Apostille
India, since 2005, is a member of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 that abolished the requirement of legalization of foreign public documents, the Apostille convention, or the Apostille Treaty, is an International treaty drafted by the Hague Conference on private international law. It specifies the modalities through which a document issued in one of the signatory countries can be certified for legal purposes in all the other signatory states. Apostille is acceptable in 109 member-countries of the convention.
It specifies the modalities through which a document issued in one of the signatory countries can be certified for legal purposes in all the other signatory states.Every year, a huge number of people leave India to settle abroad. There are better opportunities available abroad and people want to make the best use of it. For many people, moving abroad is not only a professional choice but also a choice they make for the betterment of their families. Many countries offer higher standard of living, better education for kids, better healthcare along with better job opportunities.
A great number of students leave India to study abroad as well. Universities abroad have a huge pool of students from all over the world. Studying abroad helps students in numerous ways. It helps the students to develop relationships with other students, understand new cultures and network with people from all around the world.
There are multiple preliminary steps that need to be taken before you can finally move abroad and start your life in a new country. Legalization of documents is one of them. No matter what country you plan on moving to, you will need to legalize your documents that have been issued in your home country. Legalization is a crucial step because you can get your Study Permit or Work Permit only after your relevant documents have been duly Legalized by the concerned Embassy/Authority.
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What is Apostille ?
Apostille Attestation or simply known as “Apostille” is simply a Legalization procedure that is done on documents like Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Transfer Certificate, Degree Certificate, Marklist, Provisional Certificate, Pcc and so on. Apostille is also done over Commercial Documents like Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate, Incorporation Certificate, Power of Attorney, Free Sale Certificate and so on.
Why is Apostille required ?
Apostille is required so that the relevant document can be legally used in the country that a person is moving to. If you are moving to a country for Employment purposes, your Educational document like your Degree, Diploma or any educational certificate will have to be Apostilled. If you plan on bringing your family along with you, then your Marriage Certificate and your child’s Birth Certificate will have to be Apostilled.
If there is a company that plans to do business in a foreign country, then there will be certain Commercial Documents that will need to be Apostilled so that they can be legally used in that relevant foreign country
What are the stages to get Apostille done?
There are three stages to be done for Apostille on Educational/Personal documents
Local Level
The first step is the Notary which is done at the Local or Regional Level. In case of a Commercial Document, the first step is to get the Chamber of Commerce attestation which is done.
State Level
At this stage, document attestation involves the Home Department, HR Department, and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, with the latter being equivalent to the Home Department, contingent on document type and state of origin..
MEA Level
Apostille Attestation done by the Ministry of External Affairs. This is the final stage of the Apostille process. The MEA will place the Apostille sticker on the backside of the document.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
We make sure that we provide you with the lowest possible price, premium quality service & the best turnaround time as an all-inclusive package so that you can comfortably relax & let us handle the worries of the Apostille procedures.
No, as of now, HRD is not a mandatory step to Apostille done on Educational documents. The only exception is Italy, HRD is mandatory to be done on an Educational document before it is Apostilled so that it can be used in Italy
No, there will be no problems at all. In case of a laminated document, we make sure that we take out only a certain part of the lamination so that all the stamps can be easily placed on the backside of the document.
The original document/document (Degree Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Transfer Certificate, etc) will be required for the Apostille since all the stamps will be placed on the backside of the document. In some cases, the Passport Copy (First & Last Page) will also be required as supporting document.
Yes, we at Star Attestation make sure we are extremely careful while handling your documents since we know how important your documents are to you. We only use premium courier service providers for our courier requirements so that your documents are not only carefully handled but also that you receive them in time.
Yes, we can have your documents picked up from your residence and have them dropped via courier. We guide you as to how to make sure your documents remain in proper condition in transit so that no damage will be done to the documents.
Who does Apostille on the documents ?
Apostille is done in India by the Ministry of External Affairs which is the authority that issues the Apostille sticker. This Apostille sticker is applied on the backside of the document. It contains relevant information like date on which Apostille was done on the document, name of the document, name of the officer who provided the sticker. The concerned Educational/Personal/Commercial document will have to get certain Attestation done at the State Level before it can proceed to the MEA to get Apostille done on it.
Can I get Apostille done myself ?
It is not practical or easy to get Apostille done on your documents yourself. This is because it is time & energy consuming. Moreover, it might end up costing you more money if you try to get Apostille done yourself as compared to getting it done via an agency who can get it done for you.
Is Apostille country specific? Will it be mentioned on the Apostille sticker that my document can be used in “XYZ” country ?
No, Apostille is not country specific. For example, if you plan on moving to Austria and you get your Degree Certificate Apostilled, then the Apostille sticker will not specifically say that the Degree Certificate will be valid in Austria. This is because the whole purpose of Apostille is to eradicate the necessary Legalization required from the Embassy of that specific country. This basically means that once the document is Apostilled, it can be used in all the 116 countries that are part of the Hague Convention.
What is the validity of Apostille ?
Generally the validity of the Apostille sticker is six months. But it may vary contry to country. In certain countries its valid lifetime.
Is the process for Apostille same for all documents ?
No, the process for Apostille differs depending on the type of document (Educational / Personal) and the state from which it is issued. The process to get Apostille done on Commercial documents is the same (Chamber of Commerce + Apostille) regardless of which state it is issued from.
Is the price payable for Apostille the same for all documents ?
No, the price payable for Apostille differs according to the type of document (Educational/Personal/Commercial) and the state from which it issued. Please get in touch with us so that we can provide you with the best quote possible.
Is the duration required for Apostille the same for all documents ?
We, at Star Attestation make sure the whole Apostille process is generally completed within 5 to 6 Working Days regardless of the type of document (Educational/Personal/Commercial)
For Apostille to be done on Commercial documents, there are two steps involved
- Step 1 - The Commercial document will require the Chamber of Commerce attestation As the first step.
- Step 2 - Apostille done through Ministry of External Affairs. This is the final stage of The Apostille process. The MEA will place the Apostille sticker on the backside of the document.
When is Apostille required ?
- Apostille is required when a certain document needs to be used in a foreign country for any of the below mentioned reasons
- For Employment purposes
- For Educational purposes
- For Business purposes
Which documents can be Apostilled ?
- There are mainly three broad categories of documents that can be Apostilled. They are –
- Personal Documents - Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, Transfer Certificate, Death Certificate, Passport Copy, Medical Certificate, Personal Power of Attorney and so on.
- Educational Documents - Degree Certificate, Diploma Certificate, Mark-list, School Leaving Certificate and so on.
- Commercial Documents - Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate, Board Resolution, Certificate of Incorporation, Agency Agreement and so on.
Apostille is valid in which countries ?
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Antigua Barbuda
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Israel
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malawi
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent & The Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Slovakia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela