Free Sale Certificate Apostille and Embassy Attestation
A free sale certificate apostille is usually requested when a foreign regulator wants proof that your product is legally sold in India before it registers the product locally. In India the certificate comes from different authorities depending on the product: the DGFT Regional Authority for general goods, and the drug licensing authorities (State Licensing Authority or the Central Licensing Authority under CDSCO) for drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. INFINITYGRO helps exporters across India get these certificates legalized for use abroad.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
MEA attestation stamp and Apostille sticker
Can a free sale certificate issued online by DGFT be apostilled? Yes, in most cases. A free sale certificate apostille is done by the MEA on a document whose signature can be verified, so the printed certificate is usually first authenticated by a recognised Chamber of Commerce. Countries outside the Apostille Convention then need MEA attestation and embassy legalization instead. INFINITYGRO checks the printout and the destination before quoting.
Why foreign regulators ask for a free sale certificate
Many countries will not register an imported product until they see that the product is lawfully on sale in its home market. A free sale certificate gives them that assurance in one page. Health ministries, food authorities and product registration agencies in the Gulf, Africa, Latin America and South East Asia ask for it most often.
The certificate is only useful abroad if the foreign office can trust the signature on it. An officer in Riyadh or Lagos cannot check an Indian official's signature, so they ask for a chain of verification that ends with the MEA or their own embassy. That chain is what legalization means.
Tender boards and distributors also request it. A distributor who files your product dossier with a ministry usually needs the legalized original in hand before the file is accepted.
Key facts
| Issuer (general goods) | DGFT Regional Authority, applied for on the DGFT portal |
|---|---|
| Issuer (drugs, cosmetics, devices) | State Licensing Authority, or Central Licensing Authority (CDSCO) for Class C and D medical devices |
| Medical device portal | cdscomdonline.gov.in |
| Who signs | The issuing officer; your covering letter is signed by the authorised signatory |
| First step for legalization | Chamber of Commerce authentication (notarisation first if the embassy asks) |
| MEA step | Apostille for Convention countries, normal attestation for embassy-route countries |
| Apostille countries | UK, USA, most of Europe (not Germany), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey, Japan and others |
| MEA fee | Rs 50 per document for Apostille; normal attestation free |
Which Indian authority issues your certificate
The issuer depends on how the product is regulated in India. Getting this right matters because a certificate from the wrong office will be refused at registration stage, long before legalization becomes the problem.
Goods outside the Drugs and Cosmetics Act
For products such as food items, chemicals, engineering goods and consumer products, the Free Sale and Commerce Certificate is applied for online on the DGFT portal and issued by the DGFT Regional Authority. A DGFT trade notice of 31 August 2026 moved eligible applications to automatic issue, with some files still reviewed manually by the Regional Authority.
Drugs and cosmetics
Manufacturers licensed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act generally obtain the certificate from the State Licensing Authority that issued their manufacturing licence. CDSCO guidance ties its validity to the manufacturing licence.
Medical devices
Under CDSCO guidance, the Central Licensing Authority issues it for Class C and D devices and the State Licensing Authority for Class A and B devices. Applications go through cdscomdonline.gov.in. Products made only for export are excluded.
Preparing the certificate before legalization
Most free sale certificates are now generated on a portal and printed by the exporter. That is normal, and a printed copy can be legalized, but a few checks save time.
- Print in colour on clean A4, with any QR code or verification number fully readable.
- Confirm the product names exactly match the names in the buyer's registration file.
- Keep the certificate unlaminated and unstapled to other papers.
- Check that the validity has not lapsed. Embassies refuse expired certificates.
- If the embassy wants a covering letter, put it on company letterhead signed by the authorised signatory.
Some embassies ask for notarisation of portal printouts before the chamber stamp. We confirm this against the destination before you send anything, because the requirement changes from embassy to embassy.
Free Sale Certificate 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
Free sale certificate apostille route for Convention countries
For a country that has joined the Hague Apostille Convention, the route is short. The certificate is authenticated by a recognised Chamber of Commerce in Delhi such as FICCI, ASSOCHAM or the PHD Chamber, then the MEA applies the apostille. Once apostilled, the certificate goes straight to the buyer. No embassy step is needed.
Countries on this route include the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Turkey. Vietnam joined the Apostille route from 11 September 2026.
Remember that the MEA confirms the authenticating officer's signature only. It does not certify that your product is safe or approved. The foreign regulator still assesses that on its own. You can read more about how the MEA stage works on our MEA apostille page.
Embassy legalization for UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and China
Countries outside the Convention need a longer chain. The chamber authenticates the certificate, the MEA attests it, and the embassy of the destination country in New Delhi legalizes it.
- UAE: chamber, MEA attestation, UAE Embassy, then UAE MOFA attestation inside the UAE. Fees are covered on our UAE attestation charges page.
- Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan: chamber, MEA attestation, embassy.
- China: red-sticker notary first, then chamber, MEA attestation and the Chinese Embassy. India objected to China's accession, so an apostille is not accepted.
- Germany: Germany does not legalize Indian documents. German authorities may ask the German Embassy to verify the certificate instead.
Embassies set their own fees and usually charge more for commercial documents than for personal ones.
Arabic and French translations for registration files
Ministries in the Gulf and in French-speaking Africa often want the certificate in their own language. The translation is normally made after the original has been legalized, or legalized alongside it, depending on the ministry's rule. INFINITYGRO arranges certified translation in Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.
What to send us
- The free sale certificate printout, or the original if issued on paper.
- A copy of the manufacturing licence where the embassy needs supporting proof.
- The destination country and the name of the buyer or ministry.
- Any covering letter the embassy asks for, signed and stamped.
Courier the set to our office at New Ashok Nagar, Delhi, or drop it off if you are in Delhi NCR. We quote per document in writing before anything moves. Many exporters send the certificate of origin and the GMP certificate in the same batch, which keeps the chamber and MEA stages together.
Mistakes that delay a free sale certificate
- Applying for a DGFT certificate for a drug or cosmetic, which falls under the drug licensing authorities instead.
- Product names on the certificate that differ from the registration dossier abroad.
- Apostilling a certificate meant for the UAE or Qatar, which follow the embassy route.
- Sending an expired certificate or one past the validity of the manufacturing licence.
- Laminating the printout.
INFINITYGRO is a private agency and not a government office. We do not issue free sale certificates. We handle the legalization once you hold one. Contact us for a written quote.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Free Sale Certificate apostille FAQs
Who issues a free sale certificate for food products in India?
Food items fall outside the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, so exporters normally apply on the DGFT portal and the DGFT Regional Authority issues the Free Sale and Commerce Certificate. Some buyers also ask for your FSSAI licence as a supporting document.
Is a free sale certificate apostille accepted in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Saudi Arabia is part of the Apostille Convention, so a free sale certificate apostille from the MEA is the usual requirement. The Saudi ministry may add its own translation or registration steps.
Can I legalize a certificate issued by the State Drugs Controller?
Yes. It is prepared and sent through the same chamber and MEA chain. We check the signature, stamp and validity first.
Do I need the original or a copy?
The original certificate or the portal printout is used. A photocopy is not accepted by the chamber or the MEA unless the embassy specifically accepts certified copies.
Does the MEA check whether my product is approved?
No. The MEA verifies the authenticating officer's signature only. Product approval stays with the regulator in the importing country.
How much does it cost?
The MEA charges Rs 50 per apostille. The chamber and any embassy charge their own fees. We give a written quote per document before you send anything.
Need your Free Sale Certificate legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.