Certificate of Conformity Apostille and Embassy Attestation
A certificate of conformity apostille shows a foreign customs office or regulator that the signature on your Indian conformity certificate is genuine. In India a CoC may come from the Bureau of Indian Standards, which grants certificates of conformity under Scheme-IV of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. It may also come from a private inspection or certification body, or from the manufacturer as a self-declaration.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
MEA attestation stamp and Apostille sticker
Who issues a certificate of conformity in India, and can it be apostilled? Three kinds exist: BIS certificates, reports from inspection or certification bodies, and manufacturer declarations on letterhead. Each can be legalized if it carries a proper signature and seal. After notarisation and Chamber authentication, the MEA issues a certificate of conformity apostille for Hague countries, or attestation for the embassy route.
First identify which CoC you hold
Importers use the phrase certificate of conformity loosely. Before legalizing anything, check which of these you actually have.
BIS certificate
The Bureau of Indian Standards runs several product schemes under its 2018 conformity assessment regulations. Scheme-I is the familiar ISI mark licence. Electronics registration runs under a separate registration scheme. Scheme-IV is the one BIS describes as a product certification scheme for the grant of a certificate of conformity.
Inspection or certification body report
Private inspection and testing firms issue CoCs after checking a lot against a standard or a buyer's specification. Some importing countries name an approved body in their own programmes.
Manufacturer declaration
Many buyers accept a declaration of conformity on the maker's letterhead, signed by a director or quality head.
Key facts
| Possible issuers | Bureau of Indian Standards; accredited inspection or certification bodies; the manufacturer itself |
|---|---|
| BIS framework | BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 under the BIS Act, 2016; Scheme-IV covers certificates of conformity |
| Who signs | Authorised officer of the certifying body, or a director or quality head for a manufacturer declaration |
| First step | Notarisation of the signed original or certified copy |
| Second step | Recognised Chamber of Commerce authentication |
| MEA step | Apostille or normal attestation, by destination |
| Embassy countries | UAE (plus MOFA), Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, China and others |
| MEA fee | Rs 50 per document for Apostille; normal attestation free |
Why a buyer or customs office wants it legalized
A CoC is a technical promise: these goods meet this standard. Customs and standards authorities in the Gulf, Africa and parts of Asia may clear goods or register a product only against conformity proof. When the paper comes from a foreign issuer, they want a government chain that confirms the signature.
Tender committees also ask for legalized conformity certificates with bids for electrical goods, pipes, cables and building materials. In those cases the CoC usually sits alongside a commercial invoice and a certificate of origin.
Preparing each type for the chain
- BIS documents: use the signed certificate or licence as issued. If you only have a portal download, a director should certify the printout as a true copy on letterhead before notarisation. Ask us before you print, as treatment of portal copies can vary.
- Inspection-body CoCs: the original carries the body's signature and stamp. Keep it unlaminated and unaltered.
- Manufacturer declarations: print on company letterhead, quote the standard, product, model or batch numbers, and sign with name, designation, date and seal.
The MEA checks only the authenticating officer's signature. It does not check whether the goods meet the standard. The certifier is responsible for the technical content.
Certificate of Conformity route by destination country
Each card shows whether the country takes an MEA Apostille or embassy legalization. Click a flag for that country.
UAEEmbassy legalization
QatarEmbassy legalization
KuwaitEmbassy legalization
Saudi ArabiaApostille
OmanApostille
EgyptEmbassy legalization
IraqEmbassy legalization
ChinaEmbassy legalization
VietnamApostille
IndonesiaApostille
United KingdomApostille
United StatesApostille
No country matches. Call us: we handle most embassies in New Delhi.
Apostille MEA Apostille is the final stepEmbassy legalization MEA attestation, then the embassy in New DelhiGerman verification verified through the German Embassy
Matching the CoC to the shipment
Shipment-specific CoCs fail most often on detail. The consignee, invoice number, product description, quantity and batch numbers should match the invoice and packing list exactly. A Chamber officer comparing a set of documents may hold the whole set if one number differs.
