Degree Certificate Apostille in Kochi | Apostille Degree
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
Degree certificate apostille in Kochi is one of the most common document legalization requirements for individuals planning to travel abroad. Submitting an apostilled degree certificate is mandatory, especially for overseas employment, higher education, and professional licensing. However, a degree certificate issued in India is not legally valid in Hague Convention countries unless it carries an apostille stamp.
Whether you have completed your studies from a Kerala university, Mahatma Gandhi University, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), or any other UGC-recognized university in Kochi or Kerala, your degree certificate must be apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India to be accepted in Hague member countries such as Germany, Italy, and many others.
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about how to obtain an apostille for your degree certificate in Kochi, including the procedure, requirements, and timelines.
4 Simple steps to get MEA Apostille on your Documents
- Register on Apostille Portal
- Collect all Documents you want to Apostille
- Submit the Original / Photocopies of documents
- Receive Documents with Apostille Directly to your home
What is a Degree Certificate Apostille?
An apostille is a certification on your document to legalize that document in a foreign country that is a member of Hague Apostille Convention. After the convention member countries only require an apostille from the designated authorities to legalize them in another member country. However, for non member countries an attestation from the embassy is required for legalization.
Apostille process verifying the authenticity of the signature and seal on the document. India joined Hague convention in 2005. Thus, when an Indian travels to a Hague country for study or higher education, his educational certificate should be submitted with an apostille.
An apostille stamp is pasted on the backside of your degree certificate after verification and attestation at multiple levels. Thus, it is guaranteed for your destination country that your degree is valid and not fabricated.
Why is Apostille Needed for Degree Certificates in Kochi?
A degree certificate apostille in Kochi is commonly required for the following purposes:
• Pursuing higher education at an overseas university
• Applying for employment in a Hague Convention country
• Obtaining professional licensing or skill assessment abroad
• Applying for migration or long-term residency visas
If you are from Kochi, Thrissur, Kottayam, Kollam, or Pathanamthitta and planning to study or work abroad, your Indian degree certificate must be apostilled to ensure it is legally recognized in the destination country.
Common Universities Requiring Degree Certificate Apostille in Kochi
Anyone who holds a degree from a recognized university in India needs to get it apostilled for use in a Hague Apostille Country. Following are the institutions in Kochi and Kerala that provides degree certificates that can be apostilled:
- University of Kerala
- Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU)
- Calicut University (University of Calicut)
- Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)
- Kannur University
- Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit
- Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS)
- Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) – Thrissur
- Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU)
- Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS)
- APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU)
- Digital University Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Palakkad
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode
- Central University of Kerala (CUK) Kasaragod
- National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut
Whichever university you study in Kerala, the apostille process remains the same across India.
Degree Certificate Apostille in Kochi: Process
Apostille in India is provided by the ministry of external affairs located in India. However, before submitting it to the ministry, the document will go through different levels of attestation and verification. In India, generally there are two methods of authentication for an apostille. They are:
An apostille received through both methods are equally valid in any Hague country. However, some countries may ask you specifically to get a State HRD attestation for your degree certificate. Unless specified, it is always better to follow the SDM authentication method since it is cheaper and faster.
Given below are the steps Secure Apostille Services follow in order to obtain a degree certificate apostille in Kochi:
- Notarization: This step is common for both methods. In this step a public notary will verify your degree certificate and attest it with a sign and seal.
- SDM/State Attestation: In this step based on the method you have chosen SAS will submit your degree certificate either to the SDM or West Bengal HRD ministry.
If following the SDM method, your degree certificate will be submitted to the sub divisional magistrate. After a brief verification, SDM will sign the degree certificate.
If following the state attestation method, the HRD ministry will verify the sign and seal on the document with the university that issued the document. After verifying the sign and seal, West Bengal HRD ministry will attest the degree certificate.
3. MEA Attestation: In this final stage, your degree certificate attested from SDM/ State Attestation will be submitted at the ministry of external affairs. The Ministry will conduct a final round of verification. Subsequently, the ministry pastes an apostille stamp on the backside of your degree certificate.
Documents Required to Apply for Degree Certificate Apostille in Kochi
To get your degree apostille in Kochi you need to submit following documents to Secure Apostille Services:
- Original Degree Certificate
- Marksheets, if required
- Passport scanned copy front and back page(supportive document)
- Submission form (Online)
Degree Certificate Attestation in Kochi
If you are going to submit your degree certificate in a non Hague country, you need to get embassy attestation instead of an apostille. Following are some of the countries where you may need to get an embassy attestation:
- Qatar
- UAE
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
Embassy Attestation happens at the embassy of the respective country located in India. However, some countries may require you to get Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Attestation in addition to embassy attestation. For this purpose, you need to send your degree certificate to the respective country.
Embassy Attestation for Degree Certificate in Kochi: Steps
Following are the steps SAS apostille follows in order to get an embassy attestation for your degree certificate in Kochi:
- Notarization
- SDM/State Attestation
- MEA Attestation
- Embassy Attestation
Getting a degree certificate apostille in Kochi does not have to be confusing and time consuming. With the help of professional guidance and right guidance, you can get your degree certificate apostille in Kochi fast and secure. Whichever is the university, Secure Apostille Services will guide you to get your degree certificate apostille while you focus on your goals.
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Frequently asked questions
No. HRD attestation is not mandatory to get an apostille for a degree certificate. Alternatively, you can obtain attestation from Sub Divisional Magistrate for degree certificate apostille.
If you have applied for a job abroad based on your diploma qualifications, you may need to submit your diploma certificate with an apostille. This is usually required for diplomas such as nursing and polytechnic diplomas
No. Degree certificate attestation is required if you are going to submit your degree certificate in a non Hague country. However, if you are submitting your degree certificate in a Hague country, you need to get an apostille.
Yes. Secure Apostille Services Kochi will get degree certificate apostille from Kochi. SAS will do the entire verification and attestation.