What Is an Apostille?
An apostille is a government-issued certificate attached to a document that makes it legally valid in another country — no embassy visits, no further attestation. If a US document needs to be used in India (or any of the other 130 Hague Convention Contracting Parties), an apostille is almost always what's being asked for.
A Passport for Your Document
Governments can't easily verify each other's paperwork. An Indian officer looking at a California birth certificate has no way to know whether the registrar's signature is real. Before 1961, the fix was a long chain of embassy attestations. The Hague Apostille Convention replaced that chain with one standardized certificate — the apostille — issued by an authority in the document's home country.
The apostille certifies one thing: the signature and seal on the document are genuine. Once it's attached, every other Hague member country must accept the document as authentic — India included, since July 2005.
What It Looks Like
A single page titled "APOSTILLE (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)" with ten numbered fields — who signed your document, in what capacity, and which authority certifies it — signed, sealed, and physically attached to your document. When we process your order, you receive a photo of the attached apostille before the original ships back to India.
Who Issues an Apostille
Every country designates its own competent authority, and only that authority can apostille a document issued in that country. This is the single most misunderstood point in the whole process: the country that issued the document is the country that apostilles it, regardless of where you live or where it is going.
Documents issued in India
Ministry of External Affairs — New Delhi
India's sole competent authority. Every Indian apostille carries the MEA sticker with a QR code and a unique number. The MEA accepts nothing directly from an individual, so deposit is through an authorised collection channel.
Before the MEA: SDM or State Home Department
The MEA acts only on a pre-authenticated document. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate does this in 3–7 working days; the State Home Department takes 10–20+. Privately-made documents need a Notary Public before either. Full MEA process.
Documents issued in the United States
US Department of State — Washington, DC
For federal documents: FBI background checks (PCC), naturalization certificates, federal court documents. This is our home turf — we submit in person at the DC counter.
Each State's Secretary of State
For state documents: birth and marriage certificates, degrees and transcripts (via notarized copies), divorce decrees. The issuing state decides — a Texas record can only be apostilled in Texas.
Picking the wrong office is the #1 DIY mistake — the document simply comes back unprocessed weeks later. Our state vs federal apostille guide maps every common document to its correct authority.
When You Need an Apostille on a US Document
FBI background check (PCC) for OCI, PR, or jobs abroad
US birth certificate for a child’s OCI application
US marriage certificate for OCI spouse category or Indian passport updates
US degree & transcripts for Indian employers or universities
US naturalization certificate for OCI or renunciation
US divorce decree for remarriage or legal matters in India
Since December 2024, OCI applications filed from India require apostilles on US documents — the single biggest reason our clients need this. Full details in the OCI Apostille Guide.
Apostille vs. Notarization vs. Attestation
| Term | What it is | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Notarization | A notary verifies a signature — often just the entry step into the apostille chain | Step 1 for degrees & copies; never sufficient alone for use in India |
| Apostille | Government certificate validating the document for all Hague countries | US documents used in India — this is what you need |
| Embassy attestation | Multi-step legalisation through an embassy | Only for non-Hague destinations like the UAE — a different chain |
| MEA attestation / eSanad | India’s authentication of Indian documents | Indian documents going abroad — the reverse direction, irrelevant to US documents |
Full comparison, including why the US Embassy in Delhi can't help: Apostille vs. Attestation.
Apostille Basics — Common Questions
What exactly does an apostille certify?
What does a US apostille physically look like?
Is an apostille the same as notarization?
Since when does India accept apostilles?
Does an apostille expire?
Who issues apostilles for US documents?
Need a US Document Apostilled
for Use in India?
Tell us which document you have — we confirm the exact route and quote a flat price before you ship anything.
Start on WhatsApp2-hour response · Mon–Sat 9AM–8PM IST