MEA apostille for degree certificate in India: Do You Really Need It for WES or IQAS?

When you are getting your documents ready for education or immigration, the terminology can be really confusing. A lot of people think that they need to get an MEA apostille for their degree certificate in India before they can use credential evaluation services like World Education Services or the International Qualifications Assessment Service.

If you are worried about whether you need to get your degree certificates apostilled before you send them in for an Educational Credential Assessment do not worry. Most of the time World Education Services and the International Qualifications Assessment Service do not need you to get an apostille on your degree certificates. The key is to understand the difference between evaluation and document legalization so you can save time and money.

Understanding the Difference: Credential Evaluation vs. Apostille 

One thing that people get wrong a lot is that they think an apostille and a credential evaluation are the same thing. They are not. Both of these processes deal with your records but they are used for different things when you are dealing with foreign authorities. 

What is a Credential Evaluation? 

Credential evaluation is when non-governmental agencies like World Education Services or the International Qualifications Assessment Service look at your education and compare it to the standards of the country you want to move to, like Canada or the United States. They look at whether your degree’s equivalent to a degree from that country and they check your credits, grades and what kind of program you were in. These organizations do not use apostilles to check if a degree is real they just need transcripts sent from your university to verify everything.

What is an MEA Apostille?

An MEA apostille is a way for governments to verify that a public document is real. It checks if the seal or signature on a document is authentic. It does not check your grades or how good your education was or whether your degree is equivalent, to a qualification. The MEA apostille is just used to confirm that a document is real that is all. 

Why WES and IQAS do not need an MEA Apostille 

If you want to apply for an ECA through WES you have to do what they say when it comes to sending in your documents. WES and IQAS usually want your university to send them your documents directly in a sealed envelope. WES and IQAS when needed check if your documents are real by contacting your university so they do not need a stamp from the government called an apostille. In fact sending in a document with an apostille does not mean you do not have to send in your transcripts from your university. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking an apostille is enough when they need to send in their transcripts from their university and this can cause problems with their application.

• Credential Evaluation is like checking if your degree’s worth something.
• Apostille is like checking if the document is legit and real.

If you want to know more about how to handle these requirements, you can read our guide on how to get your documents attested.

When do you actually need an MEA Apostille? 

Apostille is needed when you are sending in your documents to a Hague Convention nation. You usually do not need an apostille for evaluation, but you do need one for other things when you are moving to another country. If you are moving abroad for reasons other than just getting your credentials checked you will probably need to get your documents legalized.

You will need an apostille in these situations:

• Employment: Companies in countries often want to see apostilled certificates to verify your documents before they give you a job.

• Work Visas: When you are applying for a visa, the immigration officials often want to see apostilled documents to make sure you are eligible.

• Higher Education: Some universities in Europe want apostilled copies of your degree certificate when you apply to them directly.

• Professional Licensing: People who give out licenses for jobs, like engineering or nursing often want to see legalized documents to make sure you are qualified.

If you are not sure what you need to do you can talk to our team. We can help you avoid making mistakes that will cost you money.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When you are trying to meet a deadline it can be really easy to rush through your paperwork. But if you avoid these mistakes things will be a lot easier for you:

• Over-Authenticating: do not get an apostille for WES or IQAS if they do not ask for it. This is a waste of money and it will not make the evaluation process go any faster.
• Using the Wrong Service: remember that Embassy Attestation and Apostille are not the thing. Apostilles are used for countries that’re part of the Hague Convention. If a country is not part of the Hague Convention, you need to get an embassy or consular legalization.

• Sending Copies Yourself: Most of the time, evaluation services and foreign institutions want your university to send them your documents directly. If you send them yourself, even if you have an apostille, they will probably reject them.

• Assuming All Degrees are the Same: different institutions have procedures for giving out records. Always check the list of documents that your destination institution needs before you start the process.