Apostille is a certificate which verifies and confirms the seal and signature of person who authenticates the document. There are designated authorities in every country to issue apostille certificates or legalization. Apostilles are commonly issued for various documents related to adoption cases, for commercial documents, for educational documents and for court records, land records, school documents and patent applications.

Not all countries can issue apostille, but only the countries who had signed ‘Hague agreement for abolishing the need for public documents’. Once apostille is obtained, it is automatically considered ‘valid’ and ‘acceptable’ in all the 98 hague convention countries.
The following are considered as public deeds within the meaning of that Hague Convention:
· Any document issued by an authority or by an official covered by a jurisdiction of the State, including those coming from the public prosecutor, a clerk of the court or a bailiff;
· Administrative documents such as deeds from the public records office;
· Notarial deeds;
· Official declarations such as references of registration, visas for a set date and certifications of signature, applied to private agreements.

Procedure for apostille of Indian documents are as follows:

EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTS

1. Home department Authentication (HRD)
2. Apostille Sticker from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)

NON EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTS

1. Subdivisional magistrate
2. Apostille sticker from Ministy of External Affairs

Frequently Asked Questions & answers

1. What is the Hague Convention

A. On October 5, 1961, many nations joined to create a simplified method of “legalizing” documents for universal recognition. This group of nations is known as the Hague Convention. They adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that is internationally recognized by all member nations.

2. WHAT IS AN APOSTILLE?

A. An Apostille is the legalization of a document for international use (only in the member countries of the Hague Convention) . On October 5, 1961, many nations joined to create a simplified method of “legalizing” documents for universal recognition. This group of nations is known as the Hague Convention. They adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that is internationally recognized by all member nations.
Why do I need an Apostille?
In order for documents to be accepted and recongised abroad in another country, they will most likely need to be legalised for authenticity. The body or organisation which you are presenting the documents to should be able to advise you whether you need to have them Legalised / Apostilled. You can obtain advice generally from the relevant Government Department, Educational Establishment, Embassy, Consulate or High Commission of the country concerned in London.
What exactly does ‘Apostille’ mean?
When you present a legal document in a foreign country, it is often very difficult to determine whether the document is genuine and legal. In 1961, the process for legalising documents for use abroad was abolished and replaced by a simple certificate of authenticity, called an ‘Apostille’, under the Hague Convention.
An ‘Apostille’ is a certificate that is attached to an official legal document to verify that the signatory on your document is genuine and person who signed your document is a recognised and authorised person of the organisation that issued the document. Each Apostille is dated, given a unique reference number and registered.
Will an Apostille be accepted by the country      where I am presenting my document?
We are unable to offer specific advice on whether an Apostille will be accepted by the Country where you are presenting the document. There are 69 Member States of the Hague Convention who will recognise and accept an Apostille Certificate. If your country is not listed on our Member States page, please check with the country where you intend to present your document.

3. WHAT ARE THE MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION?

A. Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, China (Macau), China (Hong Kong), Colombia, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Republic of, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Republic of, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, FYR of Macedonia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom (U.K.), United States of America, Venezuela.

4. WHAT ARE THE MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE NON PARTICPATE HAGUE CONVENTION?

A. Algeria, Afghanistan, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Congo Republic, Congo Democratic, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Kyrgyz Stan, Niger, Singapore, Uzbekistan

5. WHAT IS EMBASSY LEGALIZATION?

A. An Embassy Legalization is required, when the country where you intend to use your documents is a non-member of the Hague Convention

6. WHAT KIND OF DOCUMENTS CAN BE APOSTILLE OR LEGALIZED BY THE EMBASSY?

A. Almost every kind of document including: Birth Certificate, Adoption Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, Death Certificate, Power of Attorney, School Diploma and/or Transcripts, Corporate Documents, Affidavits, Identity documents and/or Passports, Deeds and Wills, Agreements, Bills of Sale, Proof of Ownership, Private Documents.

7. DO YOU APOSTILLE AND LEGALIZE DOCUMENTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

A. Yes, we provide services from India, UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Nepal, etc. Please contact us to find out more details about countries

8. WHAT IS THE TURNOROUND TIME?

A. Time frame is vary country to country There is express service available for some countries within 7 business working days