What Is an Apostille, and How Does India Issue One?
What is an apostille? It is a standard certificate that confirms the signature and seal on a public document, so that another member country of the 1961 Hague Convention accepts it without further legalization. In India the Ministry of External Affairs issues it. This guide explains its history, its look and its limits.
By the INFINITYGRO documentation teamUpdated Facts checked against MEA and HCCH
MEA attestation stamp and Apostille sticker
What is an apostille in one paragraph? Asking what is an apostille is really asking how one country trusts another's paperwork. It is a certificate attached to a public document by a designated authority, in India the MEA. It confirms the signature, capacity and seal of the official who signed the document. Every country in the Apostille Convention accepts it, with no embassy stamp needed.
The problem the apostille solved
Before 1961, a document going from one country to another had to collect stamps along a chain. The issuing office signed it, then a foreign ministry, then the consulate of the receiving country, and sometimes that country's foreign ministry again. Every step cost time and money.
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) proposed a shortcut. Countries would each name an authority to issue one certificate in a fixed format. Every other member would accept that single certificate. The result was the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, usually called the Apostille Convention.
The word comes from French and means a note added to a document. The convention has grown to 130 contracting parties, according to the HCCH's status table of 30 June 2026.
Key facts
| Legal basis | Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing legalization of foreign public documents |
|---|---|
| Contracting parties | 130 (HCCH, 30 June 2026) |
| India joined | In force for India from 14 July 2005 |
| Issuing authority in India | Ministry of External Affairs, CPV Division |
| What it certifies | Signature, capacity of the signer, and seal or stamp |
| What it does not certify | The contents of the document |
| Government fee | Rs 50 per document |
| Not used for | UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China (India objected), Germany (Germany objected) |
India's place in the convention
The convention entered into force for India on 14 July 2005. The Ministry of External Affairs, through its Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division, is the competent authority. It also continues to do normal attestation for countries that are not members.
The MEA does not accept documents from individuals at its counter, a rule in place since July 2012. Documents reach it through authorised outsourced centres or its branch secretariats. Before that, they must be authenticated by a state department, a Delhi SDM or a Chamber of Commerce. Our MEA apostille page walks through those first steps for each type of document.
What is an apostille certificate made of?
The convention sets a model form. Each apostille carries the heading "Apostille" and a reference to the 1961 convention in French, followed by ten numbered items:
- Country of issue
- Name of the person who signed the document
- That person's capacity
- The seal or stamp on the document
- Place of certification
- Date
- The authority issuing the apostille
- A unique number
- The seal of that authority
- Its signature
The MEA's apostille is a printed sticker fixed on the back of the document. The newer stickers carry a QR code that the receiving office can scan to verify the apostille. MEA has also described an e-Register in which attested and apostilled documents can be checked by number.
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
What an apostille proves, and what it does not
An apostille confirms who signed the document and in what role, for educational and personal papers alike. It does not say the contents are true. MEA states this plainly in its own procedure note: it legalizes on the basis of the authenticating officer's signature and does not take responsibility for the contents.
So an apostilled degree proves that the SDM or state officer who signed it is real. It does not prove that the degree holder passed the exams. Universities and employers abroad can still do their own checks.
The MEA does not apostille photocopies. It works from the original, or for company papers from a copy that a Chamber of Commerce has authenticated.
Everyday cases: what is an apostille used for?
People usually meet the apostille when a foreign office returns their papers with a note asking for it. A few common examples from Indian clients:
- A student admitted to a university in Italy or France, who needs the degree and transcript apostilled.
- A nurse moving to the UK, whose regulator wants proof that the Indian certificates are genuine.
- A couple marrying in Spain, with birth certificates and single status papers apostilled.
- An exporter registering a product in Saudi Arabia, with company papers authenticated by a chamber and then apostilled.
- A family settling an estate in the USA, with a death certificate and power of attorney.
In each case the paper is Indian, the office is foreign, and the apostille is the bridge.
Where an Indian apostille is valid
Once you know what is an apostille, the next question is where it works. For Indian documents, an MEA apostille is the final step for the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Turkey, among others. Vietnam joins this group from 11 September 2026.
Membership alone is not enough. A country can join the convention while another member objects, and the convention then does not apply between those two. Always check the pair of countries. The destination alone does not settle it.
Three places where it does not work
China
China joined the convention in 2023. India objected to China's accession on 8 September 2023, so the apostille does not operate between them. Indian documents for China still need a red-sticker notary, MEA attestation and Chinese Embassy legalization.
Germany
Germany objected to India's accession in 2005. Germany also does not legalize Indian documents. German authorities can instead ask the German Embassy to verify a document.
UAE
The UAE is not a party. Documents need MEA attestation, then the UAE Embassy, then UAE MOFA after arrival. See UAE attestation fees and the embassy attestation process.
Getting an apostille through INFINITYGRO
The government fee is Rs 50 per document. Each certificate or mark sheet is a separate apostille. For personal and educational documents, our all-inclusive Delhi route is Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document and usually takes 2 to 3 working days. Courier is extra.
Courier your originals to our Delhi office at New Ashok Nagar from any state, or drop them off in person. We return them by Blue Dart or a similar tracked courier. Common questions are answered in our apostille and attestation FAQ, and you can reach us through the contact page.
What the MEA stamps look like
Click any sample to enlarge. Personal details are masked.
Frequently asked questions
Is an apostille the same as notarisation?
No. A notary certifies a signature or copy inside India. An apostille is a government certificate for use in another country.
Does an apostille expire?
The certificate itself has no expiry date. The receiving office may, however, want a recently issued document underneath it, such as a new PCC.
Can I get an apostille from any state?
Only the MEA issues apostilles in India. The earlier authentication can come from your state or from the Delhi route.
Is an e-Apostille available in India?
MEA has presented plans for a digitally signed e-Apostille alongside e-Sanad verification. Availability depends on the document and issuer, so we check case by case.
Can a document with an apostille be used in the UAE?
No. The UAE is not a convention party. It needs MEA attestation and UAE Embassy legalization instead.
How can the office abroad verify an Indian apostille?
It can scan the QR code on the newer stickers, or check the apostille number in the MEA e-Register. If either check fails, it may refuse the document.
Where is the sticker placed?
Normally on the back of the original document, with the MEA's stamp and signature.
Need documents legalized?
WhatsApp a photo of the document and the destination country. We reply with the route and a written quote.