Apostille for One and the Same Person Affidavit | Same Name Affidavit
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
A one and the same person affidavit also known as same name affidavit is a legal document to prove that different variations of a person’s name refers to the same individual. This affidavit is usually required when there are discrepancies in the name across different official records. In order to use this affidavit abroad as a valid legal document, you need to get an apostille on it.
In this article, we will explore in detail the process, time and cost of obtaining an apostille for One and the Same Person affidavit or Same Name Affidavit.
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 One and Same Person Affidavit Apostille?
One and Same person Affidavit is a notarized self declaration to prove the identity of an individual when there are discrepancies in the name across different documents. The discrepancies can occur in the following situations:
- Spelling errors in any of the personal or educational documents
- Name change after marriage
- Use of initials in some documents and full name in other documents
- Different names across passports, birth certificates and educational certificates.
The self declaration affidavit for the one and the same person with a notary attestation is valid for use inside India. However, if you want to submit your same name affidavit in Hague apostille countries, you need to get an apostille from MEA India. Without an apostille MEA India your affidavit is not valid in a Hague country.
Similarly, to submit your One and Same Person Affidavit as a legal document in a non Hague country, you need to get an embassy attestation. This is required for countries such as UAE, Qatar, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Why Do You Need an Apostille for One and the Same Person Affidavit?
If you need to submit the same name affidavit in a foreign country which is a member of the Hague Apostille convention, then you need to get an apostille. Those countries will not accept the affidavit as a valid document without an apostille. You need to get an apostille for one and the same person affidavit for the following purposes:
- Visa applications
- Immigration processes such as PR, TRP, and citizenship change.
- Employment abroad
- Study abroad
- Business transactions with a foreign country
- Legal matters abroad
- Property transactions in another country
Apostille for One and the Same Person Affidavit Process in India
In India, the ministry of external affairs located in India is the only authority eligible to provide apostille in India. However, with the help of an apostille service provider you can get your same name affidavit apostille delivered anywhere in the world.
Before submitting your affidavit to the ministry of external affairs, it should go through a verification and authentication process. In India, there are two main methods for authentication of documents before submitting for apostille. They are:
SDM authentication is a cheaper and faster process compared to state authentication. Moreover, for affidavits usually the SDM method is followed for authentication. However, if you are travelling to countries such as Italy where state attestation is mandatory, you need to get state department attestation.
The only difference in both authentication methods is in the authority conducting major verification. Let us learn what happens in each step of verification in detail:
1.Notarization
This step is common for both methods of authentication. Even though your affidavit is notarized as part of verification for the apostille we will do the notary once more. In this step, a public notary will verify and attest your same name affidavit.
2.SDM/State Attestation
After notarization your same name affidavit will be submitted to the SDM or state department depending on the authentication method you choose.
SDM attestation: SDM means sub divisional magistrate. If you want to follow the SDM method,we will submit your affidavit to the SDM. SDM will attest your affidavit after verifying the details.
State Attestation: Since your same name affidavit is a personal document, the department of the state involved is the home department. The state verification occurs at the state where your affidavit was issued. The home department may verify details with the help of local authorities such as the police department. Then, the department will attest your affidavit.
3.MEA Apostille
Attested documents are generally valid for a period of six months. However, some countries may accept attested certificates that are older than six months or even a year. The validity of documents can be determined by the agency analyzing the specific documents.
Documents Required for Apostille of One and the Same Person Affidavit
To get an apostille for same name affidavit, you need to submit following documents to the apostille service provider:
- Original one and the same person affidavit (Notarized)
- Passport first and last page copy (Supportive document)
- Supporting documents showing the name variations
Apostille Processing Time
The time required to get an apostille for One and the Same Person Affidavit may vary depending on various factors. Given below are the time taken for various process:
- Basic process- 14 to 15 working days
- Standard- 7 to 8 working days
- Premium – 3 to 4 working days
However, if you want to get state attestation it may take more time.
An apostille for One and the Same Person Affidavit is required when you need to submit your documents for use in a Hague apostille country. Obtaining notary, SDM and MEA attestation will make your document legalization and acceptance easier abroad.
To get your affidavit legalization easier and faster, consider approaching a trusted apostille service provider.
Register for Online MEA Apostille
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Frequently asked questions
One and the same Person Affidavit also known as same name affidavit is a legal document declaring that the different variations of the same name refers to the same individual.
You need to get an apostille for one and the same person certificate if you want to submit your documents in a Hague apostille country and there are discrepancies in the name across different personal and educational documents.
The cost may vary depending on the state of issuance and how fast you need the affidavit apostille.
No. If you are travelling to a non Hague country, you need to get an embassy attestation for your one and the same person affidavit instead of an apostille. Following are the steps to get an embassy attestation for your One and the same person affidavit:
- Notarization
- SDM/State Attestation
- MEA Attestation
- Embassy Attestation