Sometimes, one really gets confused over which document he should attest with the competent authority. This confusion can end up in delaying the visa processing. So, you must have a checklist of those documents prior.

But first, you should know about the categorization of documents that you need to attest. Subsequently, I’ll share the checklist of the NRI’s documents and the competent authorities. Always drill it into your head that the attestation of NRI certificates is a mandatory process. You won’t be permitted to immigrate unless you have a visa. You get it only after verifying the requisite documents.

Let’s have a look over the categories of the documents required for visa processing. This list is complete, but it does not restrict to only these documents.  The list may have many other documents. I’ve mentioned the requisite documents under their specific categories.

1. Educational Documents:

• Degree Certificate
• PG Degree Certificate
• Pre Degree Certificate
• BE Certificate
• Diploma Certificate
• Nursing Certificate
• Mark Sheet
• SSC Certificate
• HSC Certificate
• Inter Certificate
• MBBS Certificate
• Dentists Certificate
• Engineering Certificate
• Transcript Certificate
• Transfer Certificate
• Nursing Degree Certificate
• Nursing Registration Certificate
• Pharmacy Certificate
• Ed. Certificate
• MS Certificate
• MD Certificate
• Tech. Certificate

2. Personal Documents:

• Marriage Certificate
• Birth Certificate
• Leaving Certificate
• Police Clearance Certificate
• Registration Certificate
• Power of Attorney Certificate
• Marriage Affidavit Certificate
• Bona-fide Certificate
• Medical Certificate

3. Commercial Documents:

• Export invoice
• Packaging list
• Power of Attorney
• Certificate of Origin
• Certificate of Incorporation
• Chemical Analysis Report
• Physical Analysis Report

Various countries have specific competent authorities, as the USCIS in the USA. You have to apply for the certificate attestation service in India or the USA or UK, wherever you live. If you talk about India in particular, it requires you to through three levels of documents’ verification.

1. HRD Attestation: You should be aware of the fact that the HRD or Human Resource Development department in India ideally requires your presence along with the original documents. Besides what I aforementioned, you should carry these documents also. Thereafter, you’ll receive a file number and a phone number. Dial that number, if you want to check the progress of your visa application.

The HRD sends these documents, like degree or mark sheet, to verify with the pertaining university. Once it confirms their authenticity you get a call from there. Afterwards, you receive these attested documents. It takes 3 to 5 weeks in attesting those documents.

• Offer letter/Email
• Passport and its copy
• Supporting documents (aforementioned, which are précised according to the kind of visa)
• Postal Stamp worth INR 50 (available in every post office)

2. MEA Attestation: It’s a second level of attestation. You should know that this authority doesn’t scrutinize what you submit there for attestation. The authority conducts this process through agents. It offers a list of authentic agents. You can contact outsourcing agents, like Services2NRI, which is an experienced player.

If you ask about its processing time, you may have to wait till 5 days.

3. Embassy Attestation: The embassy of the foreign countries, also, has to verify your documents. It, also, looks into your documents before putting its stamp of approval on your visa.

How much you should pay-it’s the point of contention. Yes, the NRI document attestation is not a free service. You have to pay on each and every level. The HRD requires you to pay INR 500/INR 1000 for the document verification with the university.

Although you need to pay little to the MEA, i.e. INR 18 (that can differ), yet it’s again not a free NRI service.

As far as the embassy’s fee is concerned, you may have to pay INR 3000 or more according to this link (https://mea.gov.in/Images/amb1/Attestation_documents_2015.pdf).