Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers about apostille, embassy attestation, HRD attestation, document requirements, processing and our assistance service.

Information reviewed: 15 August 2026

Important service disclosure Apostille Assist is an independent, privately operated document-assistance and coordination service. We are not a government department, embassy, consulate, MEA office, authorised outsourced government provider, or official government website. We do not issue apostilles or attestations; final decisions are made by the competent authorities. Our private assistance is optional. Read our Service Disclaimer for full details.

Requirements vary according to the document, issuing authority, destination country and intended use. If the receiving organisation has given written instructions, share them before the process begins because those instructions may be more specific than general website guidance.

Apostille and Attestation Basics

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a certificate used under the Hague Apostille Convention to authenticate the origin of a public document for use in another country where the Convention applies. It confirms the signature, the capacity in which the signer acted, and the seal or stamp on the document. It does not certify that every statement in the document is true or guarantee acceptance for a particular purpose.

When do I need an apostille?

You generally need an apostille when a document issued in India must be presented in another country where the Hague Apostille Convention applies and the receiving organisation asks for it. Before proceeding, confirm the exact requirement with the foreign authority, employer, university, court, immigration adviser, or other organisation that will receive the document.

Who issues an apostille in India?

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the competent authority for apostille and attestation of eligible Indian public documents. Depending on the document and route, prior authentication by a State or Union Territory authority, a document-issuing authority, a Regional Authentication Centre, or a Chamber of Commerce may be required. Submission must follow the applicable official or designated channel.

Is an Indian apostille accepted in every country?

No. An apostille is relevant only where the Convention applies between India and the destination country, and the receiving organisation must still accept the document for its intended use. Some countries or document purposes require normal attestation, embassy or consular legalisation, or another country-specific process. Check the official HCCH status table and the recipient’s current instructions.

What is the difference between apostille and embassy attestation?

An apostille usually replaces further diplomatic legalisation when the document is going from one applicable Convention country to another. For a destination where apostille is not accepted, normal MEA attestation and further embassy or consular legalisation may be required. The exact chain depends on the destination country, document type, and receiving organisation.

Is apostille the same as notarisation?

No. A notary may verify a signature, certify a copy, or create a notarial act. An apostille authenticates the origin of an eligible public document for international use. Notarisation can be one preliminary step in some cases, but a notarial stamp by itself is not an apostille.

Does an apostille expire?

There is no single universal expiry period for every apostille. However, the underlying document or the receiving organisation may have a freshness or recency requirement. Police clearance certificates, civil-status records, affidavits, and similar documents are often subject to time limits set by the recipient, so confirm the acceptable age before processing.

Documents and Requirements

Which types of documents can be apostilled or attested?

Eligible documents commonly include personal documents such as birth, marriage, death, divorce, affidavit, power-of-attorney, and police-clearance documents; educational documents such as degrees, diplomas and mark sheets; and commercial documents such as certificates of incorporation, board resolutions, agreements, invoices, powers of attorney and Chamber of Commerce documents. Eligibility and the required route must be checked for each document.

What is HRD attestation, and is it always required for educational documents?

HRD attestation is authentication of an educational document through the competent education authority or the route prescribed by the relevant State or Union Territory. It is not automatically required in every case. The issuing institution, State, destination country, receiving organisation, and current MEA procedure determine whether HRD, another State authentication, online verification, or a different route applies.

What should I provide for a preliminary document check?

Start by sharing the document type, the State or authority that issued it, the destination country, the intended use, any written instructions from the receiving organisation, and your target date.

Please do not send a complete document, passport, Aadhaar card or other identity document in your first message. If a document image is required after the preliminary review, we will explain what information may be hidden and how it should be shared.

An original document, passport copy, authorisation or other supporting record may be requested later only when necessary for the confirmed service route.

Is the original document required?

Often, yes. The MEA states that ordinary photocopies are not legalised. Depending on the procedure, an original document, an eligible true copy, or a digitally verifiable record may be required. Do not courier an original until the likely route, the document’s condition, and the delivery details have been checked.

What is e-Sanad?

e-Sanad is an MEA initiative for online verification, attestation, and apostille of documents available through integrated digital repositories or document-issuing authorities. It is being implemented in phases, so not every document or authority is covered. Documents that are not eligible through e-Sanad continue through the applicable physical or designated process. Visit the official e-Sanad website for current coverage and services.

Can an old, laminated, damaged, or altered document be processed?

Possibly, but the answer depends on legibility, authenticity, the availability of verification records, and any recency requirement. Lamination, damage, overwriting, missing seals, or unauthorised changes can create difficulties. Describe the document’s condition first. If an image is required for review, we will explain what information may be hidden before you send it.

What if the name or other details do not match my passport?

A spelling, name, date, or identity mismatch may require a correction, affidavit, name-change record, marriage certificate, gazette notification, or another supporting document. The appropriate solution depends on the discrepancy and the receiving organisation’s rules. Disclose the mismatch before work begins rather than waiting for an authority to identify it.

Can India apostille a document issued in another country?

Normally, a document should be apostilled or legalised by the competent authority in the country where it was issued. Indian authorities generally process eligible documents originating in India. A foreign document intended for use in India may require apostille or legalisation in its country of origin, subject to the applicable Convention relationship and the Indian recipient’s requirements.

Do I need a certified translation?

