MEA Apostille
Degree Certificate Attestation for Saudi Arabia
SiZA Global Solutions Pvt. Ltd. · CIN U82199UW2026PTC253746 · Udyam UDYAM-UP-28-0217175
A degree certificate going to Saudi Arabia is now a Hague apostille case, Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 7 December 2022, replacing the older Saudi Embassy / Saudi Cultural Attaché legalisation steps for documents covered by the Convention. What still varies, and what most applicants get wrong, is the supporting paperwork that moves alongside the apostille: white-collar work often need QVP (Qualification Verification Programme through Takamol) or Mosaddaqa depending on the job code, healthcare submissions run through SCFHS DataFlow primary-source verification, and certain education-recognition submissions still touch the Saudi Cultural Attaché. The apostille handles authentication; QVP / Mosaddaqa / SCFHS / SVP / Saudi Culture handle role-specific recognition.
On the India side, the pre-MEA step on the degree is State HRD, not SDM. This is the costliest single mistake on Saudi-bound degree applications; SDM on a degree passes through MEA but is then rejected at the recipient side. State HRD timelines vary widely: Maharashtra Mantralaya, Karnataka HRD, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala HRD, UP HRD at Lucknow, Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and others each have their own university-verification rules and working pace (8 to 45 working days). Once HRD is complete, MEA apostille runs in 2 to 3 working days. Saudi authorities then accept the apostille for documents covered by the Convention.
Healthcare professionals heading to Saudi Arabia should treat DataFlow as a parallel track, not a sequential one. SCFHS DataFlow runs primary-source verification with the Indian issuing institutions (university, nursing council, medical council, prior employers); a wrong pre-MEA step on the degree can still pass MEA apostille cleanly but then complicate the DataFlow side because the source-institution comparison may then trigger queries. White-collar applicants under QVP or Mosaddaqa should share the job code at the start of the case because that decides whether QVP, Mosaddaqa, or Saudi Cultural Attaché supporting paperwork is required alongside the apostille.
Certified Arabic translation is commonly required for Saudi authority and employer submissions, prepared after the apostille so the apostille text and HRD seal are also translated.
Who reads this guide
- Indian nurses and healthcare professionals going to Saudi Arabia who need HRD, MEA apostille, DataFlow, and Mosaddaqa or QVP support
- Engineering, construction, and technology professionals going to Saudi Arabia on employment visas
- Families in India joining a spouse or dependent already working in Saudi Arabia
- Commercial document senders, companies exporting to or registering documents in Saudi Arabia
- Applicants handling multiple document types: degree, experience, PCC, medical, and GAMCA for a single Saudi file
What we usually receive
- Original degree (State HRD with university verification done)
- Transcript where the Saudi recipient expects pair
- Passport copy
- Saudi job code + QVP / Mosaddaqa / SCFHS DataFlow case reference
- Arabic translation reference
How a typical file is processed
WhatsApp scan review with the Saudi recipient and job code
State HRD with university verification, then MEA Delhi apostille
QVP / Mosaddaqa / SCFHS DataFlow / Saudi Cultural Attaché run running alongside where applicable
Certified Arabic translation after apostille
Tracked international courier (DHL / FedEx) to the Saudi address
Pre-shipping checks
Catch the avoidable issues at scan stage
Working-day factors
- Issuing-state HRD working pace + university verification
- MEA Delhi apostille (2 to 3 working days)
- QVP / Mosaddaqa / SCFHS DataFlow parallel-track duration
- Arabic translation page count
- India-to-Saudi courier transit
Avoidable errors we flag in advance
- Sending the Saudi degree through the older Saudi Embassy attestation steps, Saudi has been Hague since 7 December 2022
- Routing through SDM instead of State HRD
- Skipping QVP / Mosaddaqa where the job code requires it, apostille alone is necessary but not sufficient
- Running SCFHS DataFlow after apostille, DataFlow should run in step
- Inconsistent Arabic transliteration of the applicant's name across degree and supporting documents
Why customers choose SiZA
- Post-2022 Hague apostille routing, Saudi is now Hague, so we sequence the degree as apostille (not the older Saudi Embassy / Cultural Attaché step)
- QVP / Mosaddaqa / SCFHS DataFlow parallel-track coordination decided by the job code and applicant profession
- State HRD discipline on the degree (Maharashtra Mantralaya, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, UP, etc.) before MEA apostille
- Arabic translation by registered translators after the apostille, transliteration kept consistent across the applicant's file
- Saudi Cultural Attaché still relevant in specific education-recognition contexts; we identify when it applies
Completed Work Example
This is a completed MEA Apostille document. All customer names, reference numbers, and identifying details have been removed before publication.
Matching audience guides
Each guide names the real situation for that audience, lists the documents the destination authority asks for, and walks through the India-side attestations in order.
Not sure how to start?
The Review Before Originals Move
Every original handled by SiZA goes through a scan-stage check first: issuing-state route, document readiness, name match, destination expectation, so the courier carries the document only once, on the correct sequence.
What to send first
Review the requirement
Share the document scan, destination country, purpose, deadline, and where the original document is currently kept.
Confirm the right process
SiZA checks whether the file needs apostille, embassy attestation, HRD/Home, Chamber, translation, visa documentation, or a combined process.
Handle and update
Once the scope is clear, the file moves through the required steps with practical updates by WhatsApp or email.
Proof and return
After completion, SiZA shares completion proof, confirms payment and courier preference, then packs and dispatches the document safely.
