An Apostille seal is applied on documents used in countries with membership to the Hague Legalization Convention. All members of this convention agreed to abolish legalization requirements for public documents in member countries. The source country and destination country should be signatories to the convention. India is a signatory and you should have your birth certificate legalized before getting the Apostille seal.
Apostille birth certificate in India
You need to have your birth certificate Apostilled when planning to visit India. This is an important step in the immigration process. Fortunately, you can allow a professional agency to handle the process on your behalf. You have to submit documents including:
- Tax report
- Appointment letter
- Original birth certificate
- Asset valuation report
- Financial status evaluation report
The professional document attestation agency will help you with all the immigration documentation procedures. This might include offering useful advice to eliminate any issues that might cause your visa application to be denied.
It is a lengthy process when you decide to handle the process on your own. This requires visiting the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in your country. The competent authority verifies the birth certificate on the appointment date. Therefore, you have to take the original certificate with a few photocopies. After verifying the authenticity of your birth certificate, the embassy will have your certificate apostilled. You can let a professional agency to handle this on your behalf as you focus on other preparations.
Why get your birth certificate apostilled?
After learning how to get an Apostille birth certificate, it is time to understand the reason for the process. The Apostille certifies the origin of the birth certificate. Additionally, it verifies the authenticity of the signature of the person or authority that issued the certificate. However, it does not certify the content of the birth certificate. You only need it when traveling to Hague Convention member states like India.
Countries where the Apostille Convention applies
The Apostille Convention is applicable in your country of origin where the birth certificate was issued and India where you are planning to go. Both countries must be parties to the convention. It is important to confirm that your country of birth and India are listed in the status table of the Apostille Convention. Check the date when both countries put the convention into force to ensure that your birth certificate qualifies to receive the Apostille. Check whether the convention applies to everywhere in India or particular regions.
Things to know before requesting an Apostille
There are various things to know before getting your birth certificate Apostilled . You have to ensure that the convention applies in your country of birth and India. It is important to find a reputable agency with experience and appropriate knowledge of the Apostille process for a birth certificate to India. You also have to understand the relevant documents to submit when looking forward to having your birth certificate apostilled.
It is important to understand whether you have to appear in person when getting an Apostille for your birth certificate. This might be required if you are in a foreign country, not one where the certificate was issued from. When selecting an agency to handle the process on your behalf, it is important to find one that you can afford and the payment method. Additionally, you have to understand how long the process is going to take.
Understanding the duration of the Apostille process
It is important to understand the duration of the Apostille process to allow planning your movement to India. A professional agency usually has a period unlike if you decide to handle the process on your own. The certificate undergoes various procedures including getting authenticated by the designated authority that issued the certificate. You will have to get the certificate legalized by the Ministry of External Affairs according to the signature of the designated authority.
The MEA legalizes original birth certificates for use in India. This is done when your home country and India are both members of the Hague Convention. In 2015, India became a member of the Hague Convention. This organization was established on October 5, 1961, to abolish legalization for public documents from member countries. You have to submit a certificate with an Apostille seal to meet the mandatory requirements to get a visa to India.
Bottom line
When planning to move to India, it is important to understand the mandatory requirements when applying for a visa. These include a birth certificate with an Apostille seal. This is a requirement for Hague Convention member states to ease legalization of public documents. It is a lengthy process but you can hire a professional agency to do the hard work for you. Choose a reputable agency with experience in handling processing the Apostille process for visa requirements to India.
