Commercial Document Apostille and Attestation in India
Chamber of Commerce authentication, MEA apostille for Hague Convention countries and MEA attestation with embassy legalisation for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China and other non-Hague countries, for exporters, companies and business owners across India.
Commercial document apostille: the short answer
Commercial document apostille is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) certificate that makes an Indian company or trade document valid in the 120-plus countries of the Hague Apostille Convention. Unlike a degree or birth certificate, a commercial document must first be authenticated by a Chamber of Commerce (after notarisation where the document needs it). Only then does the MEA fix the apostille. The MEA’s own fee is ₹50 per document.
For countries outside the Convention, such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and China, the route is commercial document attestation: Chamber of Commerce, MEA attestation and then legalisation by that country’s embassy in New Delhi.
INFINITYGRO handles both routes by courier for companies anywhere in India. Send a WhatsApp photo of the documents and the destination country, and you get the route and a written quote before you send the originals.
Find the apostille guide for your commercial document
Each document has its own guide with the exact route, papers needed, common mistakes and FAQs. Choose the one you have to send abroad.
Export and shipping documents 7
Product, quality and licence certificates 6
Company records and filings 6
Agreements, authority and translations 5
When a commercial document needs apostille or attestation
A foreign buyer, bank, court or government office cannot check an Indian company’s papers on its own. The apostille or the embassy stamp tells it that the chamber’s and the MEA’s checks have been done. These are the situations where we see the request most often.
Exports and letters of credit
Buyers, customs and banks ask for a legalised certificate of origin, invoice and packing list.
Branch, subsidiary or bank account abroad
Foreign registrars want the MOA, AOA, registration certificate and a board resolution.
Product registration
Pharma, food and cosmetic exporters submit GMP, free sale, analysis and halal certificates.
Tenders and distributorships
Foreign tenders and principals ask for director lists, ITRs, licences and agreements.
Acting through someone abroad
A power of attorney lets a lawyer or agent sign for you or your company.
Foreign partners and investors
Joint venture and shareholders agreements signed in India for use abroad.
Commercial document apostille process in India
The first two steps are the same for every commercial document; the destination country decides what happens after the Chamber of Commerce.
Apostille: Hague Convention countries
- 1Notary (where needed)Company-signed papers such as invoices, resolutions and agreements are notarised so the chamber can authenticate them.
- 2Chamber of CommerceA recognised chamber checks the document and the signatory and adds its stamp.
- 3MEA apostilleThe MEA verifies the chamber’s stamp and fixes the apostille (₹50 government fee per document). Nothing more is needed in a Hague country.
Attestation: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China and other non-Hague countries
- 1Notary (where needed)Same first step as the apostille route.
- 2Chamber of CommerceChamber authentication of the document.
- 3MEA attestationThe MEA attests the chamber’s stamp.
- 4Embassy legalisationThe destination country’s embassy in New Delhi legalises the document.
Which route your commercial document needs, country by country
Check the destination before anything else, because it decides the last stamps and the cost. Membership of the Convention changes from time to time, so always check the HCCH status table or ask us.
| Destination | Route | Stamps needed |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain | Apostille | Chamber → MEA apostille. No embassy stamp needed. |
| UK, Germany, France, Italy, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan | Apostille | Chamber → MEA apostille. |
| UAE | Attestation | Chamber → MEA attestation → UAE Embassy → UAE MOFA in the UAE. |
| Qatar, Kuwait | Attestation | Chamber → MEA attestation → embassy legalisation. |
| Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya | Attestation | Chamber → MEA attestation → embassy legalisation. |
| China | Attestation | Apostille not valid between India and China (India objected to China’s accession). MEA attestation → Chinese Embassy. |
The Chamber of Commerce step, explained
This is the step that makes commercial documents different from personal ones. The chamber confirms that the document comes from a real business and that the person who signed it is authorised to sign. It is also where most files get stuck, so it pays to get it right before the MEA stage.
- The chamber checks the company letterhead, seal and signatory, and may ask for proof of the company’s registration.
- Export documents such as the certificate of origin are often issued by a chamber or an authorised agency in the first place; we still route them to the right chamber for the stamp the MEA accepts.
- Delhi has several chambers, such as the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ASSOCHAM, FICCI, the Indian Chamber of Commerce and the Delhi Chamber of Commerce. Not every chamber authenticates every type of document, so we choose the one that suits yours.
- Each chamber has its own fee and may charge per document or per page; we include it in the written quote.
Documents required for commercial document attestation and apostille
- The original document, signed and stamped by the company or the issuing authority
- Authorisation letter on company letterhead, signed and stamped (we send the format)
- Passport or Aadhaar copy of the authorised signatory
- Company registration proof, such as the certificate of incorporation or GST certificate, if the chamber asks for it
- The destination country and who will receive the document
- Certified translation if the document is not in English
Commercial document apostille charges
| MEA apostille (government fee) | ₹50 per document |
|---|---|
| Notary | Only where the document needs it; included in the quote |
| Chamber of Commerce | The chamber’s own fee; depends on the chamber and the document |
| INFINITYGRO service charge | Quoted per document in writing before you send anything |
| Embassy legalisation (non-Hague countries) | Depends on the country and the document; quoted in writing |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
Every document is counted separately by the chamber, the MEA and the embassy. An export set of invoice, packing list and certificate of origin is three documents, and an MOA with an AOA is two.
