Which Country Are You Going To?
Pick a country below for the full process. Or skip ahead. WhatsApp a scan with your destination and deadline. We confirm what your case needs and commit a schedule before any original moves.
Understanding Your Requirements
Apostille or Embassy Attestation: What Does Your Document Need?
The final India-side legalisation depends on one thing, whether the destination country is a Hague Apostille country. The process follows the destination, not the document type.
If your destination is a Hague Apostille member, the Indian document workflow ends at the MEA apostille stamp. No embassy step after that, the apostille is the recognition.
If your destination is not a Hague member, the document goes one step further. After MEA, it needs attestation by that country's embassy or consulate in India.
Prior attestation is often required too. Before the apostille or embassy stamp, the document may need HRD, SDM, Home Department, or Chamber of Commerce attestation, depending on document type and destination authority. Gulf country requirements also vary within the region.
What Changed Recently
Three Country Changes That Matter In 2026
The Hague status of three big destinations has changed since 2022, and a lot of older agency content still has the wrong process. If you read advice older than 6 months for any of these, double-check.
Saudi Arabia became Hague in December 2022
MEA apostille is now the final India-side stamp for most Saudi documents. Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia attestation is no longer the usual step. QVP, Mosaddaqa, Saudi Culture and SVP for degree holders still run alongside.
Canada became Hague in January 2024
MEA apostille is the final India-side stamp. The older Global Affairs Canada plus High Commission attestation step is no longer needed. ECA through WES Canada or IQAS still runs alongside for Express Entry.
Thailand, accession pending
Thai Cabinet approved Hague accession on 9 December 2025 but the instrument has not been deposited yet. Until entry into force (expected late 2026), Royal Thai Embassy attestation in New Delhi is still required. Do not apostille for Thailand right now.
Gulf Comparison
GCC Documentation At A Glance
Six Gulf countries, six different document chains. This table is the answer to “which Gulf country needs embassy attestation versus apostille” in one place. We update it when an embassy or MOFA rule changes.
| Country | Hague status | India-side final stamp | MOFA location | GAMCA medical | Healthcare DataFlow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | Hague since 7 Dec 2022 | MEA apostille | Not needed (Hague) | Yes, all work + adult family | SCFHS via DataFlow; Mosaddaqa, QVP, Saudi Culture vary by job |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | Non-Hague | UAE Embassy + MOFA in India | In India (no longer Dubai) | Abu Dhabi yes; Dubai usually no | DHA (Dubai), DOH (Abu Dhabi), MOH (other emirates) via DataFlow |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | Non-Hague | Qatar Embassy in India | Doha (sent after India-side steps) | Yes for work | QCHP via DataFlow (mandatory for clinicians) |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | Non-Hague | Kuwait Embassy New Delhi (educational); Consulate Mumbai (limited) | Kuwait (sent after India-side steps) | Yes for work + adult family | Kuwait MOH rarely asks for DataFlow; coordinated only when hospital requests |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | Hague since 30 Jan 2012 | MEA apostille | Not needed (Hague) | Yes for work | OMSB for clinicians |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | Hague since 31 Dec 2013 | MEA apostille | Not needed (Hague) | Yes for standard work | NHRA via DataFlow for clinicians; LMRA for work permit |
Hague dates from HCCH Apostille Convention status table. Country-specific process detail from each country page.
Gulf Region
Gulf Countries
Country-Specific RequirementsThe six Gulf countries do not all play by the same rules. Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are Hague Apostille countries. For them, the Indian-side steps end at MEA apostille. Saudi joined in December 2022, so MEA apostille is now enough for Saudi documents where Royal Embassy attestation was needed earlier. UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are still non-Hague. Documents going to them need the destination embassy or consulate in India after MEA. DataFlow runs alongside for healthcare staff in UAE, Saudi and Bahrain. We check the country, document and purpose before quoting any work.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi-bound work and family cases run through the same India-side steps. Educational documents need State HRD before MEA apostille. Personal documents go through SDM with certified Arabic translation. White-collar degree holders may also need QVP, Mosaddaqa or Saudi Culture depending on job code. Send a scan, we confirm exactly what your case needs.
