Apostille is the simplified certification of public documents issued in India for their use across the world and in all countries that are a part and signatories of the Hague Convention's for Apostille. India, from 2005, is a member of the Hague Convention, that removed the requirement of legalization of foreign public documents for each country seprately. Apostilled documents are acceptable in 105 member-countries of the Hague Convention. Apostille can be done on personal documents like birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificates, Affidavits issued in India, Power of Attorney issued in India, etc. and all educational documents like Bachelars degree, diploma certificate, matriculation and secondary school level certificates etc. Any document Apostilled by one member country of hague convention is acceptable in all the other 104 member-countries thus greatly facilitating the process of attestation by making it pointless to get the documents attested in each or for each of the countries solely. .
MEA attestation establishes that document is original and genuine and issued legitimately, in all cases where an individual is planning to go abroad, the original documents require to be attested from different authorities like General Administrative Departments, State Home Departments, Higher Education Department or Sub-Divisional Magistrate, New Delhi, etc. and to attest the same by the Ministry of External Affairs MEA, Government of India New Delhi.
All original documents and photo copies required for attestation or Apostille. All educational documents first authenticated by the designated authorities of the State/Union Territory from where the document has been issued.
In case of personal documents, like birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificates, Affidavits issued in India, Power of Attorney issued, Home/General Administration Department of the concerned State Government/Union Territory is the designated authorities.