Birth Certificate Apostille in India: A Guide for Families
Families moving abroad, applying for a child's visa or claiming citizenship by descent usually need a birth certificate apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs. Your certificate is issued locally by a municipal corporation, gram panchayat or health officer under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. INFINITYGRO Attestation takes it from there.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Birth certificate apostille sample
What do I need for a birth certificate apostille in India? For a birth certificate apostille you need the original certificate issued by the registrar, a passport copy of the person named on it, and an affidavit if any name differs from the passport. It is then authenticated by an SDM in Delhi or by the state home department, and apostilled by the MEA. The Delhi route usually takes 2 to 3 working days.
When a family needs an apostilled birth certificate
A birth certificate is the first document most foreign offices ask for when a person moves, studies or settles abroad. You will typically need it apostilled for:
- A child's passport, visa or dependant permit abroad
- School admission in another country
- Citizenship by descent claimed through a parent
- A residence permit or family reunion visa
- OCI-related paperwork handled abroad
The apostille is a certificate from the MEA that confirms the signature of the Indian officer who authenticated the birth certificate. It says nothing about the details written on it, so those details need to be right before you start.
Key facts
| Law that governs it | Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (amended 2023) |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Local registrar: municipal body, panchayat or health officer |
| Digital certificates | Issued through the CRS system; single proof of date of birth from 1 October 2023 |
| Apostilled by | MEA, CPV Division |
| MEA fee | Rs 50 per document |
| Our Delhi route fee | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500; courier extra |
| Usual time | 2 to 3 working days on the Delhi route |
| Name not on certificate | Add it through the registrar before apostille |
The 2023 amendment and digital birth certificates
All states follow the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 came into force on 1 October 2023. For anyone born on or after that date, the birth certificate is the document used to prove date and place of birth for school admission, passports, Aadhaar, government jobs and other purposes.
Registrars now record births in the Civil Registration System of the Registrar General of India, at crsorgi.gov.in, and many states issue digitally signed certificates. A printed digital certificate carrying the registrar's details can be taken through the apostille process like a paper one.
If your certificate is older and handwritten, it remains valid in law. Some foreign offices still ask for a fresh computerised copy because older formats are hard for them to read. Ask the receiving office before you apply.
Two routes for a birth certificate apostille
A birth certificate is a personal document, so it is authenticated by an administrative officer rather than an education department.
Delhi route
The certificate is notarised, verified by an SDM in Delhi and then apostilled by the MEA. This is the usual choice and takes about 2 to 3 working days.
State route
The home department or general administration department of the issuing state authenticates the certificate, and the MEA then apostilles it. Use this when the receiving office specifically asks for state authentication.
The MEA apostille page explains how the final stage works.
Birth Certificate apostille by state
Choose the state or union territory that issued the document.
Missing names and late registration
Many older certificates show only "male" or "female" with no child's name. Section 14 of the Act lets a parent or guardian give the name to the registrar later, and the registrar enters it in the register. Get an updated certificate with the name before you send it for apostille, because a foreign office will not match a nameless certificate to a passport.
If a birth was never registered, the Act allows delayed registration with permission or orders from the authorities named in Section 13. The exact steps and documents depend on how much time has passed and on state rules. Parliament has also been considering stricter rules for very late registrations in 2026, so check the current position with your local registrar.
A spelling difference between the certificate and the passport needs an affidavit before submission.
Choosing the right copy of the certificate
Families often hold more than one paper that looks like a birth certificate. Only one of them works for the apostille. It is the certificate issued by the registrar of births and deaths, carrying the registrar's signature or digital signature, the registration number and the date of registration.
Papers that do not qualify include hospital discharge summaries, baptism or temple records, school leaving certificates and notarised affidavits of date of birth. A foreign office may accept some of these for other purposes, but they cannot replace the registrar's certificate.
If you have several copies from the registrar, use the most recent clean one. Check that the parents' names, the date and the place of birth match the passports you will submit abroad. A wrong spelling is far easier to fix with the registrar now than with a foreign immigration office later.
Getting this right first means the birth certificate apostille is done in one pass.
What changes from state to state
The law is national, but registration runs locally. Each state has a Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths, often within the health, planning or local bodies department. Some states run their own online portals, others use CRS directly. Certificates may be printed in the state language, English, or both.
On the state route, the authenticating officer also differs. Tamil Nadu uses its Public Department in Chennai, West Bengal its Home (Foreigners and NRIs) department, and Gujarat its General Administration Department.
Choose your state from the state directory below for local issuers, portals and notes. One example is the Kerala birth certificate page.
Countries that accept an Indian apostille
Apostilled birth certificates are accepted in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and most of Europe. The exceptions matter for families:
- China: does not accept Indian apostilles after India objected in September 2023.
- Germany: verifies Indian civil documents through its embassy.
- UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt: need MEA attestation plus embassy legalization.
For a dependant visa in the Gulf, see our embassy attestation service.
If you are not sure which group your destination falls into, tell us the country and the purpose when you contact us. We will confirm the correct process before you post anything, so you do not pay for the wrong stamp.
Costs and what to post to us
The MEA charges Rs 50 for each birth certificate apostille. Our all-inclusive Delhi route fee is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, plus courier.
- Original birth certificate, not laminated
- Passport copy of the person named on it (or a parent's, for a young child without a passport)
- Affidavit for any name or spelling difference
- Certified translation if the certificate is not in English
Send the documents to C-5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi 110096, or drop them off from Delhi NCR. We return them by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. Need a translation? We arrange certified translations in all major languages.
What a birth certificate apostille looks like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Birth Certificate apostille FAQs
Can a hospital birth record be apostilled?
A hospital discharge note is not a birth certificate. The apostille needs the certificate issued by the registrar of births and deaths.
My certificate has no name. What do I do?
Ask the registrar who issued it to enter the child's name under Section 14 of the Act and give you an updated certificate. Then apply for the apostille.
Is a downloaded digital birth certificate accepted?
A digitally signed certificate issued through the official system can be processed. Paper printouts of unofficial scans cannot.
My birth certificate is old and handwritten. Is that a problem?
It is still valid, and some offices accept it. If the receiving office asks for a computerised copy, get a fresh extract from the registrar first.
Do I need a separate apostille for each child?
Yes. Each certificate is a separate document with its own apostille and Rs 50 fee.
Can parents send the documents on behalf of a child?
Yes. Parents usually handle it. Include a copy of a parent's passport if the child has none.
Can I correct a mistake on the certificate after the apostille?
No. A correction means a new certificate from the registrar, and the new one needs its own apostille. Fix errors before you apply.
Send your birth certificate details
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and one total price.