Some known And Unknown FAQs About Apostille India

A lot of documentation is required when people travel from India to abroad. In case of traveling abroad for studies or work, the traveler has to submit many documents and has to go through several verification and checks both at the source as well as the destination. Many are confused if they require certificate attestation or Apostille. And many are confused about what the difference is between certificate attestation and Apostille document. Here we have tried to answer some frequently asked questions about Apostille services and Apostille India. Though we have tried to cover many aspects of the Apostille document, there are chances we might have missed your query. So you can post your questions in the comment section below.

What is an Apostille Document?

In simple words, Apostille documents are verified documents that are considered legal and genuine in a few countries. There are 91 countries that are members of the Hague Convention of 1961. The convention abolished the legalization of documents for each country that are a member of the convention. So when a document is Apostilled in any one of the countries, it is considered valid and legal in all other countries. An Apostille sticker is attached at the back of the document making the document an Apostille document.

Why is Apostille India necessary?

Traveling abroad requires verification of all the documents. Be it a student’s transcript certificate or a couple’s marriage certificate. The documents require attestation so that they can be considered genuine in a foreign country. Apostille India is the process of legalization of documents in India which shall be deemed legal and valid in other 90 countries which are members of the Hague Convention. Apostille India is necessary for easy travel between these member countries. When the documents are proper and verified, the departments of foreign countries will process your applications easily.

Is Apostille mandatory?
Apostille is mandatory if a person is traveling to a country which is a member of the Hague Convention. It eliminates a lot of problems of verification of documents at the source as well as the destination country.

How is Apostille done?
Apostille India is done after going through multiple checkpoints. The document is verified at multiple stages right from the source to MEA. And when finally the Apostille sticker is applied to the document then Apostille is done.

Who is the Apostille in India?
Apostille in India is done by the Ministry of External Affairs which is a department of the central government. When the final verification of documents is done by MEA, an Apostille sticker is applied to the document. And that Apostille document is accepted in all member countries of HC 1961.

Can you Apostille an original document?
Apostille is done only to the original documents. Photocopies are not considered Apostille documents. The applicant has to submit the original document to which the Apostille is applied. As it is handled by MEA, the original documents are safe and secure.

When does the document need to be apostilled?
When a person is traveling to any member country of the Hague Convention, either for immigration or work purposes, he needs to get his documents apostilled. Apostille documents eliminate a lot of time and money wasted during the verification of such documents.

Who can apply for Apostille documents in India?
An individual cannot Apostille his documents directly. There are government-authorized Apostille services agencies that process Apostille India applications. Many RAC (Regional attestation centers) also accept applications from individuals and apply for Apostille in India.

Does the USA, Canada and UK accept Apostille India?
Yes. USA, Canada and UK are the members of the Hague Convention. So Apostille documents from any other member countries shall be accepted in these countries as well.

Where can I get an Apostille stamp in India?
An individual cannot get an Apostille stamp on their own. The Apostille stamp is issued by MEA only after proper verification of the documents.