Common reasons commercial documents are returned
- Names do not match. The company name, exporter, consignee or invoice number differs between the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin.
- No signatory details. The document has a stamp but no name and designation of the person who signed it.
- Plain photocopies. The chamber and the MEA work on originals or properly certified copies, not on plain photocopies.
- Unsigned pages. Agreements and board resolutions with pages that are not initialled, or with missing witness details.
- Wrong route. An apostille done for a non-Hague country such as the UAE or China, which then has to be redone as attestation.
- Language. A document in a regional or foreign language without a certified translation.
How INFINITYGRO handles your commercial documents
- WhatsApp a photoShare the documents and the destination country on +91-8595558517.
- Route and written quoteWe confirm apostille or attestation, the chamber, the charges and the expected date.
- Courier the originalsSend them with tracking to our Delhi office, with the authorisation letter.
- Notary and chamberWe get notarisation where needed and the Chamber of Commerce stamp.
- MEA and embassyMEA apostille, or MEA attestation followed by embassy legalisation.
- Return by courierYou get scans first on WhatsApp, then the originals by courier.
Official links for commercial document apostille
Commercial document apostille FAQs
What is commercial document apostille?
Commercial document apostille is the certification of an Indian company or trade document by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) so that it is accepted in countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. For commercial papers the document is first authenticated by a Chamber of Commerce, and notarised where needed, before the MEA fixes the apostille sticker.
What is the difference between commercial document apostille and commercial document attestation?
Apostille is a single MEA certificate accepted by Hague Convention countries, and no embassy stamp is needed after it. Attestation is used for countries outside the Convention, such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and China: the document gets MEA attestation and is then legalised by that country’s embassy in New Delhi.
Why does a commercial document need Chamber of Commerce attestation before the MEA?
The MEA verifies the signature and seal of an authority it recognises. For company and export papers that authority is a Chamber of Commerce, so a commercial document sent to the MEA without chamber authentication is returned. Documents signed by a company official are usually notarised first so the chamber can authenticate them.
Which commercial documents can be apostilled in India?
Common ones are the certificate of origin, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, shipping bill, certificate of analysis, GMP, free sale and halal certificates, licences, certificate of registration or incorporation, MOA, AOA, board resolution, director list, income tax return, power of attorney and business, joint venture or shareholders agreements. Each has its own guide on this page.
What are the charges for commercial document apostille in India?
The MEA government fee for an apostille is ₹50 per document. The Chamber of Commerce charges its own fee, which depends on the chamber and the document, and our service charge is quoted per document in writing before you send anything. Courier is extra, and embassy charges are quoted per country when attestation is needed.
How long does commercial document apostille take?
There is no fixed timeline, because it depends on the chamber, the number of documents and, for attestation, the embassy. We give the expected date in the written quote before you courier the documents, and send WhatsApp updates at each stage.
Can commercial documents be apostilled for the UAE?
No. The UAE does not accept the apostille for Indian documents, so commercial papers for the UAE go through Chamber of Commerce, MEA attestation and UAE Embassy attestation in New Delhi, followed by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamp in the UAE, which your buyer or agent there usually arranges.
Does Saudi Arabia accept an apostille on Indian commercial documents?
Yes. Saudi Arabia is a party to the Apostille Convention, so an MEA apostille is used for Saudi Arabia instead of the older embassy attestation. Some Saudi buyers still ask for specific formats, so confirm the requirement with the receiving party in writing.
Does China accept an apostille from India?
No. India objected to China’s accession to the Apostille Convention, so the apostille does not operate between the two countries. Commercial documents for China still need MEA attestation followed by legalisation at the Chinese Embassy.
Can an electronically issued or digitally signed commercial document be apostilled?
Many certificates of origin, registrations and licences are now issued online. The printed copy carrying the issuer’s verification details usually goes through the chamber and the MEA like a paper document. Send us a photo on WhatsApp first, and we confirm whether that print can go ahead or the issuing office needs to sign it.
Do I need to come to Delhi for commercial document apostille?
No. Pickup is not available, but you do not need to travel. Send the originals by any reputed courier with tracking to our office in New Ashok Nagar, Delhi, or drop them off in person, and we return them by courier.
My commercial document is not in English. What should I do?
Get a certified English translation, or a translation into the destination country’s language, and have it apostilled or attested with the original. Our translated certificate apostille guide explains how the translation and the source document are processed together.
Does INFINITYGRO prepare or issue the commercial documents?
No. We start from documents your company or the issuing authority has already prepared and signed. Our work is the authentication chain: notary where needed, Chamber of Commerce, MEA apostille or attestation, embassy legalisation, translation and courier.
Send your commercial documents abroad without a return trip
Tell us the documents and the country on WhatsApp. You get the route, the chamber, the charges and the date in writing before you courier anything.
Other apostille and attestation services
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026 by the INFINITYGRO documents team.
Disclaimer: INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service, not a government authority. Apostilles are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, chamber authentication by the respective Chamber of Commerce and embassy legalisation by the respective embassies. Procedures and fees change from time to time; please confirm current rules with the receiving authority.