Older certificates need a closer look
A degree printed decades ago can still be apostilled. What matters is whether the paper is readable, whether the seal and signature are clear, and whether the name matches your passport. Before you courier anything, send us clear photos of both sides. We point out anything a verifying office may question, so you can sort it out in Kolkata first.
- Faded ink or a torn edge on the certificate
- Surname spelt differently from the passport
- Lamination, which can make a stamp impossible to fix
- A duplicate certificate issued after the original was lost
If a document is laminated, tell us before posting it. Some can still be processed and some cannot, and it is better to know while the paper is still with you.
Where West Bengal documents come from
University degrees
Most of the degrees we receive from the state are issued by the University of Calcutta, Jadavpur University, or the state technical university now called Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, which many still know as WBUT. Each one can take the Notary + SDM route or verification by West Bengal's Higher Education Department, depending on the destination. Read about the state route on HRD attestation in Kolkata.
School certificates
Madhyamik certificates from the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and Higher Secondary certificates from the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education are often asked for with a degree, especially by Gulf employers and some European universities. See educational certificate attestation.
Birth, death and marriage records
Birth and death certificates within the city are issued by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Families in Howrah, Salt Lake or the districts hold certificates from their own municipality or registrar. All of these go through Notary + SDM or the West Bengal Home Department before the MEA.
Routes by destination
| Where you are going | Common purpose | What the document gets |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom, Ireland | Doctors, nurses, students | MEA apostille |
| Germany | Master's study, IT jobs | MEA apostille, pre-verification as per checklist |
| Italy | University admission | West Bengal HRD, then MEA apostille |
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait | Employment | MEA attestation + embassy attestation |
| Thailand | Work, business | Embassy legalisation |
| Vietnam | Jobs, study, trade | Apostille for personal and education papers, embassy legalisation for commercial ones |
Medical graduates from Kolkata colleges heading to the UK often need several documents in one go: the MBBS degree, internship completion, and sometimes a good standing letter. Send the full list, and we route each item separately.
Italy, Spain and Portugal: education documents must be verified by West Bengal's Higher Education Department before the MEA, and personal documents go through the Home Department. Notary + SDM is not accepted for these three countries.
More on country rules: Thailand, Vietnam, UAE.
Documents written in Bengali
District registrar marriage certificates, older municipal birth records and some land or family papers are partly in Bengali. A foreign office will usually want a translation into English or into its own language, such as German or Italian. We translate into any language, so the apostille and the translation can be finished as one job and returned together.
Police clearance certificates from West Bengal
If your file needs a PCC, apply for it yourself at a Passport Seva Kendra or Post Office PSK, or through the police. We do not apply on anyone's behalf. Once the certificate is issued, courier it to us with your other papers and we take it through MEA apostille, or attestation for embassy countries. The PCC apostille page explains the steps.
Questions from Kolkata clients
My Calcutta University degree was issued in the 1990s. Can it still be apostilled?
Yes, if it is readable and not damaged. Send photos first. We tell you whether it can go ahead as it is, before you courier it.
My certificate says WBUT, but the university has a new name. Is that a problem?
No. The renamed university still verifies degrees issued under its earlier name. Mention it when you message us so we plan the route correctly.
Can I courier from Siliguri or Durgapur rather than Kolkata?
Yes. Any address in West Bengal works the same way. We return the documents to whichever address you give us.
Do Madhyamik and Higher Secondary certificates need the same verification as the degree?
They follow the same routes, but each is a separate document with its own charge. We follow your checklist and only process what it asks for.
Will someone collect my papers from my home in Kolkata?
No. We do not collect from homes or offices. You book a tracked courier to our Delhi office, and we send the finished documents back by Blue Dart.