Provisional Certificate Apostille for Graduates Awaiting Their Degree
A provisional certificate apostille helps when you have finished your course but your university has not yet handed over the final degree. The provisional degree certificate is issued by the university, usually by the Controller of Examinations or the Registrar, after results are declared. INFINITYGRO takes it through notary, SDM and the Ministry of External Affairs, and through the embassy where the destination country needs it.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
Degree certificate apostille sample
Can I get my provisional certificate apostilled instead of my degree? Yes, if the receiving body abroad accepts it. A provisional certificate apostille follows the same route as a degree: Delhi notary and SDM, or the state education department, or e-Sanad, then MEA. Many employers and immigration offices still insist on the final degree, so check their checklist first. You may need to legalize the degree again later.
The gap between results and convocation
Indian universities often take months, sometimes longer, to print final degrees. Many hand them out only at convocation. A graduate with an admission letter or job offer abroad cannot always wait that long.
The provisional certificate fills that gap. It confirms you have passed the examination and qualified for the degree, and that the final degree will follow. Most universities issue it on request after results, for a small fee, through the examination branch.
The same idea exists for doctoral students. Under the UGC PhD Regulations 2022, a university issues a provisional certificate to say the PhD is being awarded, before the degree itself. Our PhD certificate page covers that case.
Key facts
| Issued by | Your university, through the Controller of Examinations or Registrar |
|---|---|
| When issued | After results are declared, before the convocation degree is ready |
| Validity | Many universities print a limited validity or say it holds until the degree is issued |
| First step | Notary and SDM in Delhi, or the state Education / HRD department |
| Online option | e-Sanad, where the university is connected |
| MEA step | Apostille or normal attestation by MEA (CPV Division) |
| Embassy countries | UAE (then UAE MOFA), Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, China |
| Fees | MEA Apostille Rs 50 per document; our Delhi route Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, courier extra |
Provisional certificate or final degree: which one will be accepted?
This is the question to settle before you spend money. Acceptance depends entirely on who receives the document.
- Universities abroad often accept a provisional certificate for admission, with the degree to follow before or after enrolment.
- Gulf employers and work visa files usually want the final degree. Some will take a provisional certificate for an offer letter but not for the visa.
- Licensing boards and immigration offices tend to ask for the final degree.
If the receiving body wants the final degree later, that degree needs its own apostille or attestation. An apostille on the provisional certificate does not carry over.
See our degree certificate apostille page for the final document.
Check the paper before you send it
Provisional certificates come in many forms. Some are printed on security paper with a hologram. Others are a typed letter with a rubber stamp. Both can be legalized if they carry the original signature of a university officer and the university seal.
Look for three things. First, the signatory should be a university officer, not a college principal, unless your university authorises colleges to issue it. Second, your name should match your passport. Third, look at any validity line. Some certificates say they are valid for six months or until the degree is issued. A receiving body may reject one that has lapsed.
Do not laminate it. Officers cannot stamp a laminated sheet, and a laminated original can stall a provisional certificate apostille until the university issues a duplicate, which some universities are slow to do.
Provisional 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
Timing your provisional certificate apostille
Timing matters more for this document than for most. If your degree is only a few weeks away, it may be cheaper to wait and legalize the degree once. If convocation is months off and your admission or joining date is close, the provisional certificate apostille is the practical choice.
Ask your university when the final degree will be ready. Some universities post the degree by mail a few months after results. Others hold it until the convocation ceremony, and graduates who cannot attend must apply separately for it in absentia.
Also think about the destination's process. A university abroad may give you a deadline to submit the final degree after you enrol. Note that date, and plan a second round of legalization for it. Our team can keep your file details so the degree goes through the same route with less paperwork the second time.
How the provisional certificate apostille is done
The route is the same as for any university document.
- Delhi route: notary in Delhi, then verification by the SDM, then MEA. Accepted for most educational documents from any state. We usually complete it in 2 to 3 working days.
- State route: the education or HRD department of the issuing state verifies the certificate, then MEA. Use it if the employer or authority asks for state verification.
- e-Sanad: if your university is linked to the MEA's e-Sanad platform, the record can be verified online. You upload scans, give a passport copy and pay online.
MEA checks the authenticating officer's signature. It does not read or judge the content. Details are on our MEA apostille page.
Destination decides the last stamp
For Apostille countries, the MEA apostille is the end of the process. That covers the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe except Germany, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Turkey. Vietnam has accepted apostilles since 11 September 2026.
Countries outside the Convention need MEA attestation and then embassy legalization. For the UAE, the UAE Embassy stamps it and UAE MOFA attests it online afterwards. China needs MEA attestation and the Chinese Embassy, since India objected to China's accession. Germany does not legalize Indian documents at all. Our embassy attestation service handles the embassy step.
Documents that usually go with it
A provisional certificate seldom travels alone. A receiving university may want your final-year mark sheets or a transcript to see the subjects and grades. Each of these is a separate document and gets its own apostille.
If you are leaving your university to join another one, the migration certificate may also be on the list. Send the full set together so it goes through verification in one round.
Sending your papers to INFINITYGRO
- Original provisional certificate, signed and sealed
- Passport copy
- Destination country and the receiving body's checklist, if you have it
- Any mark sheets or transcript in the same file
Drop off at our New Ashok Nagar office in Delhi, or courier the documents from anywhere in India. We send them back by Blue Dart or another tracked courier. We have no home pickup. Before you post anything, we confirm the per-document price in writing. Contact us on phone or WhatsApp at +91 85955 58517.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Provisional Certificate apostille FAQs
Is a provisional certificate apostille valid abroad?
The apostille itself is valid in every Hague country. Whether the receiving body accepts a provisional certificate in place of a degree is their decision.
Will I need to apostille my degree later?
Often, yes. Employers and immigration offices may ask for the final degree once it is issued, and it needs its own apostille.
My provisional certificate has expired. Can it still be legalized?
MEA checks signatures, not validity dates. But the office abroad may refuse a lapsed certificate, so ask the university for a fresh one if you can.
Can a college issue a provisional certificate?
Usually the university issues it. A college-issued one may be accepted only where the university authorises it, so confirm before sending.
How much does it cost?
MEA charges Rs 50 per document for an apostille. Our all-inclusive Delhi route is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document. Courier and embassy fees are extra.
Can I use e-Sanad for this?
Yes, if your university is connected to e-Sanad. Otherwise we use the Delhi or state route.
Is it accepted for a UAE work visa?
It depends on the employer and the visa type. Many UAE files need the final degree. Check with your employer before starting.
Need your Provisional Certificate legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.