Share scan
Process confirmed
Originals received if required
Completion proof
Payment and return
Original document safety
Trust, Custody And Safety
These documents are not ordinary papers. They may be your degree, birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport file, company resolution, or export paperwork. SiZA treats that responsibility seriously.
Original-Document Care
Original personal and company documents are handled with careful custody, privacy, and controlled handoff.
Clear Updates
Customers receive updates through WhatsApp or email as the file moves through review, submission, completion, and dispatch.
Completion Proof
When work is completed, SiZA can share photos or videos so the customer can verify the result before return dispatch.
Safe Return
Return delivery is packed carefully and sent through trusted courier options after address and courier preference are confirmed.
No Shortcut Claims
SiZA does not promise fake shortcuts, bypass personal appearance rules, or help with forged or non-genuine documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents are required?
The exact list depends on the file. For a degree apostille, the original degree certificate is the core document, with transcripts / consolidated marksheets, passport copy, and the destination authority's checklist as supporting. For a birth certificate apostille, the original municipal-corporation-issued certificate plus identity proof. For a marriage certificate apostille, the original registered civil certificate (Sub-Registrar / Marriage Registrar issued, not just religious ceremony). SiZA Global reviews the specific file scans on WhatsApp and confirms the exact document set required before originals move.
How long does the process take?
End-to-end timelines depend on five factors: the issuing state, whether university verification is required, the document type (educational vs civil vs commercial), the destination country path (Hague apostille vs non-Hague embassy attestation), and any translation requirement. A typical apostille-only file is 7-15 working days; a file with HRD + apostille + translation is 12-25 working days; a non-Hague embassy attestation file with all sequence steps is 15-30 working days. SiZA Global shares a written, case-specific timeline after the scan review.
Do originals need to be submitted?
Yes. HRD, SDM, Home Department, MEA apostille, and embassy attestation are all physical-stamping processes on the original document. A scan is enough for the initial review on WhatsApp; the original is then couriered to SiZA Global (or we arrange doorstep pickup in major Indian cities) for the authority steps. The original is returned by AWB-tracked courier after completion. NRIs whose originals are with family in India can coordinate the whole process remotely, the originals never leave India for the apostille step.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a single official stamp issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the back of an Indian document. Once placed, the document is accepted in any country that is a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, about 125 countries today, including the USA, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia (since 2022), and Canada (since 2024). For non-Hague destinations such as UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, and Egypt, MEA apostille alone is not enough, the document needs MEA attestation plus the destination country's embassy attestation in India.
Is apostille required for Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia joined the Hague Apostille Convention in December 2022. For Indian documents going to Saudi Arabia today, MEA apostille (after the relevant pre-step, State HRD for educational documents, SDM or Home Department for civil documents) is the standard India-side authentication. The previous Saudi Embassy + Cultural Attaché route was discontinued in December 2022; some Saudi employers still ask for QVP / Mosaddaqa qualification verification or SCFHS DataFlow PSV separately for licensed professions. SiZA Global confirms which parallel tracks apply to your specific Saudi file at scan review.
Voices from the customer side
“Saudi embassy attestation for my chartered accountancy degree involved SDM first because it's a personal document, then MEA, then Saudi embassy. SiZA mapped out the sequence on our first call and didn't start until I had all originals ready. Got the attestation done in time for my joining date.”
Rahul Joshi
Finance professional, Saudi employment visa
Gurgaon, India
“Kerala HRD attestation for nursing degree is mandatory before MEA and Saudi embassy. SiZA handled the Kerala HRD, MEA, and Saudi embassy attestation in the correct sequence. They also arranged the Arabic translation needed for Saudi MOH submission. The end-to-end work done through one team.”
Mohan Krishnamurthy
B.Sc Nursing graduate, HRD + Saudi attestation
Kochi, India
“UP HRD for nursing involves submitting at the Lucknow directorate and waiting. SiZA guided me through what to submit and what the collection step involves. After UP HRD, they handled MEA and Saudi embassy attestation. My Saudi MOH application was accepted without any document rejection.”
Anjali Verma
Staff nurse, Saudi MOH licensing
Lucknow, India
“DataFlow verification for nurses involves a lot of steps , gathering degree certificates, registration documents, employment letters, and coordinating with the primary source. SiZA walked me through exactly what was needed and prepared the complete file. I got my DataFlow clearance without delays.”
Rajesh Kumar
Registered Nurse, DataFlow for Saudi Arabia
Hyderabad, India
“Getting medical credentials recognised in Saudi Arabia requires DataFlow primary source verification, SCFHS classification, and degree attestation. SiZA prepared a complete documentation set , nothing was missing. Their knowledge of what Saudi healthcare licensing actually requires saved me weeks.”
Dr. Vikram Singh
Physician, SCFHS licensing, Saudi Arabia
Delhi, India
“DataFlow and Saudi credential attestation together , SiZA handled both. They prepared the nursing degree, mark sheets, registration certificate, and experience letters exactly as Saudi MOH and DataFlow require. Got my DataFlow clearance and my attestation done without running to multiple agencies.”
Pooja Iyer
Registered Nurse, Saudi Arabia MOH
Bengaluru, India
Verify from official sources
Confirm the current checklist and requirements directly with the authority before sending originals.
Saudi Arabia Embassy/Consulate Addresses in India
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, New Delhi
D-12/9, Vasant Vihar
New Delhi 110057
+91-11-41012222
Consulate General of Saudi Arabia, Mumbai
Maker Chambers IV, 222 Nariman Point
Mumbai 400021