In India, digitally issued documents can be apostilled, provided they meet Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) requirements. The process involves acceptance verification, digital signature validation, printing where required, certification, and MEA apostille through authorized channels.
To be eligible for apostille, a digitally issued document must meet the following conditions:
Digitally signed by a recognised Certifying Authority (CA) under the IT Act, 2000
Accepted formats include PDF with embedded digital signature or QR code
Issuing authority verification may be required
Submission through MEA-authorised service providers is strongly recommended
Digitally issued documents are electronically generated originals, not scanned copies of physical documents.
E-degree certificates issued by universities
Digital mark sheets
E-birth and e-marriage certificates
Electronically generated export invoices
Digitally issued ID proofs (subject to country acceptance)
Issued in electronic format
Contain digital signatures or QR codes
Verifiable through official government or university portals
No physical ink stamp at the source level
Before starting apostille:
Confirm that the destination country accepts digitally issued documents
Ensure the issuing authority’s document is apostille-compatible and digitally verifiable
Country rules may differ, so checking country-wise attestation requirements is essential.
The document must:
Be issued by a government body or recognised university
Carry a digital signature from a recognised CA such as NIC or eMudhra
Have a valid and non-revoked digital certificate
Educational documents may later require HRD attestation or SDM attestation depending on state rules.
In many cases, the MEA requires a printed version for apostille processing.
The printout must clearly display:
Digital signature details
QR code (if available)
Embedded verification URL
No alterations, resizing, or formatting changes are allowed.
Depending on document type:
Educational documents: University or Registrar verification
Personal documents: Municipal or State authority confirmation
Verification requirements vary by state and document category, which is why professional document attestation services are often used.
Submission is done through MEA-authorised outsourcing agencies
MEA verifies:
Digital signature authenticity
Issuing authority legitimacy
Once approved, the apostille sticker is issued.
Typical MEA processing time: 1–3 working days (excluding prior verification)
All digitally issued documents must comply with the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Accepted Certifying Authorities include:
National Informatics Centre (NIC)
eMudhra
Other government-recognised CAs
Preferred format: PDF with embedded digital signature
Global acceptance varies; always confirm with the destination country
Document integrity is critical; tampering leads to rejection
MEA rules evolve frequently and must be checked before submission
Some countries still demand physical originals despite digital issuance
For non-Hague countries, embassy attestation may still be required after MEA processing.
Digitally issued documents can be apostilled in India
Digital signature validity is the most critical factor
Printed copies may still be required for MEA processing
Acceptance depends on destination country rules
Using MEA-authorised providers reduces rejection risk
This page is a high-level overview.
For complete clarity, consult PEC Attestation experts to understand:
e-SANAD eligibility
Digital vs physical document rules
Country-wise apostille acceptance
HRD and SDM requirements
PEC Attestation provides end-to-end support for apostille of digitally issued documents, including:
Digital signature verification
Issuing authority coordination
MEA apostille compliance
Embassy and MOFA attestation where required
Ensuring faster processing and minimal rejection risk.