Marriage Certificate Apostille in Kerala | Marriage Authentication
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
Are you planning to move abroad after marriage for work, residence or family reunification? A marriage certificate apostille in Kerala is crucial for validating your marriage in a foreign country which is a Hague member. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about marriage certificate apostille in Kerala including the process, requirements and time.
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 Marriage Certificate Apostille?
An apostille on a marriage certificate is a certification on the backside of your marriage certificate to legalize it in a foreign country. A foreign country cannot check the authenticity of a document such as a marriage certificate issued by local government authorities in India. Thus, any document issued in one country while submitting in another country needs an extra step of authentication which is also known as legalization.
Legalization for all countries before the Hague Apostille Convention required an embassy attestation. After the Hague apostille convention, legalization of foreign documents required only an apostille among member countries. India joined the Hague apostille convention in 2005. Thus, any Indian document submitted in another Hague country requires an apostille stamp from the ministry of external affairs to legalize it.
Why Do You Need a Marriage Certificate Apostille in Kerala?
You may need a marriage apostille from Kerala for several reasons:
- Applying for a spouse visa or dependent visa
- Immigration or permanent residency in another country with family.
- Registering an Indian marriage in another country.
- Applying for another country’s citizenship
- Verifying marital status for property or legal proceedings abroad
- Inheritance of a deceased spouse’s properties in another country.
Apostille Stamp for Marriage Certificate: How It Looks
The Apostille stamp on the marriage certificate is a square shaped, computer generated sticker issued by the ministry of external affairs. It contains details such as:
- Document holder’s name
- Name of document
- Country of issue
- Date of issue
- A unique identification number
- Official seal and signature
Requirements for Marriage Certificate Apostille in Kerala
To get a marriage certificate apostille in Kerala, you need to submit the following documents:
- Original marriage certificate issued by the government authority.
- Copy of passport of both the spouses
Apostille for Marriage Certificates Issued by Religious Authorities in Kerala
A religious marriage certificate issued in the following scenarios are not directly eligible for an apostille:
- A temple marriage from any of the temples in Kerala such as Guruvayoor temple will have temple receipt as a proof of marriage. However, you cannot get an apostille for it.
- Christian marriages solemnised in Church after various traditions will be registered with a Church in Kerala. The Church will also provide a marriage certificate. However, this church marriage certificate cannot get an apostille directly.
- In a muslim marriage or Nikah ceremony the contract will be signed with the presence of a Qazi. Though this is valid as marriage proof inside India, it cannot get an apostille.
In the above mentioned situations where the couples have nikah nama, temple receipt or church issued marriage certificate, the couple should visit the nearest marriage registrar’s office and register their marriage officially. After a few days they will get a government issued marriage certificate. It can be submitted for an apostille process.
How to Get a Marriage Certificate in Kerala?
To get an apostille, a government issued marriage certificate is required. If you have married in a religious ceremony or married at home as per traditions, registering with the marriage registrar to get a govt issued certificate is mandatory. However, if your marriage was at the registrar’s office as per the special marriage act, registering again is not required.
To register the marriage after the marriage function, you can visit the office of the registrar, from one of the spouse’s locations. You need to bring all the required documents along with the witnesses. Documents required are as follows:
- Aadhaar Card/ID Proofs of both partners
- Passport-size photographs
- Wedding invitation or temple/marriage hall receipt
- Proof of residence
- Marriage photograph
- Witness ID proofs
Alternatively you can make an appointment with the nearest registrar’s office by visiting K Smart Quick Marriage Registration website or Registration Department.
Apostille for Marriage Certificate Affidavit in Kerala
Apart from a government issued marriage certificate, you can also get an apostille for a notarized marriage affidavit. However, to get a marriage certificate affidavit, you should be present before the notary and need to submit before him proof of marriage.
An marriage affidavit is a self declaration stating your marital status with the details of both the spouses along with time, date and location of marriage. This can be used for an apostille if you do not have a government issued marriage certificate or if you have lost it.
