MEA apostille and attestation in Mumbai
Every Indian apostille is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. We prepare your document for the MEA stage and see it through to the final stamp.
Personal documents
- 1Notary
- 2Home Department or SDM
- 3MEA apostille
As little as
5 working days
In short
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issues every Indian apostille, but only after the document is verified by the right authority: the Home Department or SDM for personal documents, HRD for some educational ones, and a Chamber of Commerce for business papers. Non-Hague countries need MEA attestation plus embassy attestation instead.
- Turnaround
- As little as 5 working days
- Pickup
- Free across Mumbai
- Issued by
- Ministry of External Affairs
- Apostille Convention
- 130 member countries
Why you need an MEA apostille and attestation
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the only authority in India that issues apostilles. Its apostille is a printed certificate, fixed to the back of your document, that carries a unique number and the Hague Convention heading. Receiving authorities in any of the convention’s member countries can rely on it without further checks.
The MEA only apostilles documents that have already been verified by the right authority: the state Home Department or SDM for personal documents, the education department (HRD) or Home Department for educational documents, and a Chamber of Commerce for commercial documents. Our job is to get your document through that first stage correctly so the MEA accepts it.
For countries that are not part of the Apostille Convention, the MEA issues an attestation instead, and the document then goes to that country’s embassy for legalisation.
We handle an MEA apostille and attestation as part of our certificate apostille services in Mumbai, alongside birth, marriage, degree and business documents. To see how every route fits together, read our guide to the document apostille service in Mumbai. Clients in Thane, Navi Mumbai and other cities use the same apostille services near Mumbai, with pickup or a tracked courier.
Commonly needed for
- Study, work and migration to Apostille Convention countries
- Personal, educational and commercial documents
- Documents issued anywhere in India
- Advice on non-Hague destinations
The route your document takes
We confirm which route applies from a photo of your document, before anything is collected.
- 1NotaryA notary verifies the document and signature.
- 2Home Department or SDMState-level verification: Home Department for Maharashtra, usually SDM for other states.
- 3MEA apostilleThe Ministry of External Affairs fixes the apostille, with a unique verifiable number, to your document.
- 1University or notaryEither the issuing university or a notary verifies the document first, depending on the route.
- 2HRD or Home DepartmentThe state education department or Home Department attests the document.
- 3MEA apostilleThe Ministry of External Affairs fixes the apostille, with a unique verifiable number, to your document.
- 1Chamber of CommerceA recognised Chamber of Commerce verifies company documents.
- 2MEA apostilleThe Ministry of External Affairs fixes the apostille, with a unique verifiable number, to your document.
What to send us
Have these ready and the rest is on us.
- The original document
- Passport copy
- Authorisation letter (we send you the format)
- Destination country and purpose
Timeline and cost
How long does an MEA apostille and attestation take?
The MEA stage itself is usually quick. The overall time depends on the verification stage before it; most documents we handle are completed in as little as 5 working days.
What affects the cost?
The MEA charges a fee for each apostille, and the earlier verification stages have their own charges. Our quote combines all of them with our service fee, so you see one figure before anything is collected.
Get your exact quoteMEA apostille and attestation: your questions
No. An apostille is for countries in the Apostille Convention and needs no further legalisation. MEA attestation is for countries outside the convention and is followed by embassy attestation.
The MEA provides apostille services through its offices and authorised collection centres, including in Mumbai. We handle the submission and collection for you.
No. The MEA apostilles a document only after the state, education department or Chamber of Commerce has verified it. Skipping that step is the most common reason applications are returned.
Related apostille services
How your MEA apostille and attestation gets done
Four steps, and you never stand in a government queue. Most documents are back with you in as little as 5 working days.
- 1
Send a photo
Share a clear photo of your document on WhatsApp with the destination country. We confirm the route, the timeline and the full cost.
- 2
We collect the original
Our team picks the document up from your home or office anywhere in Mumbai, or you drop it at our Santacruz (West) office.
- 3
Attestation and MEA apostille
We take it through notary, state or Chamber of Commerce attestation and the MEA, with an update on WhatsApp at every stage.
- 4
Scans, then delivery
You receive scans of the apostilled document first, then the original is delivered back to your door.
Send us a photo of your document
Send a photo of your document and the destination country. We confirm the route, the timeline and the full cost of your MEA apostille and attestation before pickup.