Immigration requires a ton of legal formalities. You have to abide by norms or rules set by the country’s foreign affairs ministry. Every country has this kind of setup, which makes it like a walkover to manage emigrants and migrants easily.

The main body that helps in managing it easily is the embassy, which every country has located in the capital cities. However, it is for offering convenience to people who are or are likely to move in or out of the nation.  There are a few more things that it assists you with. These can be issuing emergency passports, replacing or renewing your passport, issuing a birth report of non-residents for registering, filling up taxes, and notarizing personal, commercial, and education documents.

The one thing that is compulsory for all of these documents is attestation. Without it, you cannot obtain permission to get through the country.

Let’s understand what it is.

What is the attestation of documents?

Attestation refers to legalization or apostille. This is actually the process of verifying the authenticity and validity of documents. Certainly, this is a big responsibility that only a competent authority should perform. Being a matter of legal concern, a legal body takes care of document attestation. Mostly, the A-grade Gazette officer besides the court magistrate or district magistrate hosts this verification power.

Simply put, the attestation of documents or certificates is a matter of the respective designated authority, especially of A-grade or level in any country. A stamp and the signature of the competitive authority signify that the document has been verified. The foreign embassy accepts it as being credible and trusted.

Before discovering the process, let’s get through the types of attestation practiced in India.

How to Get Documents Attested from Different Authorities?

The following steps and types of attestation can help you to easily get documents attested:

1). Notary Attestation

Notary attestation is carried out by a notary public, who is an authorized person to check the authenticity of certificates under the Notarial Act. These can be personal (Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, marriage certificate, Single Status Certificate, etc.), educational (Transcript, Marksheet, & Degree), commercial papers (ITR, MOA, etc.)

In all, the notary public certifies the genuineness and proper execution of personal documents. This authentication is called notarization, which prevents fraud. He can administer oath and also attest affidavit from a person.

How to get HRD attestation solution?

You may reach the notary public office to request for the legalization of any affidavit or paper. Then, he would thoroughly examine the originality and true intentions. Once satisfied, he moves to getting a stamp and signing your document.

He offers paid service, which means the affiant has to pay a certain fee against the verified document. In addition, he may request for traveling allowance at INR 5 per kilometer.

2). Home Department Attestation (HRD)

This is a state’s affair, which means that the state ministry deals with the authentication of all papers that are categorized as personal. These can be the certificate of marriage, birth, non-availability of birth, single status (bachelorhood certificate), death, and divorce papers.

The HRD legalizes the aforesaid documents before sending it to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).  A layman cannot straightaway approach this ministry. He or she has to follow a hierarchy in this regard, which requires HRD verification before any other attestation.  The registrar checks the credibility and authenticity of diverse papers.

How to get the HRD attestation solution?

This process is the next step of notarization. Upon that, the authoritative person thoroughly verifies the originality & validity of your paper. Once confirmed, he certifies your document.

Normally, this process takes a week or fortnight if the presented paper. This service is also chargeable.

3). SDM Attestation

SDM expands for a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). This legalization of personal and educational documents requires an official stamp and signature from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. It is requisite in the absence of home department attestation.

How to get an SDM attestation solution?

The government designates a sub-divisional magistrate where the state ministry is not formed. Being an alternative to the State’s HRD attestation, it requires the applicant to visit a notary public office first. Once legalized from there, the applicant can directly visit the SDM office around 9 in the morning to request for verifying a particular personal or educational paper.

This service is also payable. The charges may differ as per government norms, which are revised over time. Generally, this service can be finished in a week or a month. In the case of non-residents, it may be a month-long procedure.

4). Chamber of Commerce Attestation

As its name suggests, you may require attesting papers, such as business transactions overseas. This procedure proves that the company’s papers, like Modification Of Share Capital Attate Attestation, Tourist Licence Registration Attestation, Quotation Attestation, and a few others are genuine.

How to get the chamber of commerce attestation solution?

The applicant can directly visit the Chamber of Commerce for getting your commercial documents legalized.  It won’t take long to have this service for being attributed to commercial purposes.  It may take a week-long time. However, some factors may delay this procedure.

5). Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Attestation/ Apostille

This is the most crucial and significant legalization step, which is a must-have. The concerned office is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which verifies, validates, and finally puts the signature of the ministry, approving your request.

The same department offers apostille services, which are meant for the people who are likely to visit the member country of The Hague Convention (1961). There are 101 states of the world associated with this convention. People likely to visit any of these states have to get their documents apostilled. Once done, they don’t need further attestation.

Here, you must consider the fact that the person cannot directly visit and request for the attestation /apostilling of any personal, educational, or commercial documents. There are some outsourcing agents like Services2NRI that represent you to get your documents attested.  You may approach us or any of the agents online, raise a request, and then, share your document(s) to be attested.

This is mainly helpful in authenticating documents like birth/death/marriage certificates, Affidavits, Power of Attorney, degree, diploma, matriculation and secondary level certificates, etc. in accordance with the international obligation. An apostilled paper should, therefore, be treated as a legally accepted document.

How to get the MEA attestation solution?

This process trails legalization from the notary, SDM, and State or HRD department of the state. The applicant may hire an outsourcer to avoid hassles and delays. Furthermore, start following the given steps.

Online process

• Applicant can visit Services2NRI.com.
• Get registered with the website.
• Upload the documents as per request.
• Pay the requisite fee for the service.
• Get the receipt and check the status.
• Have delivery in a few days, possibly in a week or a month.

Offline Process

• Applicant can physically approach us or any other outsourcing agent.
• Submit documents to the agent.
• The agent will visit the Branch Secretariat/ RPOs.
• Pay the fee for the service.
• The apostilled/attested documents will be dispatched.
• The agent may also deliver to you.

Here again, the charges may differ for each document and also can be revised over time by the ministry. You may inquire about the same thing from the authority.

6). Embassy Attestation

An embassy represents a country, whose headquarter is mainly located in the capital of a particular foreign country.  The applicant can directly reach out on the scheduled date. You may schedule when to visit there. Reach with all documents with you to get the stamp from the consul.

How to get the embassy attestation solution?

This process is the last phase, wherein the applicant must have to follow the hierarchy of the steps, as aforementioned. It covers the authentication from the notary public (which is optional), the state’s HRD or SDM (in case the HRD is absent), and the MEA.