Document Attestation

As of March 1, 2012, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has outsourced its attestation and apostille services. Consequently, the MEA Counter at CPV Division, Patiala House, New Delhi, no longer accepts documents directly from individuals. Instead, original documents must be submitted through one of the authorized outsourced agencies.

MEA Document Attestation Procedure: All original documents that require attestation or apostille by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi must first be authenticated or attested by the designated authorities or departments of the respective State Governments or Union Territories where the documents were issued. The MEA attestation can only be completed after the relevant state authority has verified the specific document.

A list of Regional Authentication Centres and designated authorities can be found on the MEA website at www.mea.gov.in. MEA attestation is necessary for using documents or certificates both within India and abroad. The attestation process for certificates and documents issued by Indian authorities is as follows:

Step 1: Authentication of documents

Non-Educational Documents:
Documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, affidavits, and driving licenses must first be attested by the State Home Department of the issuing State or Union Territory. The authentication should include the name and designation seal, along with the official seal of the Department.

Educational Documents:
The documents must first be attested by the State Education Department of the relevant State Government or Union Territory. The authentication should include both the name and designation seal, as well as the official seal of the Department.

Commercial Documents:
The documents must be pre-authenticated by the respective Chambers of Commerce before they can be attested by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. Each document should bear the rubber stamp of the relevant Chamber of Commerce, along with the name and designation of the authorized signatory.

Step 2: Attestation/Legalization of documents by MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attests or legalizes documents only after they have been authenticated with the signature and seal/stamp of the designated authorities from the State Government, Union Territory, or Chambers of Commerce where the documents were issued. The MEA’s legalization of the certificates/documents is based solely on the signatures of these designated authorities; therefore, it does not assume responsibility for the content of the documents.

Types of Documents and Charges:
The Ministry of External Affairs does not charge any fees for General Attestation of documents. However, it has established specific service charges that must be paid to us for each document. Applicants are required to submit the following documents and fees:

(a) Original document to be attested;
(b) One clear photocopy of the document;
(c) One clear photocopy of the passport;
(d) Our service charge as given below:

Note:

It is important to note that the MEA does not legalize or attest photocopies of documents. Applicants are advised against relying on unauthorized individuals for MEA attestation services.

Documents can be submitted at our “Collection & Delivery” Office between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, Monday through Saturday.

Documents can be submitted and retrieved either in person or by an authorized representative. They will only be returned upon presentation of the receipt for the payment of the service charge.

However, if a document is found to be fake or the authentication is forged, it will be seized by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Ministry may also take appropriate legal action against the applicant. Please note that the service charge paid to us is non-refundable under any circumstances.

Educational Documents

• Degree Certificate
• PG Degree Certificate
• BE Certificate
• Diploma Certificate
• Nursing Certificate
• SSC Certificate
• HSC Certificate
• Inter Certificate
• MBBS Certificate
• Dentists Certificate
• Engineering Certificate
• Transcript Certificate
• Nursing Certificate
• Pharmacy Certificate
• MS Certificate
• MD Certificate
• Mark Sheet

Non-Educational Documents

• Marriage Certificate
• Birth Certificate
• Leaving Certificate
• Police Clearance
• Registration Certificate
• Power of Attorney
• Marriage Certificate
• Bona-fide Certificate
• Medical Certificate

Commercial Documents

• Export Invoice
• Packaging list
• Power of Attorney
• Certificate of Origin
• Certificate of incorporation
• Chemical analysis report
• Physical analysis report

Countries that Accept
MEA General Attestation:

Countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention 1961 require and accept Indian documents attested by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi as valid for further processing by their respective Embassies or Consulates for various purposes. Once attested, these documents can be used in the relevant foreign country