Annual or type CoCs are different. They cover a product model, not a lot. Check the validity date and make sure the model numbers listed are the ones you are shipping.
When the buyer names the certifier
Some contracts and import programmes say exactly who must issue the conformity certificate. A Gulf importer may want a named inspection firm. A tender may ask for a third-party certificate and refuse a factory declaration. Read the purchase order or letter of credit before booking the inspection, because legalization cannot turn the wrong issuer into the right one.
If the buyer only asks for a CoC with no further detail, ask them in writing which form they accept. A short email answer now saves a second inspection, a second notarisation and a second certificate of conformity apostille later.
Where both a BIS document and a private CoC exist for the same product, the buyer may want both. Each is a separate document with its own fee at every stage.
Certificate of conformity apostille or embassy legalization
After the notary, a recognised Chamber of Commerce authenticates the document. Delhi chambers we use include FICCI, ASSOCHAM, PHD Chamber, Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Indian Chamber of Commerce. Not every chamber authenticates technical certificates, so we choose accordingly.
- Apostille: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe (not Germany), Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey, and Vietnam from 11 September 2026.
- UAE: MEA attestation, UAE Embassy in New Delhi, UAE MOFA.
- Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Yemen: MEA attestation and the embassy.
- China: red-sticker notary, Chamber, MEA attestation, Chinese Embassy.
- Germany: no legalization of Indian documents.
More on MEA Apostille and embassy attestation.
Packing your CoC for courier
- The signed original CoC or a properly certified copy.
- Invoice and packing list if the CoC is shipment-specific and the receiving office wants a matched set.
- Destination country and the receiving authority's name.
- Translation needs, if any. We arrange certified translation.
Delhi NCR clients can visit our office in New Ashok Nagar. Others courier the documents. Return is by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. We do not offer home pickup.
Common reasons for rejection
- Unsigned or unstamped copies, or a plain portal printout without certification.
- Product names or batch numbers differing from the invoice.
- A declaration signed by someone with no authority to bind the company.
- An expired type certificate.
- Apostille obtained for a UAE or Qatar shipment that needs embassy legalization.
Most of these problems are cheaper to fix at the source. A certifying body can reissue a corrected certificate before notarisation. After the Chamber or MEA stamp, a correction usually means restarting the whole chain with a new original.
Charges
The MEA charges Rs 50 per document for an Apostille, and MEA normal attestation is free. Chambers and embassies set their own fees, and embassies usually charge more for commercial papers. INFINITYGRO quotes each document in writing before you send it, with courier extra. Request a quote.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Certificate of Conformity apostille FAQs
Can a self-declared CoC from our factory be apostilled?
Yes, if it is on letterhead, signed by an authorised person with name, designation and seal, and the receiving country accepts a manufacturer declaration.
Is a BIS certificate the same as a CoC?
BIS issues several things. Scheme-I gives an ISI mark licence, and Scheme-IV grants a certificate of conformity. Check which one your buyer has asked for.
Does a certificate of conformity apostille prove the goods meet the standard?
No. The Apostille only confirms the authenticating officer's signature and seal. Technical compliance rests with the certifier.
Our CoC is for Dubai. Which route?
The UAE route: notary, Chamber, MEA attestation, UAE Embassy in New Delhi, then UAE MOFA.
Can a foreign inspection company's CoC issued in India be legalized here?
If it was signed in India by the body's Indian office, it can usually follow the Indian chain. A certificate signed abroad is legalized in that country.
Do you translate technical certificates?
Yes, into Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and others. Ask the buyer whether the translation must be legalized too.
Can the CoC be legalized with the invoice and packing list?
Yes. Legalizing a matched set together helps ensure that names and numbers line up across all documents.
Need your Certificate of Conformity legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.