Apostille vs Attestation: Which One Does Your Document Need?

Both apostille and attestation prove that an Indian document is genuine, so it can be accepted in another country. The difference is which country you are sending it to.

Apostille

An apostille is used for countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. In India, the apostille is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after the document is first verified by the relevant state or central authority. Once apostilled, the document does not need further embassy attestation for member countries. Read more about our apostille service.

Attestation

Countries that are not members of the convention usually need attestation instead. This is a step-by-step chain: state-level verification (for example, HRD for educational certificates), MEA attestation, and finally attestation by that country's embassy or consulate. See our attestation service.

How to decide

• Find out the destination country and the exact office that will receive the document.
• Check whether that country accepts an apostille or needs embassy attestation.
• Check if a translation is needed and whether it must be done before or after the apostille or attestation.

Not sure? Send us the country name and the document, and our team will tell you the correct process.