Indian Document Apostille in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

India and the United States are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so a U.S. public document used in India needs an apostille from the Secretary of State of the issuing state, or from the U.S. Department of State for federal records. Indian missions in the United States do not authenticate U.S. records, and a plain notarised copy is one of the most common reasons an application is rejected.

Quick facts

This matters well beyond property files: birth certificates, marriage certificates and name-change orders issued in the United States generally have to be apostilled before a mission will accept them for a card or citizenship application.

Fees breakdown

Which route applies depends on your passport. Holders of a foreign passport normally use the apostille; Indian passport holders often use consular attestation instead. Choosing the wrong one wastes weeks.

How to get a document apostilled

1. Identify the issuing authority, which decides who apostilles the document.
2. Order a certified copy from that office. Photocopies are refused.
3. Notarise private documents first, since the apostille certifies the notary’s signature.
4. File with the Secretary of State of the issuing state, or with the U.S. Department of State for federal records.
5. Send the apostilled original to India, keeping the courier record.

Required documents

• Original certified copy with signature and seal.
• Completed state authentication request and payment.
• Prepaid return envelope for mail filings.
• Photo ID for in-person service.

What the missions do instead

Since August 2025 miscellaneous attestation services are also handled through VFS Global rather than at the counter. Missions attest documents executed before a consular officer, issue police clearance certificates and handle surrender and renunciation files.

Additional notes

Indian documents going the other way

Indian public documents are apostilled in India by the Ministry of External Affairs, usually after authentication by the issuing state authority. No mission abroad can do it.

Keep the courier record

For documents that will be used in property or financial matters, the date the original reaches India starts legal clocks. A date-stamped airway bill is worth keeping.

Translations

Documents in English are normally accepted without translation, which removes a step that other countries impose.

Order extra copies

Indian offices retain what is filed. Two or three apostilled originals save repeating the process from abroad.