Getting an Indian Degree Apostilled for Use in the USA
For jobs, licensing boards and further study in the United States, an MEA apostille on your Indian degree is usually all the authentication you need.
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Document guide
Degree & Educational Certificate Attestation
The document most often required abroad, and the one with the longest lead time.
A degree certificate is the single most commonly attested document we handle. Overseas employers, universities and professional councils all want proof that an Indian qualification is genuine, and attestation is how that proof is established.
Degree attestation runs through the state that issued the certificate. The state HRD department writes to your university and waits for written confirmation before authenticating it. Only then can the Ministry of External Affairs attest or apostille the document, and only then can an embassy stamp it.
This makes degrees the slowest document type by a wide margin. The MEA stage takes days; the university stage can take weeks. If you have a job start date or a university deadline, this is the document to begin with.
Educational certificate attestation covers more than the degree itself: diplomas, provisional certificates, mark sheets and transcripts follow the same route. Many of our degree attestation clients already live outside India and courier their certificates to our New Delhi office. The documents each embassy asks for differ, so we confirm the exact list for your destination before you send anything.
What we need from you
- Original degree or provisional certificate
- A clear photocopy of the certificate
- Mark sheets for all years, where the university requires them for verification
- A copy of your passport, front and back pages
- An authorisation letter for submission on your behalf
Process
How degree certificate attestation works
HRD verification
The state HRD department verifies the degree directly with your issuing university.
MEA attestation or apostille
Ministry of External Affairs applies its stamp, or a Hague apostille sticker.
Embassy attestation
Required only for non-Hague destinations such as the Gulf states.
MOFA
For Gulf countries, the destination's foreign ministry completes the chain.
Timelines
How long it takes
Indicative only — the issuing state is the main variable.
| Destination | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Apostille (Hague countries) | 7–15 working days |
| Gulf countries (full chain) | 15–25 working days |
| SDM route, where accepted | 5–10 working days |
Clients outside India
Apostille & Attestation from Abroad, Simply Send by Courier or Scanned Copies
Most of our clients live outside India. There is no need to travel: send your Indian documents to our New Delhi office and we handle every stamp.
Message us first
Tell us the document and destination country. We confirm exactly what to send before you courier anything.
Courier your originals
Send them to our New Delhi office by DHL, FedEx or any courier you prefer.
We handle every stamp
State verification, MEA apostille or attestation, and embassy legalisation, with an update at each stage.
Returned to you
Your completed documents are couriered back to your address anywhere in the world.
Courier charges for sending documents to us and for returning them are paid by the client.
Guides
Read the guide
How to Apostille Indian Documents While Living Abroad
You do not need to fly to India. Here is how the process works when your documents travel by courier instead of you.
Read the guide
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Typically 7 to 15 working days for an apostille and 15 to 25 for full Gulf legalisation. The variable is HRD verification, which depends on how quickly your university replies.
Sometimes. SDM is faster, but many countries and most Gulf licensing authorities insist specifically on HRD for educational documents. We confirm which applies before starting.
It depends on the receiving authority. Employers usually want the degree; universities and professional councils often want transcripts and mark sheets too. Attesting them together is cheaper than doing it twice.
It is usually still possible through the successor institution or the state university that absorbed it. Send us the details and we will confirm the route before taking the job.
Yes, provisional certificates are routinely attested. Some receiving authorities specifically ask for the final degree, so check what has been requested before deciding.
Usually yes, if the university or licensing body abroad asked for one. A transcript is treated as a separate document and needs its own apostille or attestation — it is not covered by the one on your degree. Note the difference from a sealed transcript sent directly by your university to an admissions office: that route bypasses you entirely and needs no attestation. If the institution asked you to supply the transcript yourself, it needs the same treatment as the degree.
Not sure where to start?
Send us the document and the destination country. We will reply within one working hour with the exact process, timeline and cost.