Marriage Certificate Apostille in Kerala Procedure
An apostille for a document issued anywhere in India is provided by the ministry of external affairs only. However, the ministry cannot verify the authenticity of each document at its origins and ensure its authenticity. It is practically difficult and needs a lot of time and resources. Thus, the ministry has delegated the process of verification and attestation to state level and judicial authorities. There are two methods usually followed for marriage apostille in India. They are:
The major difference in two methods are in the authority who makes major verification and attestation. The MEA will accept and provide an apostille for a marriage certificate with an SDM attestation and State attestation. They do not make any discretion on this. However, some countries need an attestation from the state government as they consider it as a more authentic method. However, the SDM method is the most common method people generally choose in India. Unless the destination country needs a state attestation, it is better to do an SDM attestation. The processing time for the SDM attestation method is comparatively faster and cheaper than the state method.
Step by Step Process of Getting a Marriage Certificate Apostille in Kerala
Once, the SAS Apostille branch in Kerala collect your marriage certificate for an apostille, we will follow the below given steps:
1. Notarization
A public notary is an official who can authenticate any document issued in India. In this step, we will submit your marriage certificate to a public notary. The notary will check the names and signs in the marriage certificate. Notary will attest the document once the details are verified.
2. SDM/State Attestation
In this step, depending on which method you have chosen, we will submit your marriage certificate to either the SDM or Kerala home department (If it is a Kerala issued marriage certificate). The sub divisional magistrate will verify and attest the document within 2 days. However, if you are following the state method, we will submit your documents to the following officials:
- Under Secretary, Home Department, Secretariat, Thiruvanathpuram.
- Additional Secretary to Government, Home Department, Secretariat, Thiruvanathpuram
- Joint Secretary to Government, Home Department and Under Secretary, Home (Attestation) Department
As a state level official located in Thiruvananthapuram, they cannot directly verify the authenticity of your marriage certificate. The official will provide the charge of verification to the authority of the district from where the marriage was registered. The district authority will then check with the concerned marriage registrar and report back to the state department. Finally the officials from the state home department will attest your marriage certificate.
3. MEA Attestation and Apostille
In this step, the ministry of external affairs will verify the document as well as the attestations in it. Finally, the MEA officials such as Under Secretary, CPV Division, MEA or Assistant Section Officer, CPV Division, MEA will attest the document and paste the apostille stamp.
Apostille Stamp for Marriage Certificate: Processing Time
If your marriage certificate is government issued and you only need an apostille with an SDM attestation, you can get your marriage apostille on the same day (exclusive of delivery time)
However, depending on the following factors the processing time may vary:
- Type of marriage certificate and who issued it
- State of issuance, if state method is used.
- Method of authentication
- Choice of service (We have 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days apostille services apart from same day apostille)
Marriage certificate apostille in Kerala is an essential service for people who travel abroad with their spouse. Even though MEA India is located in Delhi, you don’t have to travel to Delhi for an apostille. You can get your marriage apostille in Delhi with the help of an authorized apostille service provider in Kerala such as SAS Apostille. You can get your documents with all the necessary attestations and final apostille delivered to your home in Kerala secure and safe.
Marriage Certificate Apostille Services in Kerala
| MEA Apostille Service Center | Contact Number |
|---|---|
Kasaragod | |
Kannur | |
Kozhikode | |
Malappuram | |
Kalpetta | |
Thrissur | |
Ernakulam | |
Kochi | |
Kottayam | |
Todupuzha | |
Palakkad | |
Pathanamthitta | |
Kollam | |
Alappuzha |
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Frequently asked questions
You can get an apostille stamp on a marriage certificate in Kerala with the help of an authorized apostille service provider in Kerala such as SAS apostille.
Not exactly the same. Legalization is a general term and usually used to denote authentication requirements for non Hague countries. For non Hague countries an attestation from the embassy is required for legalization. Given below are the steps to get an embassy attestation in Kerala:
- Notarization
- SDM/State Attestation
- MEA Attestation
- Embassy Attestation
Yes. If your marriage certificate was issued by the government authority, regardless of how old it is you can get an apostille. However, if it is a handwritten marriage certificate, it should be reissued.
No. You can not directly submit your marriage certificate in Malayalam for an apostille. However, you can get an apostille after getting a certified Malayalam to English translation for your marriage certificate.