UAE
UAE Embassy attestation and MOFA now happen together in India. For nurses, doctors and pharmacists, DataFlow for DHA (Dubai), DOH (Abu Dhabi) or MOH (other emirates) runs alongside. We handle both, plus visa paperwork for Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and the other emirates, in the order the consulate accepts.
Qatar
Qatar attestation runs through the India-side steps in a strict order. State HRD or Home Department, then MEA, then Qatar Embassy in Delhi. For healthcare staff, DataFlow verification runs alongside. We also walk you through the Qatar Visa Center step in your city and the medical and PCC requirements your employer in Doha is going to ask for.
Kuwait
Most Kuwait documentation we run is for nurses and medical staff. PCC, GAMCA, and Kuwait Embassy attestation in Delhi all need to land together, in the order the embassy accepts. Kuwait MOH rarely asks for DataFlow the way UAE and Saudi do, though we coordinate it when a specific hospital does. The point is the documents do not stall at the last step before your contract starts.
Oman
Oman-bound work is mostly for engineering, construction, healthcare and oil & gas roles in Muscat and Salalah. We prepare the degree, experience and PCC documents, GAMCA medical, and the employment paperwork your sponsor is waiting on, ready for visa stamping.
Bahrain
Bahrain hiring for nurses, banking, finance and construction is steady. NHRA registration with DataFlow runs alongside on the healthcare side. We prepare the degree, experience, PCC and medical paperwork your Bahrain employer is waiting on, ready for the work visa to issue.
Europe
European Countries
Apostille + Translation Where RequiredEvery European country we work with is a Hague Apostille member, so the India side ends at MEA. The local layer is where they differ. Sworn translation by a Traductor Jurado (Spain), traducteur assermenté (France), soudní tlumočník (Czech), tłumacz przysięgły (Poland), úradný prekladateľ (Slovakia), sodno zapriseženi prevajalec (Slovenia), beëdigd vertaler or traducteur juré (Belgium, depending on region), allgemein beeideter Dolmetscher (Austria), or allgemein vereidigter Übersetzer (Germany). Italy and Poland still want State HRD on educational documents before MEA. DoV or CIMEA for Italy study documents. APS for German university admissions. NARIC, Nostrifizierung, uznanie, priznavanje or nostrifikace for regulated professions. We pace the sequence to your visa timeline.
Italy
Italy splits sharply by purpose. Students go through Universitaly with DoV or CIMEA, apostilled academics, and certified Italian translation. Family reunion is separate paperwork, and the spouse-of-Italian-citizen lane is not the same as the spouse-of-Indian-resident lane. Workers come through Decreto Flussi or Nulla Osta with SUI clearance. We run the India side end to end for the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi and the Italian Consulate in Mumbai, and confirm which purpose applies before any original moves.
Czech Republic
Czech Republic has quietly become a popular study destination for Indian families because tuition is affordable and the degrees are EU-recognised. We prepare the apostilled degree, marksheets, birth certificate, and PCC, then coordinate certified Czech translation so the university admission and the long-stay D visa go through cleanly the first time around.
Germany
Germany asks for apostilled originals and certified German translation, in that order, and the visa appointment will check both. Whether you are heading to a university, an Ausbildung, an EU Blue Card role, or a Chancenkarte job search, we handle the degree, transcript, birth certificate, and PCC sequence, and coordinate the German translation through translators the consulates actually recognise.
France
France documentation almost always start with Campus France for students or a long-stay D visa for workers and families. We prepare the apostilled degree, transcripts, and birth certificate, plus certified French translation, so the VFS appointment in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore does not bounce back over a missing stamp or a translation the consulate will not accept.
Spain
Spain student and work visas are common with families heading to Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia. What Spain wants is consistent. Apostilled degree, transcripts, birth certificate, PCC, and certified Spanish translation by a sworn translator (traductor jurado). We prepare the whole set before the BLS appointment so the documents get accepted on the first submission.
Netherlands
Netherlands MVV and Highly Skilled Migrant cases are usually employer or university initiated, but the Indian document workflow still has to be exact, or IND sends it back. We prepare the apostilled degree, transcripts, birth certificate, and PCC, and coordinate certified Dutch or English translation in the format the IND submission expects.
