Secure Apostille Services Helpline

Apostille India in USA | MEA India Apostille From America for Indian Documents

As an NRI from the USA get your apostille marriage certificate India, apostille birth certificate India, PCC apostille India and more delivered at your door step.


If you are residing in the United States of America and want to submit your Indian documents in the USA or any other country, getting Apostille India from the USA is an essential requirement. You need to get an apostille stamp on your documents from the Ministry of External Affairs, located in Delhi for authentication of them in the US. 

While you are in the US, getting your document authentication may seem to be a complex procedure. However, with the help of secure apostille services, you can get your Apostille India from the USA without visiting India. 

This article will explain what an Indian apostille is, why it is needed for people in the USA, and how you can get an MEA India apostille for your documents while living in the US.

4 Simple steps to get MEA Apostille on your Documents 

  1. Register on Apostille Portal 
  2. Collect all  Documents you want to Apostille 
  3. Submit the Original / Photocopies of documents
  4. Receive Documents with Apostille Directly to your home

What is an Apostille?

An apostille is an attestation known as an apostille stamp placed on the backside of a document by a competent authority in a country to legalize the use of that document in another country. However, it is accepted as a legalization and authentication method for documents only among Hague apostille countries

India and the United States of America are members of the Hague convention. Thus, an apostille is the legalization requirement for an Indian document used in the USA. The ministry of external affairs in India is the designated authority in India to issue a certificate apostille.

Apostille India from USA- When is It Required?

If you are in the USA and you have a document issued in India, you need to get an MEA India apostille either to use it in the US itself or in any other Hague country. Following are the situations where you need to get an Apostille India from the USA to submit it in US itself: 

  • Employment in USA
  • Higher Education in the USA
  • Marrying in US or Marrying a US citizen 
  • Immigration and Visa applications
  • Business and Legal purposes

Types of Indian Documents That Can Be Apostilled from the USA

Following are the documents that usually require an Indian apostille from US: 

Educational Documents

  • Degree Certificate
  • Mark Sheets
  • Transcripts
  • Diploma
  • School leaving certificate
  • Masters degree
  • PhD

Personal Documents

Commercial Documents

  • Memorandum of Association
  • Board Resolutions
  • Power of Attorney
  • Company Invoices or Agreements

How to Get MEA India Apostille from the USA?

The ministry of external affairs located in India is the only authority eligible to issue an apostille. You can get your Indian document apostille from the USA with the help of trusted and authorized apostille services providers. 

Before obtaining an apostille your Indian documents will go through various stages of verification and attestation. There are two methods of authentication available in India based on where you get the final attestation on your document before submitting it to the MEA. They are: 

  1. SDM Authentication Method
  2. State Authentication Method

An MEA India Apostille obtained through both authentication methods is equally valid in a Hague country. However, SDM is considered as the most popular option because of its fast processing speed and cheaper cost. 

Step by Step Process to Get MEA India Apostille From the USA

Secure Apostille Services follows the below given steps to get MEA India Apostille for your documents: 

Notarization: This is a common step for both methods of authentication. Certain documents such as a PCC from the passport office need not have to get a notarization. In this step, SAS apostille submits your original documents (printed copy in case of digital certificates) to a public notary in India. The notary attests the certificate for its authenticity with sign and seal. 

SDM/ State Attestation: This stage of attestation is different for both methods of authentication. If you choose SDM attestation, we will submit your documents to a sub divisional magistrate. SDM will verify the document and attest it. However, if you choose a state authentication method, depending on the type of document it will be submitted to the state home department or HRD department. This attestation should be obtained from the state where the document was issued. The state home department will conduct verification at the local level and attest the document. Similarly for educational documents, the HRD department will verify the sign and seal of documents with the university. 

MEA Attestation and Apostille: In this step, your documents with all the necessary attestation will be submitted to the ministry of external affairs. The ministry attest the documents after a final verification. Then, MEA pastes an apostille stamp on the backside of your document. 

Now, Secure Apostille Services will safely courier your apostilled documents to the USA.

MEA India Apostille for Commercial Documents from the USA

Commercial documents issued by an Indian company need to get an apostille from MEA India to use it in the USA. If you are a business owner or entrepreneur from the USA, you need to get an MEA India apostille for commercial documents for various reasons. Some of them are given below: 

  • Opening a branch or subsidiary of your Indian company in the USA.
  • For import-export contracts between India and USA
  • To participate in global tenders
  • Business Agreements or Joint Ventures
  • Franchise or Licensing Agreements
  • Patent, Trademark, or IP Registration

Step by Step Process of MEA India Apostille for Commercial Documents from America

Notarization: This is not mandatory for commercial documents. However, affidavits and power of attorney require a notary attestation. A public notary attest your commercial document at this stage. 

Chamber of Commerce Attestation: Chamber of commerce is the authority bridging government and businesses. They have all the details about the registered companies. Thus, an attestation from the chamber of commerce validates the commercial documents as well as the company that issued the document. COC attest the commercial document after verifying the details of the company. 

MEA Attestation and Apostille: In this step, we submit your commercial documents to the MEA. MEA attest the document after the verification. Finally, MEA affixes an apostille stamp on the backside of the document. 

MEA India Apostille From the USA -Processing Time

The processing time for MEA India Apostille from the USA may vary depending on various factors such as :

  • Method of authentication : State/ SDM/Chamber of Commerce Attestation
  • Number of Documents: Though we submit all documents together, verification if each document will be carried out separately. 
  • Type of Document : Certain documents may take more time for verification. For example, court documents such as divorce decree take more time for verification. On the other hand, a PCC obtained from a passport gets an apostille faster. 
  • Courier time: The type of courier you choose will also delay the processing time. 
  • Service you choose: we have the following services based on your urgency : 3 to 4 working days. 7 Working Days. 14 Working days. Same Day Apostille (for certain types of documents)

Are you living in the US and wondering how to get your Indian issued document apostille? We have provided a detailed guide to get MEA India apostille from India with the help of a safe, secure and authorized apostille services in India.  Do not delay your legalization process just because you are in America.  Secure Apostille Services as an independent, authorized agency can help you get an Indian apostille from US.

Register for Online MEA Apostille

Provide applicant details

MEA India Apostille Services in the USA Provides Services in the Following Areas

India Apostille Services in US Contact Number
MEA India Apostille Services in California
MEA India Apostille Services in Texas
MEA India Apostille Services in New Jersey
MEA India Apostille Services in New York
MEA India Apostille Services in Florida
MEA India Apostille Services in Georgia
MEA India Apostille Services in Pennsylvania
MEA India Apostille Services in Virginia
MEA India Apostille Services in Washington
MEA India Apostille Services in Maryland
MEA India Apostille Services in Massachusetts
MEA India Apostille Services in North Carolina
MEA India Apostille Services in Ohio
MEA India Apostille Services in Michigan
MEA India Apostille Services in Arizona

Frequently asked questions

Yes. If you are an Indian citizen or a person of Indian origin with an Indian marriage certificate, a marriage certificate apostilled in India is required for its acceptance in the US. You can get it with the help of a reliable apostille service in India such as Secure Apostille Services. 

Yes. If you want to use your Indian birth certificate in the US or any other Hague country, you need to get an MEA India apostille. Indian Birth certificate apostille is mandatory for education, naturalization and immigration.

No. In India the ministry of external affairs is the only authority eligible to provide apostille. Thus, you cannot get an Indian apostille from the Indian embassy in the USA. You need to send your documents to India and get an apostille with the help of a trusted apostille service in India.