How to Get Apostille for Indian Documents from Germany | Apostille India From Germany
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
If you are living in Germany and need to legalize your Indian documents for use in Germany or any other Hague Convention apostille country you may require an apostille certificate India. If you are planning to study, work, or marry in Germany, obtaining an Apostille India from Germany is an essential requirement. This article explains how you can get apostille documents in India while living in Germany.
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 Apostille India?
Apostille india is a stamp pasted on the backside of documents issued in India for use of those documents in a Hague Apostille Country. Apostille as a legalization method came into existence after the Hague apostille convention. Until then, to authenticate and validate a document in foreign country obtaining embassy attestation was mandatory.
Since India joined Hague convention an Indian Apostille Stamp is the only requirement to legalize Indian documents in any other Hague country. The ministry of external affairs in India is the only authority issuing Indian apostille. With an apostille obtained from MEA India your documents are authentic and legal in Germany as well as any other Hague country.
Why You Might Need Apostille India From Germany
- Higher Education or Employment
- Marriage or divorce registration in Germany
- Visa applications
- Bringing family on dependent visa
- Child birth registration
Documents that Require an Apostille India While Living in Germany
You can apply for Indian apostille from Germany for the following documents:
Personal Documents
- Apostille Marriage Certificate India
- Apostille birth certificate India
- Death Certificate
- Police Clearance Certificate Apostille
- Divorce Decree
- Single Status Affidavit
Educational Documents
- Degree Certificate
- Degree Marksheet
- Transcript
- School leaving certificate
- Diploma
Commercial Documents
- Power of Attorney (business-related)
- Memorandum of Association (MoA)
- Articles of Association (AoA)
- Board Resolutions
- Incorporation Certificate
- Commercial Invoice
- Bills of Lading
- Import/Export Licenses
- Company Agreements or Contracts
- Bank Statements (if requested for financial verification)
Apostille Ministry of External Affairs India: Process
As mentioned above, the ministry of external affairs located in Delhi is the only authority eligible to provide an Indian apostille. Thus, you need to send your documents to our Delhi office from Germany for apostille.
However, the ministry only accepts documents that have obtained all the necessary attestations after a verification process. There are two major authentication methods for apostille based on the authority providing attestation. They are:
An apostille obtained after SDM attestation and State attestation are valid in a Hague country. However, certain countries such as Italy mandates a state attestation for most of the documents. Germany usually accepts apostille with SDM attestation.
The SDM Attestation method is cheaper and faster than the state attestation method.
Step by Step Process to Get Indian Apostille From Germany
Once you send your documents to Secure Apostille Services, depending on which authentication method you choose we will follow the below given procedures:
- Notarization: Notary is an official who can authenticate documents. As the initial stage for both methods of authentication we will submit your documents to a public notary. However, you can avoid these steps for documents such as PCC from passport seva kendra.
- SDM/State Attestation: This step is different for both methods of authentication. If you are following the SDM method, your documents will be submitted to a sub divisional magistrate. SDM verifies details in your documents and attest it with sign and seal. If you are getting an attestation from the state, we will submit your document to the HRD or home ministry depending on the type of document. If it is personal documents such as birth and marriage certificates, we will get home department attestation. On the other hand, for educational documents you need to get HRD attestation.
- MEA Attestation and Apostille: In this step, we will submit your documents to the ministry of external affairs. The Ministry will conduct a final verification and attest your documents.
MEA India Apostille for Commercial Documents
You may need to get MEA India apostille for commercial documents in Germany for purposes such as:
- Start a business
- Expand existing business to Germany
- Export/Import between Germany and India
Most of the commercial documents require an attestation from MEA India before apostille. As a network of businesses connecting businesses with the government, getting an attestation from COC authenticates the document as well the issued business. Given below are the steps to get MEA India apostille for commercial documents from Germany.
- Notarization
- Chamber of Commerce Attestation
- MEA Attestation
- MEA Apostille
Processing Time for Indian Apostille from Germany
Since apostille can only be done in Delhi, sending the documents from Germany and sending it back after apostille is time consuming. The major time is taken for that only. The apostille process alone will take from 3 to 14 working days. For certain documents same day apostille is also available. Thus, depending on the following factors, time to get an Indian apostille from Germany may vary:
- Type of document
- Number of documents
- Authentication method
- Translation requirement
- Choice of courier service
- Choice apostille service (Same day, 3 to 4 working days, 7days, 14 working days)
Indian Apostille for Use in Germany Translation Requirement
Though German translation is not mandatory for all documents, in some cases a certified translation is mandatory. Given below are the situations where you need a certified translation:
- Submitting documents to German government authorities (e.g., Standesamt, Ausländerbehörde)
- Applying for marriage registration, residence permits, or university admission
- Legal proceedings or notarization in Germany
Some private institutions accept documents in English. However, while dealing with government authorities a certified German translation of documents and apostille is mandatory.
An Indian apostille from Germany is required for Indians living in Germany to legalize their Indian documents. Whether you want to submit your documents in Germany or in another Hague country, the process of apostille is the same. Your physical presence is not mandatory to get an Indian apostille from Delhi. Trusted and authorized apostille service providers with presence in Germany can get an apostille on your behalf. Secure Apostille Services will take care of the entire process and deliver documents in Germany.
Secure Apostille Services Provides Apostille Services in Following Areas of Germany
| India Apostille Service Areas | Contact Number |
|---|---|
India Apostille in Berlin | |
India Apostille in Munich (München) | |
India Apostille in Frankfurt am Main | |
India Apostille in Stuttgart | |
India Apostille in Düsseldorf | |
India Apostille in Hamburg | |
India Apostille in Dortmund | |
India Apostille in Heidelberg | |
India Apostille in Bonn | |
India Apostille in Aachen |
Register for Online MEA Apostille
Provide applicant details
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A trusted authorized apostille service provider from India can get your documents apostilled from India. Apostille process does not require the personal presence of the individual.
No. The apostille Indian embassy is not available because the ministry of external affairs India located in Delhi is the only authority eligible to issue a certificate apostille. Embassy attestation is required for non Hague countries. Since Germany and India are Hague countries an apostille is the legalization requirement.
You can:
- Scan and email your documents to a trusted online apostille service India
- Courier original documents (if required) to the service provider in India
- Secure Apostille Services will get them apostilled through Ministry of External Affairs India
- Receive your apostilled documents by international courier
Costs vary based on:
- The type of document
- Authentication Method
- International courier charges
- Service provider fees