Educational Document Attestation from Any Indian State
Educational document attestation makes an Indian degree, diploma, mark sheet or transcript acceptable to an employer, university or licensing body abroad. The chain ends at the Ministry of External Affairs, with an embassy stamp added for some countries. INFINITYGRO handles certificates from every state board and university, sent to our Delhi office by courier.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
MEA attestation stamp and Apostille sticker
Which route should my certificates take? For most files, educational document attestation goes Notary, then SDM in Delhi, then MEA, which usually takes 2 to 3 working days. Choose the state Education (HRD) route if your checklist asks for it, or e-Sanad if your university is connected. Then add an embassy stamp only if the country is outside the Apostille Convention.
Why foreign offices want your certificates legalized
An HR officer in Doha or an admissions team in Milan has no way to tell a real Indian degree from a fake. A chain of government signatures settles that, and you do not need to visit any office yourself. Each office in the chain vouches for the signature below it, and the last one is a stamp the foreign office knows.
Requests usually come from three places: employers sponsoring a work visa, universities admitting you for further study, and regulators that license doctors, nurses, engineers or teachers. Family visas can also need the spouse's degree in some Gulf countries.
Key facts
| Covers | Degrees, diplomas, 10th/12th certificates, mark sheets, transcripts, professional degrees |
|---|---|
| Route 1 | Delhi: Notary, SDM, then MEA |
| Route 2 | State Education/HRD department, then MEA |
| Route 3 | e-Sanad online verification, for connected boards and universities |
| Unit of work | Each certificate or mark sheet is a separate apostille |
| Our Delhi route price | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, all-inclusive; courier extra |
| MEA fee | Rs 50 per apostille, included in our price |
| Embassy step | Extra, for UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China and other non-apostille countries |
Which certificates we handle
The same routes apply to every level of study. Pick your document for the details that matter to it:
Educational document attestation follows the same pattern for all of these, with small differences in preparation.
- School: 10th certificate and 12th mark sheets from CBSE, ICSE, NIOS and state boards.
- Degrees: degree certificates for BA, BCom, BSc, MA, MSc, MBA, PhD and others.
- Diplomas: diploma certificates from polytechnics and technical boards.
- Transcripts: transcripts and consolidated mark sheets.
- Professional degrees: MBBS, BTech, BE, nursing, pharmacy and law.
Three ways to the MEA stamp
1. Delhi notary and SDM
A Delhi notary certifies the original, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate countersigns, and the MEA adds its apostille or attestation. It is accepted for most destinations, wherever in India the certificate was issued, and usually takes 2 to 3 working days.
2. State Education or HRD department
The education department of the issuing state verifies the certificate, often by writing to the university. MEA names this department as the authority for educational documents. It takes longer and each state runs it differently. See HRD attestation.
3. e-Sanad
e-Sanad is the MEA's online verification system. If your board or university is connected, it verifies the document online and a passport copy is needed. Coverage is growing but far from complete.
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
ChinaEmbassy legalization
EgyptEmbassy legalization
United KingdomApostille
United StatesApostille
GermanyGerman verification
SpainApostille
VietnamApostille
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
Educational document attestation by destination
The final step depends on the country, not on the certificate.
- Apostille countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe except Germany, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Turkey, and Vietnam from 11 September 2026): the MEA apostille is the last step.
- UAE: MEA attestation, then the UAE Embassy, then UAE MOFA in the UAE. State HRD is needed only if the employer asks.
- Qatar and Kuwait: MEA attestation, then the embassy in New Delhi.
- China: MEA attestation and Chinese Embassy legalization, because India objected to China's accession to the convention.
- Germany: does not legalize Indian documents. German authorities may verify through the German Embassy, and universities usually rely on their own checks.
Each paper counts separately
Every certificate, mark sheet and transcript is a separate apostille with its own fee. A BTech graduate sending a degree, a consolidated mark sheet and a 12th certificate is sending three documents, not one file.
Before you send a stack, check what the receiving office actually wants. Many employers ask only for the highest degree. Universities often want transcripts too. Paying for papers nobody asked for is the most common waste we see.
Sealed transcript envelopes cannot be stamped. If your university issued one, ask for an extra open copy for attestation and keep the sealed one for the admissions office.
Educational document attestation for work, study and licensing
The purpose changes what you should send, even when the country is the same.
Work visas
Gulf employers usually want the highest degree attested so the visa can show your qualification. Some job titles, such as engineer or teacher, depend on it. Read the HR checklist closely, because a few employers also want the state HRD step or the 12th certificate.
Further study
Universities in Europe and elsewhere tend to ask for the degree and the transcript or mark sheets, since they assess grades and credits. Many will take an apostille from the MEA on both. Check whether they also want a sworn translation into the local language.
Professional registration
Medical councils, nursing boards and engineering regulators abroad often have the longest lists. They may want internship certificates, registration certificates from the Indian council and the degree, each one attested. Ask for their written list before you start.
Problems that stop a certificate
- Lamination, which leaves no surface for a seal.
- A name that differs from the passport, with no affidavit.
- Degrees from institutions without recognition, which a notary or state department may refuse.
- An apostille obtained for a UAE or Qatar job, which their embassies will not legalize.
- Distance or private-university degrees where the employer abroad has its own rules. Check with them first.
Price and sending your originals
Our all-inclusive Delhi route is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document. That covers the notary, SDM, the MEA fee of Rs 50 and our service. Courier is extra. Embassy fees for non-apostille countries are extra and depend on the embassy.
Courier the originals with a passport copy to our office in New Ashok Nagar, Delhi, or drop them off if you are in Delhi NCR. We send them back by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. We do not collect from homes. If the receiving office wants a translation, we arrange certified translation too.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Frequently asked questions
Can a certificate from Kerala or Gujarat use the Delhi route?
Yes. The Delhi notary and SDM route accepts educational documents from any state, and most destinations accept the result.
Do I need my 10th and 12th certificates attested as well as my degree?
Only if the receiving office asks. Many employers want the highest qualification alone. Universities and some regulators ask for the full set.
Is a provisional certificate acceptable?
It can be attested, but some employers want the final degree. Check before you spend money on it.
Can someone else send my certificates for me?
Yes. A parent or friend can courier the originals with your passport copy. Some state departments ask for an authority letter, which we will tell you about when we quote.
Can I send photocopies?
No. The chain starts from the original. The MEA does not legalize photocopies.
How long does educational document attestation take?
The Delhi route usually takes 2 to 3 working days. The state route and embassy steps add time, which we confirm when we quote.
Do you help with the UAE equivalency process?
We handle the attestation chain. Equivalency is applied for in the UAE, and an attested degree is part of that file.
Is a degree attested for Saudi Arabia valid for Qatar?
No. Saudi Arabia takes an apostille, while Qatar needs MEA attestation and Qatar Embassy legalization. Each destination has its own chain.
Need documents legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.