What is Apostille?
Apostille is one type of Attestation and in this, you will see that all the documents are legalised in a format that is acceptable in all nations that belong to or are part of the Hague Convention. Apostille is one of the International attestations that are acceptable in more than 90 countries.
In the western world, most of the countries recognize Apostille. India has been a member of the Hague Convention since 2005 and Apostille is a requirement of legalisation of foreign public documents.
Apostille is done for various personal documents and certificates like birth/death/marriage certificates, power of attorney, affidavits, and many more. You can describe Apostille as a certificate that authenticates the signature of a public official on a document so that it can be used in another country. `
The main work of Apostille is to certify the authenticity of the signature of the public official who signed the document or certificate. In simpler words, it is a document that is used in International law and it is issued by a government in obedience to the Hague convention and it certifies that another document or certificate has been signed by a notary public.
Why do we need Apostille?
Apostille only certifies the origin of various public documents to which it relates and it certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of the person or you can say authority that signed or sealed the public document and capacity where it was done.
When do you need Apostille?
Apostille certificate can only be issued in a country that is a part convention and it can be used in another country that is also part of the convention. You need to apply for Apostille if the following points apply.
- The law of the country where the document or certificate was issued is considered a public document or certificate.
- Country in which the document or certificate is to be used as the apostille convention.
- The country where the certificate or document was issued and used for the apostilles convention.
- The country where the document or certificate is to be used requires Apostille authenticity to be recognized as a foreign public document or certificate.
Procedure for Apostille and how to get it done in Mumbai?
There are two procedures for Apostille that you can follow.
1. Online Apostille Procedure
- In this online apostille procedure, the applicant can easily apply for Apostille, and for that, the applicant has to visit the website of E-Sanad.
- On this website, the applicant has to follow the procedure as mentioned on the website and then wait for the response.
2. Apostille procedure through authorised service providers
- The second procedure involves the authorised service providers who ensure that your application for Apostille finishes without any problems.
- Authorised service providers or outsourced agencies work to ensure that the applicant doesn’t have to wait so the service provider and agencies just need documents to get the attestation of Apostille.
Apostille Services in Mumbai
If the applicant lives in Mumbai and doesn’t want to apply for Apostille manually then the applicant can surely need to find some consultancies that provide Apostille services in Mumbai. These agencies will offer you services that include the legitimate authentication of certificates.
You will find many agencies that provide Apostille services in Mumbai and if you want the surety to get an Apostille certificate then you can get it done through ND Universal. Let me tell you ND Universal is one of the most reputed agencies that provide Apostille services in Mumbai.
Required Documents for Apostille
- You need to have all original documents that need attestation and you may require true copies of them.
- In some cases, supporting documents are also required like Passport, offer letter, admission letter, and Government Id proofs.
Validity of Apostille
- Apostille is valid for 6 months and State Attestation is valid for a lifetime. State Attestation is one-time validation for any document or certificate.
- The time consumption for home department attestation is less in Mumbai compared to other states.
Apostille Contains?
- Name of the Country where the certificate or document was issued.
- Name of the person to whom the certificate or document is issued.
- The number of the Certificate.
- Name of the person signing the document or certificate.
- The Seal or Stamp of the authority who is issuing the certificate.
How much does an Apostille cost in India?
MEA: A fee of Rs. 50/- is payable for Apostille of each document or certificate. Normal Attestation is free of cost.
Outsourced Agencies: As the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) is not accepting the documents directly from the applicant so all the documents or certificates required for Apostille are to be submitted and collected by outsourced agencies. The chargeable fees by outsourced agencies per document for the collection and submission for Apostille by MEA are given below.
· 16/- (For each Commercial document)
· 18/- (For each Education document)
· 22/- (For each Personal document)