How MEA Apostille
Actually Works in India
Four authorities, three document classes, and one rule that explains why you cannot do the last step yourself. This page covers all of it, with the timings that are real rather than the ones that sell.
Three Document Classes, Three Different Authorities
This is the mental model that makes the whole process make sense, and it is the thing most guides skip. The MEA is the same endpoint for everyone — what differs is who has to vouch for the document first.
| Document class | Pre-authentication | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | SDMWe do this | 3–7 days | Birth, marriage, death, PCC, affidavit, PoA, divorce and the rest of the personal set. This is what we do. |
| Personal | State Home Department | 10–20+ days | The same documents by the slower route. Used where a destination or receiving institution specifically requires it. |
| Educational | State HRD | Varies | Degrees, transcripts, school certificates. A different authority and a different queue — quoted on request. |
| Commercial | Chamber of Commerce | Varies | Company and trade documents. Different authority again, same MEA endpoint. |
The SDM versus State Home Department gap is the most useful number in this whole process and almost nobody publishes it. Two to four times the waiting, for the same outcome, on the same document. We default to the SDM — but where a destination country or a receiving institution specifically requires Home Department attestation, using the faster route means the customer runs the whole thing again.The SDM route in detail.
Why You Cannot Hand Your Document to the MEA
"No document is directly accepted from individuals at the Ministry of External Affairs Counter."
— mea.gov.in
The Ministry outsourced its document collection function, and since then documents have reached it only through a small number of authorised agencies. There is no public counter, no appointment system, and no way to queue in person — in Delhi or anywhere else.
This reframes the whole question of whether you need an agency. The honest answer to"can I do this myself?" is: yes for most of it, no for the last step. Obtain the document yourself, get it notarised yourself, walk it through the SDM yourself if you have the time — and then you will still need an authorised channel for the deposit.
What we do about it
We deposit through an MEA-authorised collection channel, and the government-mandated ₹84 collection fee appears on your invoice at cost rather than marked up. The outsourcing policy itself is public on mea.gov.in — you can verify that the arrangement exists rather than taking our word for it.
The Apostille Sticker, and How to Verify It
An apostille is a physical sticker affixed to your original document. It carries the heading"Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)", the ten numbered fields the Convention mandates in a fixed order, the MEA seal, a unique serial number and a QR code.
How to verify it
Scan the QR code or enter the serial number in the MEA's online verification. That confirms the Ministry actually issued it. Most customers have never seen an apostille before and cannot tell a real one from a forgery — the QR is how you check rather than trust.
Does it expire?
No. An apostille is valid indefinitely. What often expires is the underlying document — a PCC or medical certificate is commonly treated as valid for three to six months by the receiving authority, no matter when the apostille was added.
e-Sanad — When It Works, and When It Doesn't
e-Sanad is the Indian government's own platform for verifying documents digitally, straight from the issuing authority to the requesting authority abroad, with no physical handling and no fee to us. It is a genuinely good system and we would rather tell you about it than hope you do not find it.
Use e-Sanad when
- · Your issuing authority is onboarded to the platform
- · The receiving authority abroad accepts a digital verification
- · You are not required to produce a physical document
You need the apostille when
- · The receiving authority requires the physical sticker — most still do
- · Your issuer is not onboarded, which covers most municipal bodies and all notaries
- · The document is an affidavit, PoA or anything else with no issuing authority behind it
Check your own issuing authority at esanad.nic.in before assuming coverage — it varies by state and by body, and it has expanded unevenly. If e-Sanad covers your case and your destination accepts it, use it. We would rather lose that order than have you pay us for something the government would have done free.
Your Documents Are in India and You Are Not
This is the most common version of this order, and it works without you flying anywhere. A relative couriers the originals to us and collects the apostilled documents back. What makes it clean is a short authorisation letter naming that person — no stamp paper, no notary, five minutes.
What the letter does
- · Names who may hand your originals over
- · Names who may receive them back — couriers will not release originals to an unnamed person
- · Lists the documents, so there is no dispute about what was sent
What it deliberately does not do
It is not a power of attorney and must not be used as one. It grants no authority to sign, decide or act for you in any other matter. If you need someone to genuinely act on your behalf, that is apower of attorney — stamp paper, notary, and itself a document that needs apostilling.
Authorisation Letter for Document Handover (free PDF)
Living abroad with your originals in India? The letter that lets a relative hand documents over and collect them back. No stamp paper, no notary — and deliberately not a power of attorney.
Have your relative photograph every document and send the photos onWhatsAppbefore anything is couriered. We check each one against the requirements of its route, free. A document that cannot be apostilled as it stands is much cheaper to find out about now than after a round trip.
MEA Apostille — The Full Question Set
Twenty questions, each answered in the first sentence. No preamble, no "it depends" where it does not.
What is MEA apostille?
An MEA apostille is a certificate issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs that makes an Indian public document valid in another Hague Convention country. It is a physical sticker affixed to the document carrying a QR code and a unique number. Once apostilled, the document needs no embassy or consular attestation for any of the 130 Contracting Parties.
