Marriage certificate attestation
Marriage Certificate Attestation and Apostille
Joining your spouse abroad, or sponsoring them? The country may ask for your Indian marriage certificate to be attested or apostilled first. A notary attests it, then the state (the Home Department or the SDM, depending on the state), then the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA): with an apostille for a country in the Apostille Convention, or with MEA attestation and the embassy's stamp for the others. We check the certificate, take it through each office and keep you updated on WhatsApp.
- Spouse and family visas
- Fee confirmed before you start
- Updates on WhatsApp
Notice: Trueway provides independent documentation support and is not affiliated with any council, embassy or government authority.
The route of a marriage certificate
Four offices, one after the other.
A notary public attests it first.
The Home Department or the SDM, depending on the state.
MEA attestation, or the apostille for a Convention country.
The embassy's stamp for a country outside the Convention. None after an apostille.
What an apostilled certificate looks like
The back of a birth certificate after the apostille: a notary, the SDM, then the MEA. A marriage certificate on the same route carries the same seals.
MEA Apostille
View largerNotary seal
A notary public attests the document first.
SDM seal
The office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate adds its seal and signature. For some countries the state step is the HRD or the Home Department.
Apostille sticker
The sticker of the Government of India with the word Apostille. It names the kind of document, who signed it and in what capacity, the place and the date, and carries a number and a QR code.
MEA seal and officer's stamp
The round seal of the Ministry of External Affairs and the stamp and signature of the officer. No embassy stamp follows.
A real case, shown with the names, numbers and signatures hidden.
Who needs it?
Couples taking an Indian marriage certificate abroad.
A spouse or family visa
To join your husband or wife abroad, or to sponsor them.
Registering the marriage abroad
When an office in another country records your marriage.
The family moving together
Often with the children's birth certificates, which take the same route.
How we handle it
Who does what, from your first message to the attested document.
Step 1: Tell us the marriage certificate and the country
YouWe confirm the offices, the fee and the expected time for your case before you send anything.
Step 2: We collect your documents
TruewayThe original document and a passport copy, at a branch or by courier. We check names, dates and seals before anything is submitted.
Step 3: The notary attests it
AuthorityA notary public attests the marriage certificate with a seal and signature. Every other office comes after it.
Step 4: The state attests it
AuthorityThe Home Department or the SDM of the state that issued the marriage certificate adds its seal, after the notary. Which office depends on the state. Trueway does not control this step. We follow it and send you updates on WhatsApp.
Step 5: The MEA attests it, or adds the apostille
AuthorityThe Ministry of External Affairs attests the document on the signature of the state office before it: an apostille for a country in the Apostille Convention, MEA attestation for the others.
Step 6: The embassy, or back to you
TruewayFor a country outside the Apostille Convention we take the document on to its embassy in India. Then we return it to you at a branch or by courier.
Apostille or embassy: by country
The steps in India are the same. The country you are going to decides the last one.
The MEA Apostille, no embassy step
- Saudi Arabia
- Oman
- Other Apostille Convention countries
Another country? Tell us before you send anything: we confirm the route for it.
Documents required
From Trueway's working checklist and the Kerala Home Department's page. Your exact list is confirmed after your enquiry.
Watch: the attestation process explained
Our team explains the whole chain: notary, state, MEA, apostille and embassy.
Certificate Attestation & Embassy Attestation Explained | Complete Process |MEA, Apostille & Embassy
Trueway International on YouTube · 10 min 13 s. The video loads from YouTube when you press play.
More videos
What does it cost?
Connect with the Trueway team for the fee. It depends on the state that issued the certificate and the country it is for. We confirm it on WhatsApp, together with the expected time, before you decide.
Ask the team for the feeGood to know
Home Department or SDM
Which state office signs depends on the state. The MEA's list of state signing authorities names, for example, the Home Department in Kerala, the General Administration Department in Gujarat, and the District Judges and SDMs in Delhi.
SDM attestationA marriage certificate from Kerala
The Kerala Home Department attests only certificates issued in Kerala, after a notary. We check your marriage certificate, arrange the notary, take it through the Home Department, and handle the MEA apostille or the embassy step after it.
On the original
The seals go on the original certificate. The MEA states that it does not legalise photocopies.
Guides
The process, explained in full.
- How to Attest a Marriage Certificate for a UAE Visa: A Complete Guide
- How to Apostille Your Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate for a Spouse Visa — Complete Guide
- Home Department Attestation for Couples: Marriage Certificate & Spousal Visa Applications
- Complete Guide to Home Department Attestation for Indians Travelling Abroad
- Hague Convention Countries List: Does Your Destination Country Need an Apostille?
- Common Mistakes to Avoid During Embassy Attestation
Google reviews
What our clients say
Reviews about this service come first, followed by recent Google reviews of Trueway.
GOPIKA KRISHNAN G
Good service..Thank youTrue way team especially ms.Archana for helping and support throughout my certificate attestation process.
Adv. Stephy Walter
I had a very smooth experience with Trueway International for my certificate attestation. Special thanks to Mary Jemi for her support and guidance throughout the process. Everything was handled quickly and professionally. Highly recommended!
Moncy Varghese
Excellent communication and coordination by Mary Jemi. I needed PCC for Oman and within a weeks time of submitting the documents, I got the PCC. It was for my dad who worked there over 15 years back and Mary Jemi guided me and answered all questions promptly regarding whats required for PCC. Highly recommend!
Reviews from Google, shown as written by the reviewers.Read all reviews on Google
Got questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers about marriage certificate attestation.
What is marriage certificate attestation?
It confirms your Indian marriage certificate for use in another country. A notary, the state and the Ministry of External Affairs each add their seal, and then the embassy of the country, unless the country takes an apostille.
Attestation or apostille: which one do I need?
It depends on the country. A country in the Apostille Convention takes the MEA Apostille, and no embassy stamp follows. For a country outside it, the MEA attests the certificate and the country's embassy in India adds its stamp. We confirm it for your country before you start.
Can a marriage certificate be apostilled?
Yes. The MEA names birth, death and marriage certificates among the personal documents it apostilles, for the countries of the Apostille Convention.
Which state office attests a marriage certificate?
The state that issued it, after a notary: the Home Department or the SDM, depending on the state. In Kerala it is the Home Department.
Which documents do I have to give?
The original marriage certificate and the passport copies of husband and wife.
Our marriage was registered in Kerala. Is there anything to check?
The Kerala Home Department asks that the certificate states where the marriage took place, and, for a marriage after 1 March 2008, a certificate issued under the Kerala Registration of Common Marriage Rules. It attests after a notary, and takes the application from you in person or from an immediate relative, not from agents. We check the certificate and prepare the notary step before you go.
Can you attest our children's birth certificates too?
Yes. A birth certificate takes the same route: a notary, the state, the MEA, then the apostille or the embassy. Send them together and we confirm the route for all of them.
Is the attestation done on the original certificate?
Yes. The seals and the apostille go on the original, and the MEA states that it does not legalise photocopies. So the original certificate has to be submitted.
How long does marriage certificate attestation take?
It depends on the state that issued the certificate and the country it is for. We tell you the expected time for your case before you start, and send updates on WhatsApp.
What does marriage certificate attestation cost?
Connect with the Trueway team on WhatsApp. The fee depends on the state that issued the certificate and the country it is for, and we confirm it before you decide.
Is Trueway part of the Home Department, the MEA or an embassy?
No. Trueway provides independent documentation support and is not affiliated with any council, embassy or government authority.
Need marriage certificate attestation? Tell us the document
We reply on WhatsApp with the steps and the fee.