A senior software engineer at the Infosys Bengaluru office walked into our consultation in March 2026 holding two offers. SAP Walldorf in Germany on an EU Blue Card at EUR 78,000 base, and Booking.com Amsterdam on a Dutch Highly Skilled Migrant permit at EUR 82,000 base plus equity. Same week, his wife (a researcher at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru) had been invited to interview at the EMBL European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg. The German choice would let them both work in the same metro area. The Dutch choice paid better but split the family across two countries. The documentation reality also split. Germany's Blue Card requires the APS verification step at the German Embassy in Delhi, a step that takes four to twelve weeks for Indian Bachelor's degree holders and is mandatory since January 2024. The Netherlands does not require APS but requires nuffic credential evaluation for some files. Both required MEA apostille on the Bengaluru-issued degrees and certified translation (German for SAP Walldorf, English for Booking.com Amsterdam).
That kind of dual-offer comparison is now common for Indian senior engineers. Around 230,000 Indian students are now in Europe (UK 130,000, Germany 50,000, the rest split across France, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, the Baltics). The EU Blue Card has been scaled across member states. France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all run Blue Card or equivalent skilled-worker programmes. Post-Brexit UK runs its own Skilled Worker and Global Talent visas outside the EU framework. This page is for the Indian aspirant choosing between Europe and another region, or between two European destinations, and for the family supporting that choice.
What does Europe offer Indian students and professionals in 2026?
For students
The European Higher Education Area's three-cycle structure (bachelor's, master's, PhD) is harmonised across the EU under the Bologna Process. A master's from Germany, France, Italy or any EU country is recognised across the rest of the EU. Tuition at most public European universities is moderate or free for students from non-EU countries (German public universities have no tuition for international students, the Nordic countries charge moderate fees, France charges around EUR 3,770 per year for non-EU masters under the Bienvenue en France policy, Italy charges variable income-tested fees). Post-study work permits are available in most EU countries (eighteen months in Germany after a master's, two years in the Netherlands under the orientation year visa, similar windows in Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Austria).
For professionals
The EU Blue Card is the unified skilled-worker programme across most EU member states. Each country sets its own salary threshold (Germany EUR 43,759.80 shortage / 48,300 non-shortage in 2026, France EUR 53,837, the Netherlands EUR 60,612 for under-30s and EUR 75,000 above, Belgium and others scaled to local salaries). Blue Card holders get streamlined family reunification and mobility within the Schengen area.
For both: one apostille covers Europe
The Hague Apostille Convention covers all EU member states and almost all European neighbours. That means MEA apostille is the standard authentication on your Indian documents. You do not need a separate embassy attestation for a Hague country, so the same apostille set works whether the offer is in Germany, France, Italy or Spain. Apostille attestation is done once, in India, before you fly.
What is the apostille attestation process in India for a Europe file?
The work that gets done in India before your documents leave for Europe runs in a clear order. Here is the sequence, with the working days each step usually takes:
| Step |
What happens |
Working days |
| 1. State HRD attestation |
Educational certificate attestation at the issuing State HRD directorate |
7 to 45, depending on state and university |
| 2. SDM or Home attestation |
Personal documents (marriage, birth) attested by SDM or State Home Department |
3 to 7 |
| 3. MEA apostille in Delhi |
MEA apostille stamp on every document |
3 to 5 |
| 4. Certified translation |
Sworn translation into the destination language |
1 to 3 (Italian within 2 working days) |
| 5. Country evaluation |
APS, CIMEA, Campus France or Nuffic where the destination uses one |
4 to 12 weeks |
| 6. PCC apostille |
Police Clearance Certificate from the RPO, then apostilled, where asked |
5 to 10 |
| 7. Tracked return |
Originals couriered back to you, tracked |
2 to 4 |
A few notes on the steps:
- Certified translation goes to a sworn translator in the destination language: German (beeidigter Ubersetzer) for Germany, French (traducteur jure) for France, Italian (traduttore giurato) for Italy, Spanish (traductor jurado) for Spain, Czech (soudni prekladatel), Polish (tlumacz przysiegly), Hungarian, Lithuanian, Slovak, Slovenian and the other EU languages for the rest. For Ireland, Malta, the UK and the other English-medium destinations, no translation is needed.
- Country-specific evaluation means APS for Germany (mandatory since 2022), CIMEA Statement of Comparability or DoV for Italy, Campus France for France, Nuffic for some Dutch courses, and UK ENIC for some UK applications.
For an English-medium destination the whole process runs in three to six weeks. Non-English-medium destinations take longer because of the certified translation and country-specific evaluation step.
Which documents need apostille attestation for a Europe application?
A Europe-bound file from India usually carries the following:
- The academic record: Class 12 marksheet for undergraduate, bachelor's degree for master's, master's degree for PhD or skilled professional applications, with all marksheets and the university transcript showing subjects, credit hours and grading scale
- For professionals: detailed experience letters from each Indian employer naming role, period, reporting manager and the actual technical or business work, plus professional certifications where they apply
- The marriage certificate
- The long-form birth certificate of any dependant child
- Certified translation by a sworn translator in the destination language
- The country-specific evaluation certificate (APS, CIMEA, Campus France)
- The PCC from the RPO
- The passport with at least eighteen to twenty-four months of validity
- The destination employer offer or university admission letter
Every educational document on that list takes State HRD attestation first, then MEA apostille. Personal documents go through SDM or the State Home Department, then MEA apostille.
How does SiZA help with apostille and certified translation for Europe?
What we do before you send anything
When you first send us scans on WhatsApp at +91 9220161774, we read the documents against the destination's specific requirements. We tell you which evaluation step applies, which sworn translator network to use, and how the certified translation and apostille work times against your visa stamping window. We share the realistic timeline and the realistic cost end to end before any payment is taken.
What we do once your originals reach us
When the originals reach our Noida office, we run the authentication in India. That covers HRD attestation at the state directorate, MEA apostille in Delhi, certified translation by a sworn translator in the destination language, coordination of the country-specific evaluation (APS, CIMEA, DoV, Campus France) where the destination uses one, PCC apostille where the destination asks, and tracked return courier. For German files we use our German sworn translation network; for Italy, Italian sworn translation; for France, French sworn translation.
We do not file the destination visa. We do not handle university admissions. We do not arrange IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, DELF or other language tests. We do not file the EU Blue Card or any work permit (the destination employer does that with the relevant national authority). We do not handle anything inside the destination country after you arrive. For country-specific notes, see the Germany, Italy and France pages.
For a free scan-review of your European route, send a WhatsApp message to +91 9220161774 with photos of your academic record (and experience letters for work files) and a short note on the destination country.
Two pages on the SiZA site that follow on from this: apostille services, certified translation services.
