Do you require an apostille on your US-issued documents for use in India?
If you are going to India to work, study, get married, establish a business, etc. your US-issued legal documents must be authenticated to become valid in India. Since India is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, US-issued documents intended for use in India must be authenticated with the apostille. The most frequently requested documents we receive for apostille processing are:
- Vital records (birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, etc.)
- Identification documents (passport, driver’s license)
- Court documents
- Academic documents (diplomas, school transcripts, etc.)
- Personal financial documents (bank statements, salary statements, etc.)
- Personal documents (power of attorney, will, etc.)
- Corporate documents (articles of incorporations, financial statements, registration documents, etc.)
How can I get an apostille on my documents for use in India?
An apostille on documents for use in India is always processed by the state where the document was issued. For example, a California-issued driver’s license will receive a California apostille, or a Georgia-issued birth certificate will be apostilled by the Georgia Secretary of State. Some documents must be notarized before they can be submitted for an apostille. Remember that vital records (birth certificates, death certificates, etc.) can never be notarized. If you need to apostille a vital record, you must obtain a certified copy from the County Clerk’s office or State Registrar in your state. If you are not sure whether you need to notarize your document before you can apply for an apostille, please check with us and we will be happy to provide you with detailed instructions for your particular case.
To receive an apostille on a US-issued document for use in India you will need to mail to our office a certified copy or a notarized document to our office. Global Apostille processes apostilles on documents issued by any of the US states. If you need to apostille a Power of Attorney for use in India, make sure your document is signed in front of two witnesses and their names and addresses are listed on the document. We recommend visiting the website of the Consulate General of India for detailed instructions and templates for a Power of Attorney acceptable in India.
Typically, an apostille on a US-issued document is sufficient for acceptance by most Indian authorities. However, some regions in India will require additional attestation by the Indian Consulate General or Embassy in addition to an apostille. Additional attestation by the Consulate of India is often requested for a Power of Attorney. To avoid any issues with your documents, we advise having a power of attorney intended for use in India authenticated by the Consular office or Embassy of India after we obtain an apostille on it. India has an Embassy in Washington, DC, and five Consular offices located in Atlanta, Ga, Chicago, Illinois, Houston, Texas, New York City, NY, and San-Francisco, CA. We recommend contacting the Consulate of India and checking all the requirements in each particular situation. In some cases, the Indian Consulate or Embassy might request notarized proof of your residency in the United States. Typical documents confirming the US residency are a US Driving license (color copy), a color copy of a US passport, a copy of a utility bill, a copy of a house lease, or a house deed.
Obtaining an apostille for India is a complex process and should only be handled by professionals. Remember that trusting your important documents to incompetent people unfamiliar with the specifics of each country, may lead you to additional expenses, and delays of your important business by weeks, or even months. That’s why we recommend that you should let Global Apostille take care of obtaining an apostille on your documents for India. We process India apostille issued by all fifty states in the USA. For any questions, please visit our FAQ page or Contact Us page.
Our experts are available Monday through Friday from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. Please call us at 1-770-447-0360 or toll-free 866-416-0747, and we will answer all your questions and offer easy- to-follow detailed instructions.