Birth Certificate Apostille Services in India

A birth certificate is one of the most important documents that an individual requires. It is not only a vital document in India but is also needed by NRIs for different purposes. These birth certificates are required to apply for a visa, passport, or license. The birth certificate issued in India needs to be apostille to use in a foreign country. The government's first document is the birth certificate, which the municipal corporation issues. You would not find the child’s name in the old birth certificates, so the birth certificate will need to be re-issued. Birth certificates without the name can also be processed, but the apostille’s name will be blank. Apostille is given only by the ministry of affairs. You have the choice of two kinds of apostille birth certificates in India. Selecting the right one will make your work easier and quicker. It will also prevent rejection from the embassy of the country you are planning to settle. 

Meaning of apostille

An Apostille is a kind of square-shaped stamp affixing by MEA, Government of India, on the document’s backside. Any documents issued in one country must be used in another country and must be authenticated and legalized or, more specifically, apostilled to be recognized as valid in the foreign country. An apostille birth certificate is required where the documents are to be used in countries that are members of the Hague apostille convention. These documents are to be attested by the Indian ministry of external affairs.

When do you need to apply for a Birth certificate apostille?

There are certain situations where MEA attestation is required for the birth certificate. They are-

1. Traveling on work Visa

2. Traveling on a dependent visa

3. Student visa

4. Child's schooling in a foreign country 

What are the documents required for a Birth certificate apostille in India?

The following documents are required-

1. The original birth certificate needs to be apostilled.

2. Photocopy of passport

3. Name of the country for which the apostilled document is to be used.

Apostilled documents and the original document can be shipped anywhere in India by a trusted courier service company at the applicable courier charges.

What is the procedure for getting a Birth certificate apostille in India?

There are two ways of getting an apostille for any document. Here it is about the birth certificate.

1. State authentication and MEA Apostille

2. SDM authentication and MEA Apostille

• State authentication and MEA apostille- the first and foremost step are to get the state authentication from the state in which the individual is born for the birth certificate attestation in India. Then, one needs to see whether the country they are planning to travel to comes under the Hague convention or not. If the country is not on the list, then one must get state authentication immediately. The second condition is that if the documents belong to states like Punjab, Haryana, or goa, state attestation is required. In this scenario, the country doesn’t need to be listed in Hague. State authentication for birth certificate attestation in India is a complicated and tedious process and can take around 3 to 4 weeks to complete.

• SDM authentication and MEA Apostille- this is required if your traveling country belongs to Hague nation. The processing cost increases if the documents belong to Punjab, Haryana, or goa. 

The procedure:

for the home department attestation for the birth certificate, one needs to follow the following procedure.

1. Submit the original birth certificate to the Recruitment and assessment center (RAC) department along with a passport scan copy and two stamp-size photographs.

2. The document is then taken to the birth and death registrar’s office, where the registrar verifies all the documents and certifies them.

3. After the registrar certification, the document then goes back to the Recruitment and assessment center (RAC) department for the signature and seal from the secretariat. 

4. The MEA will provide stickers and MEA stamps as per the requirement.

Apostille birth certificate alternative-

If the birth certificate attestation in India is not possible from the respective home department, it can be apostilled from the ministry of external affairs after the attestation from the sub-divisional magistrate. 

The choice:

With the two ways of apostille birth certificates, it is crucial to choose the right one. This is relatively simple. If you are traveling to a country that belongs to the Hague nation list, SDM is the ideal choice to save you money and time. If the country you are traveling to does not belong to the Hague nation list, then state attestation is a must, done by MEA and the required countries' embassies.

Validity of apostille

All the MEA apostilles, whether through state or SDM authentication, have a validity of 6 months. This needs to be reviewed every six months. 

How can NRIway help you with the Birth certificate apostille?

It is not easy for the NRIs to get the birth certificate attestation in India as it involves a series of steps and processes. They need some professional services for completing the tedious process of apostille birth certificates in India. Norway is one such platform that eases any work related to administrative documentation, immigration, financial, and other real estate accounting aspects. They have excellent customer support and are available 24/7 for taking queries. NRI way has professional agents that assist you in procuring the apostille sticker. You need to give your documents, and they will handle the rest.

Other Apostille services we provide-

1. Degree Certificate Apostille

2. Marriage Certificate Apostille

3. Single Status Certificate Apostille

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