Apostille -@ Crown Foreign Services Pvt Ltd
India, since 2005, is a member of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, that abolished the requirement of the legalization of foreign public documents. Apostille is acceptable in 105 member-countries of the Convention. Apostille is done for personal documents like birth/death/marriage certificates, Affidavits, Power of Attorney, etc. and educational documents like degree, diploma, matriculation and secondary level certificates, etc. Any document Apostilled in one member country is acceptable in all the other 104 member-countries, a signatory to the referred convention of 1961 thus greatly simplifying the process of attestation by making it needless to get the documents attested in each or for each of the countries separately.
An Apostille is a type of attestation in which documents are legalized in a particular format that is acceptable in all nations that belong to the Hague Convention. Essentially, Apostille is an international attestation that is acceptable in about 92 countries, and most of the western world recognizes Apostille.
Apostille stamp is a square-shaped computer generated sticker stamp, pasted on reverse of the document by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. This is a unique computer-generated stamp having a unique identification number, through which any member country of The Hague convention can check its authenticity online. Under normal circumstances, once the document is apostilled, it does not require to be attested further from the concerned embassy.
If a document is apostilled, it does not require to be attested.
This is a special PC created stamp having a one of a kind distinguishing proof number, through which any part nation of The Hague show can check its credibility on the web. Under ordinary conditions, when the report is apostilled, it doesn't require to be authenticated further from the concerned government office.
In the event that a record is apostilled, it doesn't require to be confirmed.
Procedure for Apostille
Step 1: Authentication of documents
All original documents/certificates requiring MEA to issue Apostille should be 1st attested by the elected authorities of the State/Union Territory from wherever the document is issued. Indian Apostille will only be issued by MEA once the respective relevant state authority has authenticated a selected document.
Step 2: Attestation/Legalization of documents
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attests /legalizes the documents solely when these are genuine with the signature and seal/stamp of the selected authorities of the State Government/Union Territory/Chambers of Commerce from wherever the documents are issued. The MEA legalizes the certificate/documents on the premise of the signature of the selected authorities; thence it doesn't take responsibility for the contents of the documents.
For Educational Documents
HRD/Authentication/Home Department + Apostille by MEA
For Personal Documents
GAD/Home Department/SDM/Norka + Apostille by MEA
For Commercial Documents
Respective Chamber of Commerce + Apostille by MEA
