Nursing Certificate Apostille and Attestation for Jobs Abroad
A nursing certificate apostille is what most overseas hospitals, recruiters and licensing bodies ask for before an Indian nurse can be hired. Your papers come from three places: the university that awarded your BSc Nursing, the state nursing examination board or council that conducted your GNM or ANM exams, and the state nursing council that registered you. INFINITYGRO legalizes each of these through the Ministry of External Affairs and, for Gulf states that need it, the embassy.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Degree certificate apostille sample
Which nursing documents need a nursing certificate apostille? Usually the final qualification (BSc Nursing degree, GNM or ANM diploma), the mark sheets and the state nursing council registration certificate. Each one is a separate nursing certificate apostille. Your employer's checklist decides the final list. Gulf countries such as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait need MEA attestation plus embassy legalization in place of an apostille.
Three issuers, one nursing career
Nurses rarely carry a single certificate. A typical file has an academic qualification, its mark sheets and a registration certificate. Each is signed by a different office, so each needs its own checks before the MEA will stamp it.
- BSc Nursing or Post Basic BSc: a degree certificate from a university, signed by the registrar or controller of examinations.
- GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) and ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife): diplomas issued after an exam held by the state nursing council or a state nursing examination board.
- Registration certificate: issued by the state nursing council once you are entered on its register as a nurse, midwife or ANM.
The old site had separate pages for nursing degrees and nursing diplomas. This page now covers both, because the attestation logic is the same once you know who signed the paper.
Key facts
| BSc Nursing issued by | The university your college is affiliated to |
|---|---|
| GNM / ANM issued by | State nursing council or nursing examination board |
| Registration | State nursing council registration certificate (RN, RM, ANM) |
| First step | Notary and SDM (Delhi route) or the state department (state route) |
| Online option | e-Sanad, where the council or university is connected |
| MEA step | Apostille, Rs 50 government fee per document |
| Apostille countries | UK, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, USA, Canada, Australia |
| Embassy route | UAE (then UAE MOFA), Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan |
Why foreign employers want it legalized
A hospital in Riyadh or a care home in Manchester cannot easily confirm an Indian signature. The apostille or attestation tells them that a known Indian officer verified the signature on your certificate. MEA checks the signature only, not your marks or your training hours.
Gulf health ministries and licensing authorities often make attested certificates part of the work visa and licence file. In the UK and Ireland, the nursing regulator usually runs its own verification with your college or council, but recruiters, visa files or employers may still ask for apostilled copies. Follow the checklist you were given. If it says nothing, ask the recruiter before you spend money on documents nobody needs.
Nursing certificate apostille: the three routes
There is more than one way to reach the MEA. We pick the one that suits your issuer and your deadline.
Delhi route
The certificate is notarised in Delhi, verified by the SDM and then apostilled by the MEA. It works for certificates from any state and usually takes 2 to 3 working days at our end. For most nurses this is the fastest way to complete a nursing certificate apostille.
State route
The issuing state's Education or HRD department verifies the document first, then it goes to the MEA. Some employers in the Gulf name this route on their checklist. It depends on the state's own office and is usually slower.
e-Sanad route
Some councils and universities are connected to the MEA's e-Sanad system. Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council, for example, runs its own verification step and fee before the nurse applies on esanad.nic.in. A passport copy is needed, and you pay the council and e-Sanad separately.
Nursing 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
BahrainApostille
United KingdomApostille
United StatesApostille
ItalyApostille
FranceApostille
ChinaEmbassy legalization
MalaysiaEmbassy legalization
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
Handling the nursing council registration
The registration certificate proves you are licensed to practise in India. Overseas regulators usually want to see it alongside your qualification. Some also ask for a good standing or verification letter sent directly from the council. That letter is a different process from an apostille, and we cannot request it on your behalf.
Check two things before sending your registration paper:
- The name matches your passport exactly, including surname order.
- Renewal, if your state requires it, is current. An expired card may be refused by the employer even after it is apostilled.
If you moved states and registered twice, send both certificates and tell us which one the employer asked for.
Country routes for nursing jobs
Apostille countries. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada and Australia accept the MEA apostille. No embassy visit is needed.
UAE. Certificates get MEA attestation, then UAE Embassy attestation in New Delhi, then UAE MOFA attestation, which is done online. Ask us about the UAE embassy fees before you start.
Qatar and Kuwait. MEA attestation followed by the embassy in New Delhi. Embassy fees are set by each embassy and are extra.
Germany. Germany does not legalize Indian documents. German authorities may ask for verification through the German Embassy instead. Read more on our embassy attestation page.
What to courier to our Delhi office
- The original degree or diploma, and the mark sheets of every year if your checklist lists them.
- The original state nursing council registration certificate.
- A clear passport copy (front and back pages).
- The employer's or recruiter's checklist, so we match the route to it.
Delhi NCR clients can drop off at New Ashok Nagar. Everyone else couriers in, and we return the papers by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. We do not offer home pickup. Your transcript can be handled in the same batch if it is open and unsealed.
Fees and timing
Our all-inclusive Delhi route costs Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, covering notary, SDM, the MEA fee and our service. The MEA government fee within that is Rs 50 per apostille. Courier is extra. Embassy fees for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other non-Apostille countries are charged on top. A nurse sending a degree, four mark sheets and a registration certificate has six documents, and each one carries its own nursing certificate apostille. Ask us for a written quote first. We confirm the count, the route and any embassy charge in writing before you courier anything, so there are no surprises when the papers come back.
Where nursing files go wrong
- Laminated certificates. Lamination stops the stamp from being applied.
- Name differences between the diploma, council card and passport.
- Sending only the degree when the employer asked for the registration certificate too.
- Apostilling papers for the UAE or Qatar, which need the embassy route.
- Sealed transcript envelopes. They cannot be stamped without opening them.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Nursing Certificate apostille FAQs
Is GNM attested the same way as BSc Nursing?
Yes. The route to the MEA is the same. The difference is who signed it: a state nursing council or exam board for GNM, a university for BSc Nursing.
Can my ANM certificate be apostilled?
Yes. ANM diplomas and ANM registration certificates are educational documents and follow the same Delhi, state or e-Sanad routes.
Do I need a nursing certificate apostille for the UK?
Only if your recruiter, employer or visa checklist asks for it. The UK nursing regulator usually verifies qualifications directly, so check your instructions first.
My certificate is from Kerala but I live in Gujarat. Is that a problem?
No. The Delhi route accepts certificates from any state, and you can courier them to us from anywhere in India.
Can you attest a photocopy?
The MEA stamps the original, or a copy only where the route and the employer allow it. Send originals unless we confirm otherwise for your case.
Does INFINITYGRO translate nursing documents?
Yes. We arrange certified translation into Arabic and other languages when the destination asks for it.
How do I start?
Send photos of your certificates and checklist on WhatsApp or through our contact page. We confirm the route and quote before you courier anything.
Need your Nursing Certificate legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.