Apostille Services in India

Keep reading on to know what Apostille is and why it is necessary for you if you wish to travel abroad for studies, work or permanent settlement in a foreign country.

What is Apostille?

An Apostille is essentially a type of certification. While we could just call it "certification," the world has adopted the French word "Apostille,".

The process itself is straightforward: it’s about verifying documents to make them legal in countries that accept the Hague Apostille

You know, we could and should rather have used the word certification for what is involved in the process is nothing more or less than certification. We provide the best Apostille Documents in India.

Yet, somehow, the world was using the word Apostille, which is the French word for certification and the word stuck because it seems so high sounding. Apostille Documents in India impresses people and makes them think there is something special involved in the entire process.

What is the actual Apostille process in India?

On paper it seems simple: you simply put together documents and approach the relevant authorities like the university, the SDM, your state’s home department and the MEA but if you approach directly you will face issues if your documents are not in order and if you are not following the proper procedure.

The proper procedure is something like this:

In the case of educational documents

Educational documents must be Apostille Documents in India if you intend to study or work abroad or even migrate to PR. The steps involved are as follows:

• Put together all your educational documents such as degrees and certificates and mark sheets
• Get them verified by the college or university
• Get these documents notarized.
• For state-level authentication you will submit such notarized documents to the Human Resource Development Department of your State Government
• Once the department verifies and approves the documents the entire set is forwarded to the MEA for the apostille stamp.

In the case of non-educational/personal documents

The set of documents considered to be non-educational and personal include your birth certificate, marriage certificate and ID proof/residence proof. These documents must be duly apostilled.

• The proper authority to approach is the Home Department or the sub-divisional magistrate in your local jurisdiction.
• First put together all such documents
• Next, get them notarized by a local notary.
• The State Home Department should be approached next to carry out State-level verification.
• Once the State Home Department verifies and approves these documents, the set is forwarded to the MEA to get them apostilled. MEA will carry out the apostille process only if the State Home Department recommends and approves it.

In the case of commercial documents

Not everyone goes abroad to study or work. Some intend to travel to set up business in foreign countries. In such cases there is a need to get commercial Apostille Documents in India.

These commercial documents comprise of property papers, company registration certificates, partnership deeds, bank account statements, certificates of incorporation, M&A of Association and others as also any agreement entered with a foreign partner.

These need to be apostilled if a businessman wishes to start a venture in a foreign country, enter into a partnership or joint venture or elect a director for the import and export of goods. The following steps are involved in the apostille process:

• First you compile all the commercial documents.
• Next, you approach your local Chamber of Commerce and get them to issue a verification certificate for the documents.
• The next step is to forward the verified documents to the MEA
• Once MEA approves and recommends then the final attestation is done by the Embassy of the country where the businessman intends to conduct business.

You must be very meticulous and particular about putting together all documents and ensuring there are no discrepancies. You must also go through each of the channels to ensure a satisfactory outcome.

Validity of the apostilled documents

The next question to consider is the validity period of the Apostille Documents in India. In general when the State Department or the SDM apostilles/verifies a set of documents, then the validity period is 6 months.

Different countries, however, specify different validity durations. In India, it is 6 months. In some countries, documents once apostilled are considered to have lifetime validity.

The look and appearance of the apostille sticker

So far we have been talking about the apostille sticker being affixed by the MEA. What does it actually look like? Take a look at the picture below.

• It must be noted that the MEA is the sole authority empowered to issue and affix the apostille sticker to the backside of the document.
• The sticker measures 9cmx9cm and it is computer generated.
• Each apostille sticker has a unique identification serial number which becomes the point of reference for checks by authorities in any country. Just inputting that number into their system will show up all relevant details and guarantee authenticity.
• The apostille sticker is registered in the computer system database with the date, number and time. The government seal is stamped on the sticker carrying the name of the issuing official with his signature.
• The apostille process is carried out by the Indian Ministry and authorities. Foreign embassies are not involved and should not be approached.

