Apostille Certificate
Apostille of Indian documents for use abroad — State or HRD pre-attestation, MEA apostille and courier, for education, personal and commercial papers.
- Estimate Cost
- ₹1,500 – ₹8,000
- Typical duration
- 15 days
Service overview
- An Apostille is a single government-issued stamp that certifies your document as genuine for use in any country that is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention
- India has been a member since 2005, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the authority that issues it
- Without it, your visa file, admission, job offer, marriage abroad or property transaction can be stalled or rejected
Who needs it? / When is it needed?
- You are going abroad to study, work, settle, marry or join family and the foreign authority has asked for an "apostilled" or "attested" document.
- You need to use an Indian birth, marriage, death, educational, police clearance, medical or commercial document, affidavit or Power of Attorney outside India.
- A foreign embassy, university, employer or court has rejected your document because it is not apostilled.
What to expect from the WCP Professionals
- Diagnose first. WCP professionals confirm the destination country, the receiving authority, the purpose and your deadline, and whether that country accepts apostille at all.
- Audit every document. WCP professionals check for the faults that cause rejection: name spellings that differ from your passport, faint or missing signatures and seals, photocopies where originals are needed, and documents never verified at the first level.
- Run the right chain in the right order. Personal documents usually need state-level verification (Home Department
- SDM or equivalent) before the MEA apostille; educational documents need university or state education authority verification first.
- Fix defects before filing. Where there is a mismatch, WCP professionals advise the cure - a name-variation affidavit, a corrected or duplicate certificate, or a notarised copy where permitted - instead of filing a weak application and hoping.
- Support notarisation and translation where the destination requires them.
- File, track and respond. WCP professionals prepare the application, handle the submission channel and answer any query or return from the officer.
- Final check. WCP professionals confirm the apostille is attached to the right document and legible, and tell you whether any further step (translation or embassy legalisation) is still needed.
Key deliverables
- Apostille certificate on each document, issued by the MEA
- Required state or university pre-attestation completed
- Document-wise checklist of what was attested and when
Standard turnaround time
About 7 to 15 working days (indicative) from receipt of complete original documents. It depends on how many pre-attestation layers your document needs, state office workload and MEA slot availability.
Government fees, timelines & key outcomes
- MEA fee: Rs. 50 per apostille (as published by MEA). Outsourced service-provider charges of Rs. 84 plus Rs. 3 per-page scanning fee are listed in the MEA advisory.
- State attestation, notary and courier charges are separate and vary by state.
Forms & filings involved
- MEA online Apostille application and appointment / drop-off through the authorised service channel
- State-level pre-attestation (Home Department
- SDM
- Regional Authentication Centre / education authority)
Documents required
- Original documents to be apostilled
- Copy of passport (identity and address pages) or Aadhaar
- PAN
- Earlier attested copies, if any
- Name-variation proof (gazette, marriage certificate or affidavit), if names differ
- Destination country, purpose and the receiving authority's written requirement
What we need from you
- It is valid only in Hague Convention member countries.
- Damaged, non-original or unverified documents can be refused.
- Final acceptance rests with the foreign authority; visa or admission outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Important conditions
- Apostille certifies only the signature, seal and capacity of the signing official, not that the content is true.
- It is valid only in Hague Convention member countries.
- Damaged, non-original or unverified documents can be refused.
Additional information
- Apostille is typically done for personal documents (birth, death, marriage certificates, affidavits, PoA) and educational documents.
- Since 2012, documents go through authorised service providers, not directly to an MEA counter.
- Some receiving authorities want a recently issued underlying document, such as a police clearance.
The estimated cost covers indicative professional fees only. Government fees, stamp duty and taxes are payable at actuals.
How it works
- 1. Raise a service enquiry describing your requirement.
- 2. A Relationship Manager reviews it and opens it for bidding.
- 3. Pay into escrow and assign the professional you select.
- 4. Track progress to completion, then accept and release payment.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries accept an apostille?
Countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Others usually need embassy attestation after MEA attestation instead.
What is the MEA fee for an apostille?
₹50 per document as published by the Ministry of External Affairs, plus the service charges of its outsourced collection agencies.
Do documents need attestation before the apostille?
Usually yes — educational documents by the State Education Department or HRD, and personal documents by the State Home Department or SDM.
How long does an apostille take?
About 7–15 working days from receipt of complete originals, depending on the pre-attestation required.