An Overview of Birth Certificate Attestation Process in India

Document Attestation is one of those things that you can’t ignore when you are going to another country for specific reasons. When you are moving to a foreign country, you will need to complete various documentation procedures (including personal, educational, and business) based on the reason for moving to another country. One of the most important attestations is birth certificate attestation. 

A birth certificate is a crucial document that certifies the birth of a child. It is a legal proof and representation of the ensuing registration of that birth. In simple words, it is official evidence of an individual’s birth, including the names of the parents. 

In India, birth certificate attestation can be cumbersome for you as the entire process is time-consuming and the legwork required can be taxing for individuals. Though it might sound simple to get a signature and seal from an authorized designated person/department/authority, it is not so in reality. That’s what birth certificate attestation services are for.

When Do I Need Birth Certificate Attestation?

The birth certificate attestation is usually required when you are:

  • Applying to study abroad
  • Applying for a family visa to travel for two or more months
  • Taking your children abroad along with you

The child will need it in order to take admissions in school and colleges abroad. Therefore, the certificate needs to be attested by the state Home Department. 

What is the process of Birth Certificate Attestation in India?

The process of Birth Certificate involves SDM Attestation. SDM attestation means getting your documents attested from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. 

The attestation is done at two levels:

  • District Level
  • State Level

The attestation process starts by applying for district-level verification and then for the state Home Department verification. 

Thereafter, you will need to apply for MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) attestation. After the MEA attestation and verification process is completed, the certificate will be forwarded to the embassy of the country where the candidate wants to move.

Note: If your destination country is a member of the Hague Convention, you will need apostille services rather than attestation services. 

Then, you will need MOFA attestation, which is the final step of the attestation process, to obtain a stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the destination country. 

What documents are required for Birth Certificate Attestation in India?

Only a few documents are needed to complete the procedure of birth certificate attestation and they are:

  • Passport copy
  • Visa copy
  • Photographs
  • Original Certificate
  • Authorization Letter

Since your personal documents are the most crucial assets, it is extremely important that you hand them over to a trusted certificate attestation service provider. Always look for companies that have record credibility and reliability. You will find birth certificate attestation service providers online. Carefully choose the one that you can bank upon. 

What are the Things to Look for in the HRD Attestation Service Provider?

HRD, which stands for Human Resource Development, Attestation is considered to be quite important and necessary for the authentication of certain kinds of educational certificates. HRD Attestation is usually handled by the respective states. Once the HRD Attestation is done and dusted, the required Embassy Attestation is performed.

HRD is known to be an important aspect of applying for employment or making any further arrangements abroad. Because of globalization and unemployment, more and more people have started to migrate abroad for better opportunities, and this increases the need for HRD Attestation. Consequently, with the increase in the demand for this service, there are more and more HRD Attestation services in the market. This specific certification verifies the authenticity of the submitted certificate.

This kind of attestation is mandatory for all sorts of educational documents including PG certificates, HSC certificates, degree certificates, SSLC certificates, and diplomas. A majority of the countries have made it compulsory for certified HRD attestation in order to grant a visa, higher education abroad, or employment. Therefore, it is recommended that you go through the state HRD attestation procedures with the help of a reliable service provider so as to get an attestation from the Embassy.

There are some things to consider if you wish to hire the right attestation service provider for your HRD Attestation.

  • Quick and hassle-free:
    The right certificate attestation service provider would be able to provide quick as well as hassle-free services to their clients and that too at a reasonable price. Moreover, they must also be able to complete the entire process within the agreed-upon time period.
  • Impressive track record:
    Before you finalize a deal with any of the certificate attestation company, it is recommended that you got through the reviews of the previous customers of the service provider you are considering to invest in. A good and competent certificate attestation service provider should have an excellent and impressive track record. This tends to give you an idea about the kind of services you would be getting.
  • Experts and knowledgeable staff:
    You must make sure that you look for a certification attestation agency that has employees with unmatched knowledge in this particular field and are experts. These experts must have in-depth knowledge associated with each and every aspect of this attestation process. So, they are expected to assist and guide their customers in the right direction throughout the entire process.
  • Customer support:
    Another important thing to keep in mind when looking for a good certificate attestation service provider is that they must have an excellent and competent customer care services for their customers and potential customers. Moreover, customer care should be made accessible to clients through more than just a couple of channels.

So, these were some of the things you should consider when you are on the lookout for a certificate attestation company for your HRD Attestation in Chennai. By keeping in mind these things, you are likely to find a reliable and competent agency for yourself.

What is Apostille? When do I need it? What should I know about the Hague Convention?

Most people in India hear the term “apostille” when they are planning or applying to go abroad for higher education, employment, temporary stay, permanent residency, or business expansions and setups. All these scenarios require the legalization of documents and that is unavoidable. Certificate Apostille and Document Apostille are commonly used terms and they simply mean legalization of your documents and certificates. 

Since there are several levels of verification and validation before final legalization by the central government, most people choose to hire apostille services in India to take the burden off of visiting government bodies and understanding their requirements in detail. When you can have a professional to avoid making mistakes that could delay your departure in exchange for a small fee, it makes more sense to not indulge in this complicated process all alone.                                  

However, it always pays off to have knowledge about what you are supposed to do. So, let’s discuss apostille services in detail. 

What is Apostille?

An apostille is a process of proving the authenticity and credibility of a document and it involves obtaining an apostille stamp on your documents and certificates from the concerned authority. It is computer-generated with a unique identification number which is applied to the back of the document. Doing this helps in maintaining the record online and thus, allows the concerned authorities of a foreign country to check the authenticity of documents in a more convenient manner. 

With Document and Certificate Apostille, your documents are made admissible in any country that is a part of the Hague Convention. In India, a sticker from the Ministry of External Affairs is put on the back of the document and then a stamp is added on the sticker in a way that it is partially on the sticker and partially on the paper. 

Once you complete the apostille process of your documents and certificates, there is usually no need for any added certification in the Embassy. 

Apostille is a mandatory requirement for all countries that are members of the Hague Convention. 

What is the Hague Convention?

Also called the Apostille Hague Convention or Apostille Convention, the Hague Convention was signed on 5th October 1961 in Luxembourg. However, it came into effect from 14th January 1965. This convention was signed to abolish the necessity of the legalization of documents and certificates so that people can move from one country to another freely. When you obtain an apostille on documents, you don’t need to get the same for another signatory country. This convention has brought various trade barriers down and increased accessibility through nations. 

The Hague Convention includes about 116 countries and you need an apostille for only these countries. Some of these countries are France, Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Thailand, Turkey, the USA, and the UK. 

Thus, it’s important to check whether the country you are planning to go to is a member of the Hague Convention or not. If not, you should hire attestation services. Otherwise, you should seek reliable apostille services in India