How to Get Document apostille in india

How to get apostille

Public documents like birth certificates, passport copies, judgments, patents, or notarial attestations of signatures may need to be used in foreign countries. However, before a foreign country can use or accept a document issued by a foreign country, it must be authenticated. Typically, authentication of documents is done by a process called legalization wherein the officials of the country where the document was issued as well as the foreign Embassy or Consulate of the country where the document is to be issued authenticate the document. However, as this process is usually slow, cumbersome, and costly, a number of countries have signed the Hague Convention, thereby adopting the Apostille Convention. Apostille makes the authentication of public documents used abroad very simple and easy. In this article, we look at the process of getting a document apostilled.

Apostille

A large number of countries all over the world have joined a treaty that simplifies the authentication of public documents used abroad. This treaty is called the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents or the Apostille Convention. In countries for which the Apostille Convention applies, the treaty reduces the authentication process to a single formality: the issuance of an authentication certificate by an authority designated by the country where the public document was issued. This certificate is called an Apostille.

Authentication of Document – NOT under Apostille Convention

How-to-get-apostille-Legalisation-Chain

How-to-get-apostille-Legalisation-Chain

Authentication of Document under Apostille Convention

How-to-get-apostille-Process

How-to-get-apostille-Process

Apostille Certificate

An apostille certificate can be used to authenticate public documents like passport copy, driver’s license copy, business documents, judgments, the extract of a register, or a notarial attestation. Apostille certificate can be issued only for documents issued in a country party to the Apostille Convention, and that is to be used in another country, which is also a party to the Apostille Convention.

Countries Accepting Apostille Certificate

For an apostille to be acceptable, the country where the public document was issued, and the country where the document is to be used must be a member of the Apostille Convention. India is a member of the Hague Convention and has thus adopted the Apostille Convention. India can provide apostille documents or can require documents to be apostilled if the documents are from a country that has also adopted the apostille convention. The following are the countries that have adopted the apostille convention.

Albania

Andorra

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Burundi

Cape Verde

Chile

China, People’s Republic of

Colombia

Cook Islands

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

Fiji

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Grenada

Honduras

Hungary

Iceland

India

Ireland

IsraelTitle Page

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Korea, Republic of

Kosovo

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Lesotho

Liberia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malawi

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Namibia

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Niue

Norway

Oman

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

San Marino

Sao Tome and Principe

Serbia

Seychelles

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Suriname

Swaziland

Sweden

Switzerland

Tajikistan

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States of America

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Venezuela

Apostille Requirement for Company Registration

During registration of a company in India involving foreign nationals, the Companies Act 2013 requires the signatures of subscribers and identity/address proof to be notarized before a Notary public of that country and then apostilled as per the Hague Convention if both foreign national provides documents issued by a country listed above. Know more about the procedure for company registration in India with foreign nationals.