Who asks for an attested marriage certificate
The most common case is a husband or wife working abroad who wants the spouse to join on a family or dependant visa. The visa office needs to see that the marriage is registered and that the certificate is genuine. A student going abroad with a spouse faces the same question.
It also comes up later. Employers in the Gulf ask for it before they add a spouse to housing or medical benefits. Residence permit renewals sometimes ask for it again. Couples who settle abroad need it to register the marriage with local authorities or to apply for a joint lease or bank account.
The certificate that works: registrar-issued
Foreign offices rely on the government registration of the marriage, not the ceremony. The certificate you need is the one issued by the Registrar of Marriages after the marriage is registered. In practice that is one of these:
- Hindu Marriage Act registration. For Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist couples, registered after the ceremony with the marriage registrar of the district.
- Special Marriage Act registration. Used by interfaith couples, couples where one partner is a foreign national, and anyone who chooses a civil marriage.
- State registration certificate. Several states run their own compulsory marriage registration, and those certificates are also issued by a government registrar.
Religious certificates: a certificate from a temple, Arya Samaj, church or a nikahnama on its own is issued by a private body. Many foreign offices ask for the government registration certificate instead. If you only have the religious certificate, register the marriage first and then send us the registrar's certificate.
How the certificate reaches the MEA
A marriage certificate is a personal document. It is verified first, then stamped by the MEA.
Route A
Notary + SDM → MEA
The usual choice for apostille countries. ₹1,500 per document for the full route.
Route B
State Home Department → MEA
Required for Italy, Spain and Portugal, which do not accept the Notary + SDM route. Priced on quote.
For a country that needs embassy attestation, the chain continues one step further:
What the couple needs to send
- Original marriage certificate from the registrar
- Passport copies of both spouses
- Destination country
- The visa or sponsor checklist, if you have one
The certificate records both names as they were on the date of registration. If the wife has since taken her husband's surname and her passport shows the new name, that is common and usually not a problem, since the passports and the certificate are read together. Some offices ask for a name-change affidavit or gazette notification as well. If your checklist asks for one, tell us and we will include it in the quote.
For non-English-speaking countries, we translate the certificate into any language, priced on quote.
Delhi couples can drop off and collect the certificate at our New Ashok Nagar office. From other cities, courier it to us and we return it by Blue Dart or another secure courier. We do not offer home pickup.
Spouse visa destinations we often handle
| Country | Result you get | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman | MEA attestation + embassy attestation | Embassy lists can ask for passport copies of both spouses |
| Saudi Arabia | MEA e-apostille with QR code | An older apostille without a QR code is not accepted |
| Bahrain | MEA apostille + translation | Embassy attestation only in rare cases |
| Italy, Spain, Portugal | MEA apostille | Home Department route only |
| Germany | MEA apostille | Follow the checklist from the visa office |
| Vietnam | MEA apostille | Personal documents take the apostille |
| China | MEA attestation + China Embassy legalisation | From our processing experience, not apostille |
Country guides: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, Vietnam.
Questions about marriage certificate attestation
We only have a religious marriage certificate. Can you attest it?
Many offices abroad will not accept it on its own. Register the marriage with the marriage registrar first. Registration can be done after the ceremony, and the registrar's certificate is the one we take through the MEA.
My wife's surname changed after marriage, but the certificate has her old name. Is that a problem?
Usually not. The certificate shows names on the day of registration, and her passport shows the current name. We send both passport copies with the file. If your checklist asks for an affidavit or gazette notification, we include it.
Do both of us need to come to your office?
No. Either spouse, or a family member, can drop the documents at our Delhi office, or you can courier them. We only need the original certificate and both passport copies.
Our marriage was registered in another state. Does that matter?
Not for sending it to us. For the Home Department route, verification is done by the state where the marriage was registered, and we arrange that.
Can you attest a divorce decree as well?
Yes. Send us a photo of the decree and the country name, and we will confirm the route and price.