You must carry official papers from America whenever you migrate out of it. It may also refer to birth certificates, marriage certificates, degree certificates, and affidavits. Usually, these documents attract a special stamp known as an apostille for other countries to recognize it. The apostille certifies that the documents are legitimate and duly affixed.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs can apostille original American documents for you. This is globally acceptable. You also get embassy stamping done after the apostille. The steps are:
- Get photocopies notarized with a public notary
- Submit original US documents and copies to the MEA office in your state
- Pay the apostille fees
- Collect back when ready
- Take documents to the US Embassy for final stamp
- Pay embassy fees
- Receive ready set in 2-3 days
Now, your documents can be used for studying, jobs, traveling, or moving abroad. Read on to learn how to get USA documents apostilled in India.
Understanding Apostille
Getting your USA issued documents apostilled in India involves a process of authentication where documents are legal in a particular format. All Hague Convention countries must accept that. If you need to use a document from the United States in India, it requires an Apostille stamp on it to be legal.
When Needed
Common situations requiring apostille for USA documents in India are:
- Using educational certificates abroad for admissions or jobs
- Registering a US marriage certificate for immigration
- Submitting US affidavits or No Objection Certificates for visas
- Opening bank accounts or buying property in some countries
Check the specific apostille requirements before applying.
Eligible Documents
- Birth, marriage or death certificates
- Degree, diploma and training certificates
- Document affidavits, No Objection Certificates
- Divorce decrees, court orders
- Medical reports and school certificates
Steps to Apostille Documents in India
1. Identify Your State of Document Issuance
First, determine where your document will be in the USA. The document must receive an Apostille from the same state. For instance, a birth certificate issued in California needs to get apostilled in California.
2. Understand Indian Apostille Requirements
India has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005. Therefore, once a document has an Apostille, it does not need further attestation in India. It needs a legalized document.
3. Authentication of Documents
Before getting your documents apostilled, you must authenticate at the Regional Authentication Centers (RACs). This step ensures that your documents are genuine and ready for apostille.
4. Deposition of Documents
After authenticating, you must deposit the documents with an authorized Outsource Service Provider. The Ministry of External Affairs designates these providers to handle the apostille process.
5. Collection of Apostilled Documents
Once apostilled, you can receive your documents from the Outsource agencies. Collecting all your apostilled documents carefully is crucial, as they are now ready for legal use in India.
Fees for Apostille
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
They charge Rs 50 for the Apostille of a document. Please note that we discontinued accepting payment by postal orders on December 21, 2016.
Outsourced agencies
They charge a service fee of Rs 90/- and a scanning fee of Rs 3 per page for collecting and delivering documents to MEA for Apostille/normal attestation, as MEA does not accept documents directly from individuals. Click Here To View More: hrdattestation.in