Apostille, or consularisation
Company Documents & Apostille for India
Whether your documents need an apostille or full consularisation depends on which country they come from.
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The route differs by country of origin
India accepts apostilled documents from countries party to the relevant convention. Documents from countries outside it require consularisation through the Indian mission instead, which takes longer and involves more steps. Getting this wrong means the document is rejected at filing and the process restarts. Alongside that, foreign directors need digital signature certificates, which involve their own identity verification steps in their own country.
- Apostille or consularisation route confirmed per country
- Digital signature certificates arranged for foreign directors
- Documents prepared once and reused across every filing
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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What is needed
The Indian document set
Route depends on country of origin.
| Document | Source | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Parent incorporation documents | Corporate shareholder | Apostilled or consularised |
| Board resolution | Corporate shareholder | Apostilled or consularised |
| Director identity documents | Foreign directors | Apostilled or consularised |
| Address proof | Foreign directors | Apostilled or consularised |
| Digital signature certificate | Each director | Identity verification required |
| Registered office proof | In India | Ownership or lease with consent |
Document attestation routes depend on whether the country of origin is party to the relevant convention, and requirements change. We confirm the exact route before anything is sent.
How it works
Getting documents ready
Confirm the route, then start immediately.
01
Confirm the route per country
Whether apostille or consularisation applies for each country your documents come from, since the steps and timing differ.
02
Attest and verify
Documents apostilled or consularised, and digital signature certificates obtained for each director with their identity verification.
03
File and reuse
The completed set used for incorporation, banking and regulatory filings without repeating the attestation.
Typical file
What an Indian incorporation needs
The attestation route is the critical detail.
- Parent certificate of incorporation, attested
- Parent constitution, attested
- Board resolution approving the Indian entity, attested
- Passport copies for all foreign directors, attested
- Address proof for all foreign directors, attested
- Photographs to specification
- Digital signature certificate for each director
- Director identification number applications
- Registered office ownership or lease documents
- Consent letter from the premises owner
- Utility bill for the registered office
- Subscriber details and shareholding
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Attestation route confirmed per country of origin
- Co-ordination of apostille or consularisation
- Digital signature certificate applications
- Director identification number applications
- Registered office documentation review
- Document set assembled for incorporation
- Guidance where a document is rejected
- Reuse of the set for banking and regulatory filings
Not included, quoted separately
- Apostille and consularisation fees, paid at cost
- Notarisation in the country of origin
- Certified translation charges
- Courier of original documents
- Digital signature certificate charges
- Government filing fees
- Authority decisions
- Audit and accounts preparation
Verify independently
Official Indian authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Reserve Bank of IndiaSecurities and Exchange Board of IndiaEmployees’ Provident Fund OrganisationForeigners Regional Registration OfficeTrade Marks RegistryState labour departments
Questions
India documents and apostille — FAQs
Do I need an apostille or consularisation?
It depends on whether the document’s country of origin is party to the relevant convention. Apostille applies for member countries; others require consularisation through the Indian mission.
Which is faster?
Apostille, considerably. Consularisation involves more steps and more time, and should be started earlier.
What is a digital signature certificate?
An electronic signature each director needs to file documents. Obtaining it involves identity verification steps in the director’s own country.
What proof does the registered office need?
Ownership or lease documentation plus a consent letter from the owner and a recent utility bill. Incomplete office proof is a common cause of rejection.
What if a document is rejected?
Usually the wrong attestation route was used, a document has expired, or the office proof was incomplete. We identify which and fix that step.
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