Passport Copy Apostille for Company Formation and Bank KYC Abroad
A passport copy apostille is a common request from Indians opening a company, a bank account or a brokerage account abroad. Your passport is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs through the Passport Seva system, but the passport book itself is not sent for an apostille. What gets legalized is a true copy certified by a notary, which is then verified and stamped.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Birth certificate apostille sample
Can MEA apostille a photocopy of my passport? Not a plain photocopy. MEA states that it does not legalise photocopies. For a passport copy apostille, a notary first certifies the copy as a true copy of the original passport. That notarial certificate is verified by the SDM in Delhi, and MEA then apostilles it. The stamp confirms the notary's verified signature, not the passport's content.
Why the passport itself is not apostilled
An apostille is placed on a document so that it can travel and be accepted elsewhere. Your passport already does that job. You also cannot hand it over for days while it moves between offices, and nobody wants stamps on its pages.
So foreign banks, company registries and corporate service providers ask for a certified copy instead. MEA's own guidance says it does not legalise photocopies and needs an original or a true copy. The practical answer in India is a copy that a notary has compared with your original passport and certified.
The apostille confirms the verified signature of the notary. It does not confirm that your passport is valid, and it does not replace the passport for travel.
Key facts
| Passport issued by | Ministry of External Affairs, through Passport Seva |
|---|---|
| What is legalized | A notarised true copy, not the passport book or a plain photocopy |
| Pages usually copied | Bio-data page and address page; some offices want all pages |
| First step | Notary certifies the copy against the original |
| Delhi route | Notary (Delhi) then SDM (Delhi) then MEA |
| MEA step | Apostille (Rs 50 government fee) or normal attestation (free) |
| Common uses | Company formation abroad, director KYC, bank and brokerage accounts |
| Embassy route | UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, China and others |
Who asks for a legalized passport copy
- Company formation abroad. Registries and formation agents in places such as the UK, European states and Gulf free zones often ask each director and shareholder for a certified passport copy.
- Bank KYC. Opening a personal or corporate account overseas without visiting the branch.
- Brokerage and investment accounts held with foreign institutions.
- Property purchase or lease where a foreign notary or registry needs proof of identity.
- Powers of attorney signed in India for use abroad, where the copy goes with the affidavit or authority document.
Each receiving office has its own wording. Some ask for a copy "certified and apostilled". Others want the certifier to write a specific sentence. Send us their instructions with your order.
How a passport copy apostille is done
- Prepare the copy. Clear colour copies of the pages the receiving office asked for, usually the bio-data page and the last page with your address.
- Notary certification. A notary in Delhi compares the copy with your original passport and certifies it as a true copy, with signature, seal and register entry.
- SDM verification. The SDM office in Delhi verifies the notary's signature.
- MEA. The CPV Division adds the apostille or normal attestation.
Because the notary must see the original, this is easiest if you can visit our New Ashok Nagar office in person. If you are outside Delhi, call us first. We will explain the current practice for clients who cannot come to Delhi, and whether a notarised copy from your own city can be used.
Passport Copy 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
United KingdomApostille
United StatesApostille
ItalyApostille
SpainApostille
FranceApostille
ChinaEmbassy legalization
OmanApostille
BahrainApostille
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
Which pages and what wording
Requirements vary more for this document than for most. Common requests we see:
- Bio-data page only.
- Bio-data page and address page.
- Every page, including blank ones, bound together.
- A stated sentence such as "certified true copy of the original" with the certifier's name and date.
If a foreign formation agent gives you a template certification, show it to us before notarisation. Changing the wording after the apostille means starting again.
Some foreign offices also accept a copy certified by an Indian bank officer, a lawyer or a gazetted officer. Those certifications are not usually the ones MEA works from. If your receiving office wants an apostille, the notary route is the one that fits the Indian chain.
Destination countries and the extra steps
Apostille countries accept the MEA apostille. That includes the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Turkey. Vietnam joins on 11 September 2026.
For the UAE, a certified copy needs MEA attestation, then the UAE Embassy in New Delhi, then MOFA in the UAE. Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan also go through their embassies. China uses the embassy route because India objected to its accession to the Apostille Convention. Germany does not legalize Indian documents and may verify them through its embassy.
See our embassy attestation page and MEA apostille guide for more detail.
Matching names across your file
A passport copy rarely travels alone. Banks and registries usually ask for it with proof of address, a bank reference or a signed declaration. If the name on any of these differs from the passport, the foreign compliance team will query it.
Common gaps are a missing middle name, a surname added after marriage, or initials used instead of a full name. If your file has such a gap, a separate name affidavit can explain it. That affidavit can be legalized alongside the passport copy apostille. Our marriage certificate page covers the case where a surname changed after marriage.
Fees and turnaround
For a passport copy apostille on the Delhi route, our all-inclusive fee is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document. That covers notary, SDM, the Rs 50 MEA fee and our service. Courier is extra. Embassy fees are added for non-Apostille countries.
The Delhi route usually takes 2 to 3 working days. We confirm your quote in writing before you send anything.
What to bring or send
- Your original passport, for the notary to see.
- Colour copies of the pages required.
- The receiving office's instructions or certification template.
- Destination country and purpose (company, bank, property).
- Other documents in the same file, such as a director's bank statement or address proof.
We return documents by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. We do not offer home pickup. Contact us before you travel or send anything.
Errors to avoid
- Sending a plain photocopy and expecting an apostille on it.
- Copies that cut off the machine-readable lines at the bottom of the bio-data page.
- An expired passport, or one due to expire soon. Many banks reject it.
- Missing pages that the receiving office asked for.
- Laminated or stapled-over copies that leave no space for stamps.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Passport Copy apostille FAQs
Does a passport copy apostille prove my passport is genuine?
No. It confirms the verified signature of the notary who certified the copy. The receiving office relies on the notary's statement that the copy matches the original.
Can I send my passport by courier?
We advise against it. Call us first. We will explain the options for clients outside Delhi before you send anything.
My company abroad needs copies for three directors. How is it charged?
Each director's certified copy is a separate document with its own passport copy apostille and fee.
Is a passport copy apostille accepted for UAE company formation?
The UAE is not on the Apostille route. The certified copy needs MEA attestation, UAE Embassy attestation and MOFA in the UAE. Some free zones have their own rules, so check with your agent.
Do I need a fresh copy if my passport is renewed?
Yes. The certified copy relates to a specific passport. A new passport has a new number, so the old certified copy will not match.
Is the passport copy the same as a PCC?
No. A Police Clearance Certificate is a separate document issued by the passport office. See our PCC apostille page if you need one.
Can the same certified copy be used for two banks?
Usually not. Each bank keeps the document it receives. If you need to open accounts in two places, get two certified copies made and legalized at the same time.
Need your Passport Copy legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.