Demonstrates that a copy of an original document is a true copy , in case wherein an individual is planning to go abroad, the individual's original documents need to be attested and to attest the same, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GOI), has given the power to various General Administrative Departments, State Home Departments, Higher Education Department or Sub-Divisional Magistrate, New Delhi, etc.
Authentication of documents: All original documents/copies requiring attestation or Apostille should be first authenticated by the designated authorities of the State/Union Territory from where the document has been issued. In case of personal documents, Home/General Administration Department of the concerned State Government/Union Territory are the designated authorities. In case of educational documents, the documents should first be authenticated by the Education Department of the concerned State Government/Union Territory. Commercial Documents are to be pre-authenticated by the respective Chambers of Commerce.
Apostille is the facilitated certification of public documents for their use globally and internationally in all nations that are a part of the Hague Convention's Apostille Section.
India, since 2005, is a member of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 that abolished the requirement of legalization of foreign public documents. Apostille is acceptable in 105 member-countries of the Convention (For more info please visit the website: www.hcch.net). Apostille is done for personal documents like birth/death/marriage certificates, Affidavits, Power of Attorney, etc. and educational documents like degree, diploma, matriculation and secondary level certificates etc. Any document Apostilled in one member country is acceptable in all the other 104 member-countries, signatory to the referred convention of 1961 thus greatly simplifying the process of attestation by making it needless to get the documents attested in each or for each of the countries separately.