Slovakia
Slovakia is a growing pathway for Indian construction, automotive, healthcare, and IT workers on the single-employer D National Visa. The India-side steps runs HRD or Home Department, then MEA apostille, then sworn Slovak translation by a court-appointed translator (úradný preklad). Regulated professions (medical, nursing, pharmacy) also need Slovakia-side recognition called uznanie.
Slovenia
Slovenia uses the Single Permit (combined work and residence) as the main pathway, and your Slovenian employer initiates it through ZRSZ before the visa is even raised in Delhi. India-side documents need MEA apostille and sworn Slovenian translation (sodno overjeni prevod). Healthcare and other regulated professions also need priznavanje recognition by the relevant Slovenian chamber.
Belgium
Belgium has three official languages, and the translation language follows where you are going. Wallonia takes French, Flanders takes Dutch, the small eastern community takes German. India-side documents need MEA apostille and certified translation in the right language, for the Single Permit on the work pathway or the NARIC-Vlaanderen and service francophone diploma pathways for students.
Austria
Austria runs on the Red-White-Red Card, a points-based work visa with separate tracks for skilled workers, shortage occupations, graduates, very-skilled professionals, and founders. India-side documents need MEA apostille and sworn German translation by a court-sworn translator (gerichtlich beeideter Übersetzer). Regulated professions also need Nostrifizierung recognition on the Austrian side.
Portugal
Portugal has become one of the busier European destinations on our desk thanks to the D2, D3, D4, D7, Job Seeker, and recently revised Golden Visa pathways. The India-side steps is MEA apostille plus certified Portuguese translation. Doctors and nurses also need recognition by the relevant Ordem (Ordem dos Médicos for doctors, Ordem dos Enfermeiros for nurses) on the Portugal side.
Poland
Poland is a fast-growing destination for Indian IT, healthcare, and skilled trade workers on the National D visa, supported by a Zezwolenie na pracę work permit or an Oświadczenie declaration. The India-side steps is HRD or Home, MEA apostille, then sworn Polish translation by a tłumacz przysięgły (court-sworn translator). Doctors register with Naczelna Izba Lekarska and nurses with Naczelna Izba Pielęgniarek on the Polish side.
Bulgaria
The busiest Bulgaria desk for Indians is medical and dental admissions at the Medical Universities of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna, where English-medium degrees are recognised across the EU. Skilled workers also use the Single Permit. Sworn Bulgarian translation by an MFA-listed agency is usually required after the India-side apostille.
Ukraine
Active travel and new admissions to Ukraine are affected by the ongoing conflict; check the latest MEA travel advisory. Most current Ukraine work on our desk is the India-side handling of Ukrainian-issued degrees and transfer certificates from Indian medical and engineering students who studied in Kyiv, Kharkiv or Vinnytsia before 2022, for FMGE or NExT in India.
Croatia
Croatia's labour shortage in IT, hospitality, agriculture and construction has driven steady Indian hiring since 2022, mostly on the Single Permit. Student admissions at Zagreb, Rijeka, Split and Osijek are growing alongside. We handle the India-side apostille and Croatian sworn translation end to end.
North Macedonia
The busiest North Macedonia desk for Indians is the Type D work visa tied to a Macedonian employer in construction, hospitality and IT, with growing student admissions at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. Sworn Macedonian translation by a sudski preveduvac court-sworn translator is usually required after the India-side apostille.
Lithuania
The busiest Lithuania desk is the National D visa for IT, fintech and skilled-trade workers (Vilnius has an active fintech sector recruiting from India), with the EU Blue Card pathway for high-skilled professionals and student admissions at Vilnius University and Kaunas University of Technology. Sworn Lithuanian translation by a prisiekes vertejas is usually required after the India-side apostille.
English-Speaking Countries
UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Apostille + CredentialingAll six accept MEA apostille. The next layer is what shifts. WES, ECE or IERF for the US. ECA through WES Canada, IQAS, ICAS, ICES or CES for Canada (which became Hague on 11 January 2024). ACS for IT, AHPRA for healthcare, Engineers Australia or VETASSESS for trades and professions for Australia, plus NAATI translation when something is not in English. NZQA recognition for New Zealand. SAQA for South Africa. GMC, NMC, GPhC, GDC and GOC for the UK NHS. We line the credential evaluation or regulator submission up alongside the apostille so neither side waits on the other. For OCI applicants in the US from 30 December 2024 onwards, US-issued birth and marriage certificates need a US-state apostille on top.
