When a birth certificate has to be legalised
Most requests we get fall into a few situations. In each one, an office abroad needs to rely on a document issued by an Indian registrar it has never dealt with.
- Dependant or family visa. A parent working in the Gulf or Europe sponsors a child, and the visa office checks the parents' names on the certificate.
- School admission abroad. Schools use the certificate to confirm the child's age and place the child in the right grade.
- Residence permits. Many countries ask for it when a family member first applies for residence, and some ask again at renewal.
- Citizenship and naturalisation files. Adults applying for citizenship often need their own birth certificate, legalised, as proof of birth details.
Which birth certificates are accepted
The certificate must be issued by a government registrar of births and deaths. That means the municipal corporation, the municipality, or the registrar for your village or block. It carries the registration number, the registrar's signature and an office stamp.
A hospital discharge slip, a baptism record or a school leaving certificate showing the date of birth is not a birth certificate for this purpose. If that is all you have, the registration has to be done or traced at the registrar's office first.
Older certificates sometimes have no child's name, only "male" or "female". Foreign offices usually want the name to appear, so get the name entered by the registrar before you start. If yours is a printout of a digitally signed certificate, send us a photo and we will check it before you courier anything.
Issue date: some authorities ask for a copy issued within a recent period, even if you already have an older original. If your checklist mentions this, get a fresh copy from the registrar and send us that one.
The route to the MEA
A birth certificate is a personal document, so it reaches the MEA through one of two pre-verification routes.
Route A
Notary + SDM → MEA
The usual route for apostille countries when the checklist does not ask for state verification. ₹1,500 per document for the full route.
Route B
State Home Department → MEA
The only route for Italy, Spain and Portugal, and the one to use when a checklist asks for state verification. Priced on quote.
For embassy countries, the MEA attests the certificate instead of apostilling it, and the embassy of that country then adds its stamp.
Birth certificate routes by destination
| Country | Result you get | Before the MEA |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | MEA apostille | Notary + SDM or Home Department |
| Italy, Spain, Portugal | MEA apostille | Home Department only |
| Saudi Arabia | MEA e-apostille with QR code | Notary + SDM or Home Department |
| Bahrain | MEA apostille + translation | Notary + SDM or Home Department |
| Vietnam | MEA apostille | Notary + SDM or Home Department |
| UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman | MEA attestation + embassy attestation | As the embassy's list requires |
| China | MEA attestation + China Embassy legalisation | Notary + SDM or Home Department |
Country guides: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Vietnam.
What to send, and translation
- Original birth certificate
- Passport copy of the person named on it, if they have one
- Parents' passport copies, for a dependant visa
- Destination country and the checklist you were given
Many offices outside English-speaking countries want a translation of the certificate. We translate into any language, priced on quote, and tell you whether the translation needs its own attestation for your country.
Delhi families can drop the certificate at our New Ashok Nagar office and collect it there. From other cities, courier it to us. We send it back by Blue Dart or another secure courier. We do not collect from homes.
Questions about birth certificate apostille
The name spelling on my birth certificate does not match my passport. What now?
The apostille confirms the certificate is genuine. It does not change what is written on it. Some offices abroad accept a separate affidavit explaining that both spellings refer to the same person, and that affidavit can be attested too. Others want the certificate corrected at the registrar. Ask the office abroad which they prefer before you start.
My birth certificate is old and handwritten. Can it be apostilled?
Often yes, if it was issued by the registrar, is readable and carries the signature and stamp. If it is torn, faded or the details are hard to read, a fresh computer-printed copy from the registrar is the safer choice. Send us a photo and we will tell you.
I work abroad and need my child's certificate attested. Can my family in India handle it?
Yes. A family member can drop it at our office or courier it to us, and we return it to any address in India you give. You can stay in touch with us on WhatsApp from abroad throughout.
Will the apostille go on the original or a copy?
On the original. That is why we need the original certificate, and why we return it to you by secure courier or in person.
How long does a birth certificate apostille take?
It depends on the route and the country. We give you a time estimate together with the price, before you send the certificate.