MEA Attestation/ Apostile of Documents : Ministry of External Affairs

Organisation : Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Facility Name : Attestation/ Apostile of Documents
Applicable State/UT : All India
Website : https://www.mea.gov.in/apostille.htm

What is Apostile?

Apostille is acceptable in all member-countries of the Convention (For more info please visit the website: www.hcch.net). 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.

Related / Similar Facility : MEA Bachelorhood/ Single Status Certificate

As India is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, 1961, no further attestation or legalization of a document apostilled by a member country, should be required for using such apostilled document in India. An apostilled document should, therefore, be treated as legalized document for all purposes in India by all concerned, in accordance with the international obligation under the Convention.

How To Apply For Attestation/Apostile of Documents?

A. E-sanad:
e-Service for verification & attestation of documents of Indian Citizens. Detatils of e-Sanad can be obtained by following thefollowing Link..pdf

B. Attestation/apostille of documents not covered under E-sanad:
Step-1: Authentication of Documents

Step-2: Deposition of Documents with authorized Outsource Service Provider.

Step-3: Receipt of apostilled/Attested documents from Outsource agencies.

Important Note:
Legalisation of documents:
The Ministry of External Affairs thereafter, legalises the documents on the basis of the signature of the designated signing authorities of the State Government/Union Territory/Chambers of Commerce. Hence it does not take responsibility of the contents of the documents.

Outsourcing of receipt and Delivery of Documents:
As a result to outsourcing of receipt and delivery of documents for attestation/Apostille with effect from July 2012, no document is directly accepted from individuals at the Ministry of External Affairs Counter at CPV Division, Patiala House Annexe, New Delhi. The original document/true copy is to be submitted directly to any of the four outsourced service providers along with a photocopy of the document and a photocopy of the Passport of the applicant. It would be pertinent to point out that the Ministry does not legalize photocopies. Applicants are advised not to rely on unauthorised persons/touts for Apostille or Attestation services.

Decentralization of Attestation/ Apostille Services:
W.e.f. January 01 2019, Attestation/Apostille services have been decentralized to Branch Secretariats/RPOs in 15 cities Ahemdabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, New Delhi, Guwahati,, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Panaji, Raipur and Thiruvanantapuram.

The contact details of these RPOs and the collection centres of the four service providers in these 15 cities are as given above.NORKA ROOTS, a public sector company under the Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs, Government of Kerala is authorized to submit documents for Attestation/Apostille by RPO, Thiruvanantapuram .

Applicants are requested to approach their respective Branch Secretariats/RPOs as enumerated above through the four outsourced service providers for obtaining the requisite services of apostille/attestation as required.

Fees For Apostille & Normal Attestation

MEA: A fee of Rs 50 is payable for Apostille of document. (W.e.f 21 December 2016, payment by means of postal orders has been discontinued.) Normal Attestation is done free of cost.

Outsourced agencies: As the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is not accepting documents directly from the applicant/individual, all documents for the purpose of Attestation/Apostille by MEA are to be submitted and collected from the four designated outsourced agencies. The fee chargeable by the outsourced agencies per document for its collection and delivery for Apostille/normal attestation by MEA will be Rs. 90/- (Service Fee) and Rs 3 per page (Scanning Fee) .

For more information, suggestions or any grievance please contact:
Attestation Section/Apostille Cell:
Ministry of External Affairs
Jawahar Lal Nehru Bhawan, Janapath Marg,
New Delhi-110011.
Telephone : 011-49018403 (Attestation)
49018404 (Apostille)

CPV Division:
Ministry of External Affairs
Patiala House Annexe,
Tilak Marg
New Delhi -110001

Fax: 011-23782821
Email: uscpv[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in

Fax : 011- 49016638
Email : sooi[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in, soatt1[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in

Additional Simplified Procedure

Steps to Apply:

Identify the required process:
Determine if you need attestation or apostille based on the document type and recipient country. You can refer to the MEA website for guidance: https://mea.gov.in/apostille-menu.htm

Prepare your documents:
Ensure you have the original document, photocopies, and any other required documents like passport copy or translation.

Submit your application:
There are two main options:

Through MEA outsourced service providers:
This is the current method for individuals. Submit your documents to any of the authorized service providers listed on the MEA website.

eSanad (online portal):
This option is available for specific document types issued by Indian authorities. Check the eSanad website for eligibility: https://esanad.nic.in/

Pay the fees:
Fees vary depending on the document type and processing method. Check the MEA website or service provider for specific details.

Track your application:
You can track the status of your application through the service provider’s website or eSanad portal.