Apostille Services for US Documents in Chennai | US Dept of State Apostille | Apostille Stamp USA
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
Note: An apostille on a US issued document can be obtained from US only. No authority in India or anywhere else outside US is eligible to issue an apostille for a US document. Apostille service provider such as Secure Apostille Services can handle the complete process on behalf of you in US.
Whether you are a US citizen living in Chennai or an Indian citizen in Chennai who has worked or studied in the US, legalizing your US issued documents with a US apostille stamp is necessary to accept them in India. Apostille services for US documents in Chennai can do this process for you while you are in Chennai. You do not have to personally visit the USA to get an apostille from the US department of State.
This article will give insights into everything you need to know about apostille services for US documents in Chennai.
4 Simple steps to get US Apostille on your Documents
- Register on Apostille Portal
- Collect all Documents you want to Apostille
- Submit the Original / Photocopies of documents
- Receive Documents with Attestation Directly to your home
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is a stamp/certificate on an original document to authenticate the use of those documents in another country. However, not all countries are going to accept documents with an apostille as a valid legal document. Apostille is an authentication method among the countries that are Hague apostille members. To accept a document as valid legal document in a non Hague country, you need to get embassy attestation.
India and the US are members of the Hague apostille convention. Thus, to submit US issued documents in Chennai for job, education or marriage purposes, obtaining an apostille from the US department of state or respective state secretary is the requirement.
Why Do You Need Apostille Services for US Documents in Chennai?
You may require an apostille service for US documents in Chennai mostly to submit your US issued documents to an Indian authority. Following are the situations when you need to get apostille america In Chennai:
- To apply for an OCI : Birth certificate if applying on the basis of parent’s Indian origin. If applying for OCI as a spouse of Indian nationals, a marriage certificate apostille is required.
- School or college admission in Chennai for a US citizen: A US birth certificate apostille is required for a US citizen to enrol in a school in Chennai.
- Marriage registration in India when one person is an Indian citizen and another person a US citizen requires the birth certificate and single status certificate apostille from the US.
- To apply for a dependent visa as a spouse, a US marriage certificate apostille is required.
- For a US citizen to get admission in a college or university in Chennai, various personal and educational documents with an US apostille are required.
- If you are an Indian citizen who got higher education from the USA and wants to pursue further studies or apply for a job in Chennai your educational document with an apostille from the US is required.
Types of Documents that Require a US Apostille Stamp
Personal Documents:
- Birth Certificates
- Marriage Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Divorce Decrees
- Affidavits
- FBI Background Checks
Educational Documents:
- Diplomas and Degrees
- Transcripts
- Letters of Enrollment or Graduation
Commercial Documents:
- Power of Attorney
- Articles of Incorporation
- Business Contracts
- Certificates of Origin
Federal vs. State Issued Documents: Different Apostille Authorities in the US
When it comes to getting an apostille for US issued documents, understanding the type of document is important. Unlike India where the union ministry has authority over all the matters of the country, the USA as a federal state has states with sovereignty. Thus, state issued documents such as birth, death and marriage certificates do not require an apostille from the federal government.
Each state in the US has its own apostille authority, which is the secretary of that state, and its own procedures. For example, if you have a birth certificate issued by the California state, you need to get a US birth certificate from the California state secretary.
On the other hand, to get an apostille for federal documents such as FBI background checks, court documents or documents issued by federal agencies, you need to get an apostille from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
List of Federal and State Documents
| US State issued documents | Federal Documents |
|---|---|
Birth Certificates | FBI Background Checks |
Marriage Certificates | Federal Court Documents |
Death Certificates | RS Tax Letters or Certifications |
Divorce Decrees (issued by state courts) | Naturalization Certificates |
Adoption Papers | Certificates issued by federal agencies |
Driving Licenses | Social Security Administration Letters |
State-Issued IDs | Immigration Records (from USCIS) |
Affidavits (notarized) | U.S. Patents and Trademark Registrations (USPTO) |
Power of Attorney (notarized) | FDA Certifications (for export/import) |
School/College Diplomas | Federal Contracts or Agreements |
Degree Certificates | Documents notarized by federal officials |
Transcripts | Certificates issued by federal agencies (e.g., FDA, EPA, DHS) |
Steps to Get an Apostille for State Issued Documents
With the help of Secure Apostille Services for US Documents in Chennai, you can get apostille for federal as well as state issued documents. You can get an apostille for either original or photocopies if it is a state issued document.
Apostille on Original Documents
Since some countries may reject apostille on photocopies, it is advisable to get an apostille on the original document. Below are the steps to get US State apostille on original documents:
- Submit original documents to the office of the secretary of the state
- The secretary verifies with the vital records office of the state.
- Verifies the certificate number, issuing registrar’s name and signature, and date of issuance.
- The secretary of the state affixes an apostille on the original document.
Apostille on Photocopy
Below are the steps to get apostille for photocopies of documents issued by the US states:
- Get notary attestation on the photocopy
- The notary completes a “Copy Certification by Document Custodian” form.
- Submit the document to the state secretary for apostill
How to get an Apostille for US Federal Issued Documents in Chennai?
Federal documents require an apostille from the US Department of State (USDOS) in Washington, D.C. It is mandatory to submit an original document to get an apostille from the federal government. After the verification from the office of the secretary of the state, an apostille stamp will be issued on your documents. Follow the instructions given below to get an apostille for US issued documents in Chennai:
- Register for US Apostille
- Submit the original documents to the secure apostille services for US documents in Chennai
- Get apostille from USDOS, Washington DC.
- Get the document apostille delivered at your door step.
Apostille Services for US Documents in Chennai: Processing Time
To get an apostille from the US for your federal or state issued documents, it may take around 20 days. However, if you are getting an apostille on photocopy, you may get it in Chennai within 15 days. Moreover, depending on the following factors the time to get a US apostille in Chennai may vary:
- The authority who issued the document- state or federal government.
- For state issued documents, processing time may vary depending on the state.
- Time taken for courier service (to expedite the process you can choose express courier)
Apostille Services for US Documents in Chennai is required to get a US apostille stamp for your documents such as birth certificate, degree certificate and marriage certificate. Irrespective of your citizenship status, to submit a US issued document in Chennai, you should get an apostille from the secretary of the US department of state or the respective state. US apostille services are also required for applying for an OCI card. Secure apostille services is committed to providing seamless US apostille services in Chennai. Contact us to learn more about American apostille services.
Register for Online MEA Apostille
Provide applicant details
Frequently asked questions
Follow the below given steps to get apostille birth certificate USA from Chennai:
- Fill the US Apostille Application
- Submit your original documents to the secure apostille services in Chennai.
- Pay online
- Get your US birth certificate apostille delivered at your home.
No. Apostille is obtained from the secretary of the document issued state or the USDOS) in Washington, D.C. You cannot get it from the US consulate. Attestation from the embassy or consulate is usually required for non Hague countries. Since, USA and India are Hague countries, apostille from the above-mentioned authorities in the US is the requirement for legalization of US documents in Chennai.
The US department of state apostille is required for federal documents such as FBI background checks, and IRS letters. These documents are handled by the US State Department Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.
You need to send your documents to the secretary of state that issued the marriage certificate. Trusted US apostille service agencies can help you handle the couriering, submitting and tracking your documents for US apostille.