Affidavit​ Attestation Services

If you are dealing with official documents for personal or professional purposes, you will encounter the need for an affidavit certificate attestation. Attestation of an affidavit is important for validating the authenticity and the legal standing of various kinds of affidavits used for official purposes. Affidavit certificates are used in situations where you are applying for jobs, documents for visa, or legal verification of personal issues. To make it official for the country you are targeting, an embassy attestation is required. In this blog, we will explain in detail the procedure involved in the affidavit certificate attestation, why and how the documents are required to be verified by the concerned authority in India.

What is an Affidavit?

An affidavit is a legal document and is an oath sworn written statement used for various purposes of law and administration.

Types of Affidavits

Depending on the purpose, different types of affidavits are documented. These may include:

• Personal Affidavit: Used to attests facts of personal nature. Can relate to change of name, marital status, address, or to just identify a person. These are most required for job applications, school admissions, visa and immigration processes. These personal affidavits carry a lot of legal weight and thus should be attested properly.
• Property Affidavit: Regarding property-related matters, ownership, and succession.
• Support Affidavit: This is mainly required in visa applications if one person in a foreign country is going to financially sponsor another person.
• Identity Affidavit: This is required in legal matters to ascertain the identity of an individual.

The Procedure for Personal Affidavit Attestation

This is the entire process

1. Notarization of the Affidavit

Notarizing is when a notary public, in this case, a government lawyer, witnesses the signing and then authorizes it with a seal or stamp. It is the first step that makes the affidavit legally binding, guaranteeing that the person signing is doing so of their own free will.

2. SDM/Home Department Attestation

After the affidavit is notarized, the next step is to get it attested by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or your state’s Home Department. This also serves to authenticate it further, and this time around, a government authority examines the affidavit and places his/her stamp or seal.

3. MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) Attestation

The next step is to get the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attestation. This is relevant to people who are visa applicants, going for higher studies abroad, or getting employment outside the country. MEA attestation confirms and certifies that the affidavit is legitimate and valid for use outside the country.

4. Embassy Attestation

The last leg is the embassy attestation of the country you desire in India. The consulate will stamp your affidavit in attestation after doing their due diligence to the MEA stamped affidavit, and other submitted documents and applications.

Prices for Affidavit Attestation

The cost to attest an affidavit certificate range due to many factors, including

• Authorities involved in the attestation process
• Prospective country

Typically, affidavit attestation is priced between 6000 and 12000 INR.

Other Factors That May Affect the Cost

• Urgent requests: Additional fees are incurred when an affidavit attestation is time-sensitive.
• Type of affidavit: Some affidavits are more expensive due to process intricacy (ex: affidavits for legal matters).
• Region: The cost for attestation services may vary based on the specific location or city.

How Long Does Affidavit Attestation Take?

Attestation time for affidavits differs for each provider and each attestation document. The process may take anywhere between 7 to 9 days for the average case.

Common Reasons for Attesting Personal Affidavits

Of the types of documents that need attestation, personal affidavits are by far the most common. They serve many purposes, and most times attesting personal affidavits is unavoidable. The reasons include:

• Obtaining a passport or visa: Personal affidavits serve to confirm the particulars of an individual’s identity, citizenship, and residency.
• Modifications related to personal particulars: An affidavit is necessary for the amendment or alteration of one’s name, address, or any other personal detail.
• Matters of law: Personal affidavits are commonly utilized in legal proceedings or disputes.
• Employment: For certain positions, especially in the government sector, a personal affidavit that has been attested is often required to authenticate one’s identity or personal history.

How to get an affidavit attested in India? 

You can either complete the affidavit certificate attestation process yourself or use a professional attestation service. If you choose to do it yourself, you need to do all the work. Besides, it involves several offices, documents, and time waits, which makes the process lengthy.

That explains why many people opt to use professional services for affidavit attestation, as they take care of the pickup, submission, follow-up, and safe delivery of documents. Click below to start.