Apostille attestation is an international authentication issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India, that validates Indian public documents for use in Hague Convention countries.
Once a document is apostilled, it is legally accepted in all Hague member countries without the need for embassy attestation.
To understand the full scope, refer to apostille services in India.
Apostille is required when you are submitting Indian documents abroad for:
Overseas employment
Higher education
Dependent or family visas
Immigration and residency
Business incorporation abroad
Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Australia require apostille instead of embassy attestation.
Degree certificates
Diplomas
Mark sheets
Often require HRD attestation or SDM attestation before MEA apostille.
Birth certificate
Marriage certificate
Divorce decree
Police Clearance Certificate
These may require Home Department attestation before apostille.
Power of Attorney
Board Resolution
Memorandum of Association
Certificate of Incorporation
These usually require Chamber of Commerce attestation.
The apostille process follows a fixed legal sequence:
Document verification at state or issuing authority level
State attestation (HRD / SDM / Home Department / Chamber)
MEA Apostille via authorized agencies
The apostille sticker is affixed directly to the document by the MEA.
Professional document attestation services help ensure the correct route is followed.
Personal documents
3–7 working days
Educational documents
10–30 working days
Commercial documents
5–10 working days
e-SANAD eligible
2–4 working days
Timelines vary depending on the issuing state and document condition.
Apostille costs depend on:
Document type
State verification requirement
Number of documents
Urgency
There is no fixed public fee, as MEA accepts submissions only through authorized agencies.
Submitting photocopies without certification
Name mismatch across documents
Unrecognized institutions
Damaged or laminated certificates
Incorrect attestation sequence
Proper verification before submission reduces rejection risk significantly.
Each country may impose additional conditions even if it is part of the Hague Convention.
Always check country-wise attestation requirements before submission.
PEC Attestation provides:
End-to-end apostille processing
State verification coordination
MEA-authorized submissions
Embassy and MOFA attestation (if required)
Transparent timelines and expert support
This ensures faster processing and zero rejection.
For professional guidance, document verification, and secure handling, contact PEC Attestation experts today.