United Kingdom
UK Student Route, Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, and Family Visa applications all rely on apostilled Indian documents at the UKVI submission. We prepare the degree, transcripts, birth certificate, and PCC, and we know what the CAS letter from your university or the Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer is going to ask the documents to match.
USA
USA apostille requests come to us mostly for F-1 student, H-1B, J-1, and Green Card applications, plus the occasional dual-citizenship case. WES or ECE credential evaluation is a separate ask that runs alongside the apostille. We prepare the apostilled degree, transcripts, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and PCC the USCIS officer or the consulate is going to read.
Canada
Canada is the busiest English-speaking destination on our desk. Study permit, LMIA work permit, Express Entry, PR, and spousal sponsorship all rely on the apostilled Indian document workflow landing right. We handle degree, transcripts, birth, marriage, and PCC together, plus certified French translation where Quebec or the CSQ side of the case asks for it.
Australia
Australia documentation involve a skills assessment by ACS, VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, ANMAC, or the relevant assessor, then a visa under subclass 500, 189, 190, 482, or 491. The Indian side stays the same across all of them. We apostille the degree, transcripts, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and PCC, and arrange certified translation where the assessing authority asks for it.
New Zealand
New Zealand work runs on three big pathways for Indians: the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), and the Green List Work Visa for shortage occupations. NZQA evaluation of foreign qualifications runs alongside with the India-side apostille for most skilled migrant cases.
South Africa
The busiest South Africa pathway for Indian professionals is the Critical Skills Visa for occupations on the Critical Skills List. SAQA evaluation of foreign qualifications runs alongside the India-side apostille. The General Work Visa also needs a Department of Labour certificate confirming the role.
Asia & Pacific
Japan, South Korea, Thailand
Mixed Hague StatusJapan (Hague since 27 July 1970) and South Korea (Hague since 14 July 2007) accept MEA apostille with translation in the destination language. Thailand is still non-Hague: the Thai Cabinet approved accession on 9 December 2025, but until entry into force (expected late 2026) Royal Thai Embassy attestation in New Delhi is still required. Do not apostille for Thailand right now. The GKS scholarship for Korea, Specified Skilled Worker for Japan, and marriage registration at Thai amphur all need different document sets. We confirm the sequence before any original moves.
Japan
The Certificate of Eligibility from your Japanese employer or university is the gate for almost every long-stay Japanese visa. Common pathways are Engineer or Specialist in Humanities, Specified Skilled Worker (Tokutei Ginō), Highly Skilled Professional, Student, and Intra-Company Transfer. We handle the India-side apostille and Japanese translation end to end.
South Korea
Common Korean pathways for Indians are E-7 Special Occupation for professionals, E-9 EPS for the Employment Permit System (with the EPS-TOPIK Korean test), D-2 Student, D-4 Trainee, and F-2 or F-5 long-term residence. Notarised Korean translation is usually required after the India-side apostille; GKS scholarship document sets are large and worth starting early.
Thailand
Thai work permits, retirement visas, marriage registration at amphur, and Long-Term Resident visas each need Indian-issued documents attested through SDM or State HRD plus MEA plus the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi. Any agency telling you to apostille for Thailand right now is jumping the gun; the Hague accession is Cabinet-approved but not yet in force.
Other Destinations
Other Countries We Cover
Less common destinations on our desk. We still run the same India-side steps: state attestation, MEA apostille or attestation depending on Hague status, then embassy if non-Hague, then translation if the destination authority requires it.
Step-by-Step Guides
Find the Exact Process for Your Document & Country
The most searched document and destination combinations. Each page walks through every step, from prior attestation through to the final apostille or embassy stamp.
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Kuwait
Italy
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Austria
Belgium
Portugal
Poland
Japan
South Korea
South Africa
New Zealand
Germany
France
Spain
Libya
Malaysia
Oman
Your Country Not Listed?
We support documentation for most countries worldwide. If your destination is not shown above, WhatsApp or call us with the country name and document type. We will confirm whether apostille, embassy attestation, or another process applies, along with the cost and the realistic timeline.