MEA Apostille

Let’s break down the Apostille process into three main steps, starting from the regional level and ending with the Apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs. 

1) Notary Public:

The first step in the Apostille process is notarization. A Notary Public verifies the authenticity of the document and certifies it with an official stamp and signature. This step ensures that the document is genuine and ready for further attestation.  

2)State Level Attestation, SDM Delhi Attestation or CoC: 

A) Personal Documents:  (State Level/SDM Delhi Attestation)

After notarization, documents move to the state level for further verification. Each state in India has its own process and designated departments for attestation, adding an extra layer of authentication.

However, it is important to note that Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Delhi attestation fulfills the state-level attestation requirements. As a result, SDM Delhi attestation is accepted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for further processing. 

P.S. State-level attestation is a hassle and time-consuming process, and it is mandatory only for a few international countries. Most countries accept SDM Delhi as pre-authentication. 

B) Commercial Documents:  (CoC Attestation)

In case of Commercial documents, the Chamber of Commerce attests commercial documents such as invoices, certificates of origin, and other business-related papers to validate their authenticity for international trade and business transactions. 

 3) MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) Apostille: 

Once the document has received state-level attestation, SDM Delhi attestation, or CoC attestation, it moves to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the final step. MEA verifies and authenticates the document with an Apostille sticker, confirming its authenticity at the national level and making it legally valid for use in countries that are part of the Hague Convention. 

This marks the completion of the Apostille process, ensuring the document’s acceptance in member nations without requiring further embassy attestation. 

Document Attestation and Apostille Services