What is SDM attestation?
SDM attestation is pre-authentication by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The SDM verifies that the document was genuinely issued by the authority named on it, or that the notary who attested it is genuine, and endorses it. The MEA will not apostille a personal document that has not been pre-authenticated this way.
Do I need SDM attestation for apostille?
For personal documents, yes — either SDM attestation or State Home Department attestation. The MEA apostilles on the strength of a recognised pre-authentication and will not act on an unattested document. We route through the SDM because it takes 3–7 days against the Home Department's 10–20+.
Is notarisation required before apostille?
Only for privately-made documents — affidavits, powers of attorney, employer letters, medical certificates from private practitioners, and certified copies of passports or IDs. Government-issued certificates such as birth, marriage, death and PCC go straight to the SDM with no notary involved.
How long does MEA apostille take?
3–7 working days of processing: 3–7 working days at the SDM plus 1–2 working days at the MEA after deposit. Courier transit is additional and depends on your city. The State Home Department route takes 10–20+ days instead of the SDM's 3–7.
How much does apostille cost in India?
The government charges ₹50 per document for the apostille, plus ₹84 authorised-channel collection and ₹3 per page scanning — about ₹143 in total. Our all-in price including SDM pre-authentication and handling is ₹2,100 per document, plus courier at cost.
What is the MEA apostille fee?
₹50 per document, set by the Ministry of External Affairs and published on mea.gov.in. General attestation, which is a different service, carries no government fee at all. Most sites in this market do not distinguish the two, which is why quoted "government fees" vary so widely.
Where is the MEA apostille office?
The apostille is issued by the MEA in New Delhi, but there is no public counter you can use. The Ministry accepts no document directly from an individual — collection is handled by a small number of MEA-authorised agencies. Searching for the office address will not get a document apostilled.
Can I apostille documents myself in India?
You can do most of it. You can obtain the document, arrange notarisation where it is needed, and take it through the SDM yourself. You cannot do the last step: the MEA accepts nothing directly from individuals, so the document has to be deposited through an authorised collection channel.
Does the MEA accept documents directly from individuals?
No. mea.gov.in states plainly that no document is directly accepted from individuals at the Ministry of External Affairs counter. This has been the position since the collection function was outsourced, and it is the single fact that makes an agency necessary rather than merely convenient.
Who are the MEA authorised apostille agencies?
The MEA has outsourced document collection to a small number of authorised agencies, and the current list is published on mea.gov.in. We deposit through an authorised collection channel and pass the government-mandated collection fee through at cost rather than marking it up.
How do I check apostille status online?
The MEA provides online verification for apostilles it has issued, using the unique number printed on the sticker. While your document is with us you do not need it — we send WhatsApp updates at each stage and a scan of the sticker the day it is issued.
How do I verify an apostille sticker?
Every MEA apostille carries a QR code and a unique serial number. Scanning the QR or entering the number in the MEA's verification portal confirms it was genuinely issued. The sticker also carries the ten numbered fields the Convention mandates, in a fixed order.
Is an apostille valid for all countries?
No — only for the 130 Hague Convention Contracting Parties. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Malaysia, Iraq and Iran are not parties and need embassy attestation instead. Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia are parties, despite frequently being listed otherwise.
How long is an apostille valid?
An apostille has no expiry date and remains valid indefinitely. What often does expire is the underlying document — police clearance certificates and medical certificates are commonly treated as valid for three to six months by the receiving authority, regardless of when the apostille was issued.
Can a photocopy be apostilled?
A plain photocopy cannot. A photocopy certified as a true copy by a Notary Public can be, and that is exactly how passport and ID copies are handled — the apostille authenticates the notary rather than the underlying document. Government certificates are apostilled as originals.
Do I need original documents for apostille?
For government-issued certificates, yes — the apostille sticker is physically affixed to the original and we courier it back to you with the sticker attached. For identity documents such as passports, the original stays with you and a notarised copy is apostilled instead.
What is e-Sanad?
e-Sanad is the Indian government's free platform for verifying documents digitally, direct from issuing authorities that have been onboarded to it. It removes the need for physical handling where it applies — but coverage depends entirely on whether your specific issuer is onboarded.
What is the difference between e-Sanad and apostille?
e-Sanad is a digital verification sent between authorities; an apostille is a physical sticker on your document. Most foreign authorities still require the sticker, so e-Sanad does not replace it in most cases. Where e-Sanad does cover your document and your destination accepts it, it is free and it is the better option.
What does the apostille sticker look like?
A printed sticker affixed to the document, carrying the heading "Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)", the ten numbered fields the Convention mandates, the MEA seal, a unique serial number and a QR code for online verification.
Government fees from mea.gov.in and Hague figures from theHCCH status table, both last verified 30 June 2026.
Know the Process.
Skip the Queue.
₹2,100 per document, 3–7 working days processing, deposited through an MEA-authorised collection channel.
Start on WhatsApp2-hour response · Mon–Sat 9AM–8PM IST