A translation may be required when the document language is not accepted by the receiving organisation. The recipient may specify the language, translator qualification, certification wording, notarisation, or whether the original and translation must be authenticated separately. Confirm those instructions before translation so the wrong format or sequence is not used.

Process, Timing and Delivery

What is the usual apostille or attestation process?

The usual route is: confirm the destination and purpose; review the document; complete any required notarisation, State, educational, issuing-authority, or Chamber authentication; submit through the applicable official or designated channel; wait for authority processing; and arrange collection or delivery. Not every document follows every step, so the route should be confirmed before submission.

Do I need to visit an office personally?

Not in every case. Some routes can be coordinated through permitted representatives, digital systems, designated providers, or courier arrangements, while other authorities may require the document holder, signatory, or authorised person to appear. We will explain any known personal-appearance requirement after reviewing the document and route.

How long does apostille or attestation take?

There is no single fixed end-to-end timeframe. It depends on the document, issuing State, verification method, destination, authority workload, holidays, and courier movement. Any estimate starts only after we have received complete documents, information, approvals, and cleared funds. Authority and delivery timeframes are outside our control and cannot be guaranteed.

Can you provide urgent or same-day processing?

We can check whether an expedited or faster available route exists, but same-day or deadline-based completion cannot be promised unless every required authority and provider can support it. Do not make a non-refundable travel, admission, employment, or filing commitment solely on the basis of an estimated completion date.

Can I track the progress and receive the document by courier?

We provide status updates based on information available from the applicable authority, provider, translator, notary, or courier. Where an official tracking facility exists, its reference may also be used. Collection or courier return can be arranged as confirmed in the quotation, subject to correct recipient details, service availability, and third-party delivery terms.

What happens if an authority asks for another document or rejects the request?

The authority or receiving organisation makes the final decision and may request verification, corrections, fresh documents, additional authentication, or a different route. We will explain a material update when known. Any additional work or charge outside the accepted scope will be disclosed for approval before we proceed, but approval or acceptance cannot be guaranteed.

About Apostille Assist

What does Apostille Assist do?

Depending on the accepted quotation, we may provide general requirement guidance, a preliminary document review, forms or checklist assistance, and coordination of notarisation, translation, courier, collection, submission, delivery, or status updates through suitable third parties or official channels where permitted. Our main assistance areas are MEA Apostille, Embassy Attestation, HRD Attestation, and Certified Translation.

Is Apostille Assist a government organisation or an authorised MEA provider?

No. Apostille Assist is an independent private document-assistance and coordination service. We are not a government department, MEA office, embassy, consulate, official government website, or authorised outsourced government provider. References to official bodies describe the relevant process only and do not imply affiliation, endorsement, sponsorship, or appointment.

Do I have to use Apostille Assist?

No. Our service is optional. You may use the applicable official route yourself, including e-Sanad or a designated submission channel where relevant, and avoid our professional assistance fee. The MEA does not accept documents directly from individuals at its counter, so applicants should follow the current official procedure rather than rely on unauthorised touts.

How much does the service cost?

The price depends on the document, destination, required authentication route, translation, courier, urgency, and third-party charges. Before accepting a service, we provide a written quotation or invoice that identifies the known scope and price. Our private professional fee is separate from government, embassy, consular, notarial, verification, translation, courier, payment-provider, and other third-party charges unless the quotation expressly includes them.

When is payment required?

The quotation or invoice states the amount and payment stage. We may require cleared funds before beginning work, paying an authority or third party, booking a service, or dispatching a document. If the requirement changes materially, any additional work or charge will be disclosed for approval before it is undertaken.

Can I cancel the service or request a refund?

Yes, you may request cancellation through an official contact channel. The refundable amount depends on the service stage, work already completed, and charges already paid or irreversibly committed. Review the Refund and Cancellation Policy for the calculation, eligible deductions, method, and normal refund timing.

How do you protect documents and personal information?

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards and limit access to people and providers who reasonably need the information for the accepted service, accounts, security, or legal compliance. Documents and data may need to be shared with relevant authorities, designated channels, notaries, translators, couriers, payment providers, or other service partners. We do not sell or rent customer documents or personal data. Read our Privacy Policy for details.

Are you available 24 hours?

Our contact channels accept enquiries and messages 24 hours a day. This does not promise an immediate response or 24-hour official processing. Authorities, embassies, notaries, translators, banks, couriers, and other providers follow their own working days, holidays, cut-off times, and service levels.

How do I start?

Start by sharing the document type, issuing State or authority, destination country, intended use, any instructions received from the receiving organisation, and your target date.

Please do not send a complete document or identity document in your first message. If an image is required later, we will explain what information may be hidden.

Call or WhatsApp +91 98783 50288 or email hello@apostilleassist.com. We will conduct a preliminary review and explain the likely next step. The final route remains subject to the requirements of the relevant competent authority.

Official Information and Policies

For current official information, consult the MEA Attestation / Apostille page, the e-Sanad portal, and the HCCH Apostille Convention status table. Official rules, fees, providers, processing practices, and country relationships may change.

Website use and accepted services are also governed by our Terms and Conditions, Service Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, and Refund and Cancellation Policy.

Need help choosing the right route? Call or WhatsApp +91 98783 50288 or email hello@apostilleassist.com with the document type, destination country and intended use.