notarised and a Chamber of Commerce has attested the Indian company’s signatory. The MEA’s attestation notice requires commercial documents to be authenticated by a Chamber of Commerce first, which is why that stage cannot be skipped.
The apostille alone is enough only in Hague Convention countries. For the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and China, and for Oman and Vietnam where commercial papers are concerned, the MEA attests instead and the embassy in New Delhi legalises the agreement. INFINITYGRO handles every stage and quotes in writing after seeing the agreement.
Questions to settle before the agreement is signed
Does the foreign party actually need an apostille?
Ask in writing. Some principals only want a signed copy by email; registries and ministries that record commercial agents usually want the original legalised. The answer decides whether you need an agency agreement apostille from MEA at all.
Should the agreement be on stamp paper?
Agreements executed in India generally attract stamp duty under the law of the state where they are signed. Your lawyer or company secretary should settle the stamp duty before signing. We do not advise on stamp duty, but an unstamped agreement can cause questions at the notary stage.
Who should sign for the Indian company?
A director or other person authorised by a board resolution. The Chamber of Commerce checks this person’s authority, so keep the resolution or authority letter ready to send with the agreement.
What each office does to your agreement
What does the notary add?
The notary attests the execution of the agreement, so the next office has a recognised public signature to rely on.
What does the Chamber of Commerce check?
That the signatory belongs to the company and that the signature and seal match the company’s records. The Chamber’s stamp is what the MEA relies on for commercial documents.
What does the MEA do?
For a Hague country the MEA fixes an apostille sticker carrying a unique number. For other countries it adds an attestation stamp. In both cases, the MEA confirms signatures and seals, not the terms of the agreement.
- 1Photo checkWhatsApp the agreement’s first and signature pages and the country.
- 2Send the originalCourier it with an authorisation letter and the signatory’s ID copy, or drop it at our New Ashok Nagar office.
- 3Notary, Chamber, MEAWe take it through each stage in Delhi.
- 4Embassy, if neededLegalisation in New Delhi for non-Hague countries.
- 5ReturnBlue Dart or another secure courier.
Apostille or embassy: questions about the country
My agent is in the Gulf. Which route applies?
It differs within the Gulf. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain accept the apostille. The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait need MEA attestation and embassy legalisation. Oman is a Hague party, but since 2021 it treats commercial documents as outside the Convention, so agency agreements for Oman go to the embassy.
Where can I see the full country list?
Our agency agreement attestation service page sets out the route for each region. You can also check any country on the HCCH status table.
Once the agreement comes back
- Check the apostille or embassy stamp is on the agreement itself, not a loose sheet
- Keep a full colour scan before you post the original abroad
- Send it by a tracked international courier
- Ask the foreign party whether it also needs a translation; INFINITYGRO translates into any language
- Diary the renewal date; a renewed agreement is a new document and needs its own apostille
Agency agreement apostille from MEA: fees and time
| Commercial document | Chamber of Commerce + MEA (+ embassy where needed), quoted in writing after we see the document |
|---|---|
| Embassy legalisation fee | Extra where the country needs it; confirmed in your written quote |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
| Translation | Quoted by language and page |
Each agreement is quoted in writing after we see it. The quote gives the expected time and lists any embassy fee separately.
FAQs: Agency Agreement Apostille from the MEA: Common Questions Answered
Is agency agreement apostille from MEA possible without a Chamber of Commerce stamp?
No. The MEA’s attestation notice says commercial documents must be authenticated by a Chamber of Commerce first. An agency agreement is a commercial document, so the Chamber stage always comes before the MEA apostille or attestation.
The foreign principal signed abroad. Can the agreement still be apostilled in India?
The Indian MEA can only act on Indian signatures it can trace through the Chamber. If the foreign party signed in its own country, its signature may need legalising there. We handle the Indian side; send a photo and we will explain what we can do.
Can a sole agency or distribution agreement go through the same route?
Yes. The label on the agreement does not change the stages. Sole agency, exclusive distribution, commission agency and representation agreements all go through notary, Chamber of Commerce and MEA, with the embassy added for non-Hague countries.
Do you draft or review agency agreements?
No. INFINITYGRO does not draft, review or advise on the terms of an agreement. Your lawyer handles the content and the stamp duty. We handle only the notary, Chamber, MEA and embassy stages once the agreement has been signed by both parties.
Can an e-signed agreement be apostilled?
The stages work on paper signed in ink. If your agreement was signed electronically, the parties usually need to sign a paper counterpart. Send us a photo of what you have and we will tell you whether it can go through.
How many copies should we send?
Send every original you want legalised. If the agreement was signed in two or three counterparts and the foreign party wants one, legalise one. If both sides want a legalised original, send both, and each will be quoted as a separate document.
Does the apostille make the agreement legally binding abroad?
No. The apostille confirms that the signatures and seals on the agreement are genuine. Whether the agreement is valid or enforceable abroad depends on that country’s law, so take legal advice there if it matters.
How long does agency agreement apostille from MEA take?
It depends on the Chamber and MEA workload and on whether an embassy stage is needed. We state the expected time in the written quote, together with the price, after we have seen the agreement.
Official sources
Start your agency agreement apostille from MEA
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