Ministry of External Affairs Apostille in India
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
When you are planning to study, work, or migrate abroad, ensuring your documents are legally valid in a foreign country is an important step. As a Hague country, India issued an apostille on documents to legalize documents in another Hague country. The ministry of external affairs is the only authority eligible to issue a document apostille in India. In this article, we will explore in detail about the ministry of external affairs apostille in India, process, timeline, cost, and requirements.
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 an Apostille?
Apostille is a certification on documents issued by a competent authority from a country to legalize the use of them in a foreign country. The apostille stamp as an authentication method came into existence after the Hague apostille convention. Countries that are not members of the Hague convention require an embassy attestation for authentication.
What is the Ministry of External Affairs Apostille?
India joined the Hague apostille convention in 2005. As per the conditions of the convention, ministry of external affairs is the authority entrusted with the issuance of an apostille in India. The ministry affixes an apostille stamp on the backside of the document after verification. This stamp makes your personal, educational and commercial documents valid for use in any Hague apostille country.
Why is the Ministry of External Affairs Apostille Required?
The ministry of external affairs apostille is required whenever you submit your documents issued in India for use in a Hague apostille country. The MEA apostille ensures that the foreign authorities can verify the authenticity of the documents without the requirement of an embassy attestation. Given below are the usual requirements for an MEA apostille for Indians:
- Admission in foreign universities
- Employment or work visa processing
- Immigration
- Legal procedures abroad
- Marriage or divorce recognition
- Setting up businesses or commercial transactions
Countries that Accept Ministry of External Affairs Apostille
As mentioned above, all countries will not accept documents with an apostille as legal. Only the countries that have joined the Hague apostille convention will accept apostille documents. Check whether your destination country is there in the Hague country list here: Hague Apostille Convention Countries list
If the country is not there in the list, you need to get embassy attestation for legalization of your documents.
Types of Documents That Can Get MEA India Apostille
Depending on the type of visa and authorities, documents that require an apostille also vary. Generally there are three types of documents that usually require the ministry of external affairs apostille. They are:
- Personal Documents
- Educational Documents
- Commercial Documents
Marriage certificates and police clearance certificate certificates are most commonly required documents. Marriage certificates with an apostille is mandatory if you are travelling on a dependent visa with your spouse. Similarly for educational purposes, your highest educational qualification with an apostille is required. Commercial documents are commonly required for starting a business abroad or expanding your existing business to a Hague country. Let us explore each type of document in detail.
Personal Documents
- Birth certificate Apostille
- Marriage certificate Apostille
- Single Status Affidavit Apostille
- Divorce Decree Apostille
- Police Clearance Certificate Apostille
Educational Documents
- Degree certificate Apostille
- Transcript Apostille
- Diploma Certificate Apostille
- 10th Marksheet Apostille
- 12th Marksheet Apostille
- Transfer Certificate Apostille
Commercial Documents
- Power of Attorney for Business Transactions
- Certificate of Incorporation Apostille
- Memorandum of Association Apostille
- Articles of Association (AOA)
- Invoice for Export/Import
- Board Resolution Apostille
- Trade Licenses
- Partnership Deeds
- ISO Certificates
- GST Certificate Apostille
Step-by-Step Process of Ministry of External Affairs Apostille in India
The ministry of external affairs located in Delhi is the only palace where we can get an apostille in India. However, the MEA cannot conduct verification of documents issued by the 28 states using their officials in Delhi. Thus, a document needs to go through a verification process at the lower level and get attestations. There are mainly two attestation methods for personal and educational documents apostille process. They are:
These two methods are equally valid and the ministry of external affairs will accept both documents for an apostille. However, some countries require an attestation from the state where the documents were issued. If they specifically mention state attestation or HRD attestation, you need to get it. There is no option. Moreover, state attestation is a time consuming process. It may take up to 45 days in certain states. Therefore, if you want to do state attestation, you need to apply at least two months before.
Let us explore each step of apostille process in detail:
Notarization: in this step, a public notary verifies your documents. As a person authorized to authenticate documents, a notary will attest documents after verification.
SDM/State Attestation: Depending on the method of authentication, you have chosen we will submit our documents to either the SDM or the state department.
In the SDM method, SAS apostille will submit your documents to the sub divisional magistrate. The magistrate will verify and attest the documents within 2 days. However, if you are choosing a state authentication method, it should be submitted to either the home or HRD department of the state where the document was issued. If it is a personal document such as a birth certificate, it will be submitted to the home department. However, if it is an educational document, it should be submitted to the HRD department. The department will conduct verification at the place where the document was issued such as local authority or university. This process involves district level officials and local level officials. Thus, it will be a time consuming process.
Ministry of External Affairs Attestation and Apostille: This is the final stage where SAS apostille submits your documents to the ministry of external affairs located in Delhi. The ministry verifies the document details as well as the attestations. Then, the ministry attests the document with an official seal followed by an apostille stamp.
Authorities Involved in the Ministry of External Affairs Apostille
The major role or apostille stamping happens at the ministry of external affairs. Thus, the apostille providing authorities are officials from the MEA such as:
- Under Secretary, CPV Division, MEA
- Assistant Section Officer, CPV Division, MEA
Authorities involved in the verification process are:
- Public notary
- Sub Divisional Magistrate-for SDM method
- Secretary, under secretary, deputy secretary or section officer of the state home or HRD department.
MEA Apostille Charges
The charges and for the ministry of external affairs apostille varies depending on the following factors:
- Type of document (documents such as single status affidavit has comparatively higher cost)
- Number of documents (each document is processed separately. Thus, the charges are applicable for all documents separately. )
- Method of authentication (State authentication method is costlier than SDM authentication method)
- Services you choose (We have same day apostille services for some of the documents. Other services are: 3 to 4 days package, 7 to 8 days package, 14 days package)
Ministry of External Affairs apostille in India can be obtained from MEA India located in Delhi. As an authentication requirement for Hague countries, an apostille has become a travel essential. Get an apostille ready beforehand with the help of an authorized apostille service provide near you.
Ministry of External Affairs Apostille in India- City Wise Service Centers
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. USA and most of the European countries such as Germany, UK, Netherlands, Portugal, France and Italy are Hague apostille countries. Thus, an apostille is enough to legalize documents. There is no requirement for embassy attestation.
Yes. You can get the ministry of external affairs apostille online with the help of an authorized and trustworthy apostille service provider such as SAS apostille. You can fill the application form online. SAS apostille will pick up the documents and deliver it after the apostille.
Apostille by the ministry of external affairs is the requirement for Hague countries. Apart from apostille there is no further step required for legalizing Indian documents in those countries. However, MEA attestation is for non Hague countries. You need to get an embassy attestation after MEA attestation.
Yes. You can get the ministry of external affairs apostille for commercial documents after verification from the chamber of commerce. The steps to follow are:
- Notarization
- Chamber of commerce attestation
- MEA Apostille