Why choose ND Universal for apostille services in India

• We are experts with years of experience and expertise in apostille services
• We guarantee fast and positive outcomes within the defined time limit
• You are saved a lot of bother and do not have to run around and worry
• We provide the right guidance based on your specific case so that there are no issues at all at any stage
• Our prices are reasonable and balanced
• We give you easy payment methods through different channels, all secure and safe
• We maintain confidentiality and assure you that your precious documents will never be lost or misplaced
• ND Universal is certified, recognized and authorized to carry out apostille business in India
• We offer 24x7 phone, WhatsApp and email support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What Is MEA Apostille?
  The Apostille sticker in India is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. It is mandatory to get your documents apostille attested from the regional notary and then HRD/SDM, the Home Department, or the chamber of commerce to obtain an Apostille stamp from the MEA.
  The apostille stamp will prove the authenticity and legitimacy of your documents to be used legally in a foreign country.
• What do attestation and apostille mean? How are they different?
  Attestation and Apostille are not very different. Attestation is a legalization process of authenticating the originality and genuineness of a document with the official stamp and signature of the issuing authority to use them as a legally verified document in foreign countries that is not under the Hague convention while document apostille is authenticated with the apostille stamp issued by MEA for the countries under the Hague Convention.
• Do I have to submit my original documents to get Apostille services in India?
  Yes, one needs to submit their original documents to get an apostille sticker as it is a legal process.
• How do you ensure the security of our original documents and private information?
  We understand how valuable your personal information and original documents are. That is why we follow a strict series of procedures with our highly professional staff to ensure the safety of your documents for apostille and privacy.
• What are my documents laminated?
  Our skilled and professional staff carefully takes the lamination off so that the document doesn't get damaged if the documents submitted are laminated. We still suggest you submit unlaminated documents only for document apostille, as the process of getting the document apostille involves various stamping and signing processes, and taking lamination off again and again may damage the document.
• Why does one need an apostille certificate in India?
  A Certificate apostille is required to prove the authenticity and legitimacy of your document in a foreign country under the Hague Convention. It is a mandatory process for obtaining an employment/work visa; a resident, family, or spouse visa; and a student or study visa.
• For which countries an apostille certificate is necessary?
  An apostille certificate is mandatory to get the visas for the countries that come under the Hague Convention. It is a treaty currently signed by 117 for apostille document verification.
• Do we need the apostille in India?
  Yes, an apostille is required in India as it also comes under the Hague convention. India signed the Hague Apostille Convention treaty in 2005.
• What is the Hague Convention?
  The Hague Apostille Convention is a treaty drafted by the Hague Convention including 117 countries currently. It was intended to create a simplified and universally recognized process to make legalization easier.
• Who issues the apostille sticker in India?
  The Document Apostille sticker in India is issued by the MEA or Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA is responsible for handling foreign or external affairs of the country.
• Is it safe to hand over my documents apostille to the courier person?
  ND Universal trusted courier facilities. So, when you hand over your documents to the courier person in India, they will provide you with a courier receipt that will serve as proof that you've submitted your documents to them. Our professional executive will keep in touch and coordinate with the courier person until they hand over the documents to our staff.
• What is my document apostille in any regional language? Does it need to get translated?
  If the document is in any language different from the language of the country it is being issued, it will need to be translated to the language of the country you are relocating to. Also, if your apostille document is in any regional language it is first needed to be translated into English and then the language of the country you are migrating to and both the copies of documents need to have apostille stamps on them.
• Can MEA directly apostille a document in India?
  No, the documents first need to get attested from the regional or a local notary, then from an HRD/SDM, the Home Department, or the chamber of commerce, depending on the type of document. After that, it will get an apostille sticker from the MEA.
• How much fee and time will it take to get my documents apostilled?
  The fee and time required to get your documents apostilled to depend on various factors such as the number of documents, the country you need them for, extra services the customers avail to, and the nature of the case.
• Do you provide pick and drop facilities for apostille documents in India?
  Yes, we provide pick-up and drop-off facilities for documents to save our customer's time all over India.
• How can I track my documents once I submit them?
  You can track the status of your documents by using the tracking system on our website or by calling our customer helpline to know the updated status of your documents.
• How much time does it usually take to get a document apostilled?
  It usually takes 5-8 working days to get one's documents apostilled.
• How many types of document apostille are available in India?
  Currently, there is only one apostille that is under the Hague convention of 1961.