Apostille questions, answered

An apostille is a certificate issued by the Ministry of External Affairs that confirms an Indian public document is genuine. Countries in the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention accept an apostilled document without any further embassy legalisation.

Almost all of the 130 parties to the Apostille Convention, including the USA, UK, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The main exceptions are Germany, which verifies Indian documents separately, and China, which India has objected to. Countries outside the convention, such as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, need embassy attestation instead.

Check your country

An apostille is a single MEA certificate accepted by every convention country. Embassy attestation is a two-stage process, MEA attestation followed by the destination embassy, used for countries outside the convention.

Check four things before you hand over an original: that the agency confirms the correct route for your document before collecting it, gives a realistic timeline rather than a guarantee, quotes one price that includes government fees, and returns scans before delivery. We have worked this way since 2002.

How our document apostille service in Mumbai works

The apostille itself does not expire. Some authorities only accept documents issued or apostilled recently, especially police clearance and single status certificates, so check their requirements.

Every MEA apostille has a unique number that can be checked through the MEA’s apostille verification service.

Most documents are ready in as little as 5 working days after we collect them. Educational documents that need university verification and HRD attestation take longer. We give you a realistic date before you pay.

No. Share a photo of your document on WhatsApp, we collect the original from your door in Mumbai, and return it after the apostille. You are welcome to drop it at our Santacruz (West) office if you prefer.

The MEA only apostilles documents already verified by the right authority: the Home Department or SDM for personal documents, the education department for academic ones, and a Chamber of Commerce for business documents.

See the full apostille process

Yes. We update you on WhatsApp at each stage, and send scans of the apostilled document before it is delivered back to you.

Personal documents such as birth, marriage and single status certificates and police clearance; educational documents such as degrees, diplomas and marksheets; and business documents such as incorporation certificates, board resolutions and invoices.

See all document types

Yes, in almost every case the original is required, because the apostille is fixed to it. Some company documents can be apostilled as certified copies; we confirm this before collection.

Yes. Documents issued in other states usually follow the SDM attestation route instead of the Maharashtra Home Department. We handle both.

Many non-English-speaking countries ask for a certified translation of the document and apostille. Check the receiving authority’s checklist, or send it to us and we will help you read it.

The cost depends on the document type, its route and how many documents you have. Send us a photo on WhatsApp and you get a clear quote, including government fees, before anything is collected.

Yes. Our pickup covers Mumbai city and suburbs, and we collect from Thane and Navi Mumbai on request. For other cities we arrange a tracked courier, so the same apostille service is available wherever you are in Maharashtra or India.

Contact our Santacruz office

Doorstep pickup and delivery are free within Mumbai. For other cities and international delivery, courier charges apply and we tell you the amount upfront.

We confirm the quote first. Payment terms are shared with your quote and explained in our terms and conditions.

Read our terms