Documents from India

Apostille, attestation, police certificate, copies, translations: what Germany accepts.

Important: Germany does not accept the Indian apostille. Germany objected to India's accession to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has no effect in Germany. The German missions stopped legalising Indian documents in 2000 and state that attestation or apostille of Indian documents is not recognised (mission page, 2 June 2025).

What happens instead

If a German authority doubts a document, it can order a document verification by the mission: INR 45,000 per application, about 6 weeks plus courier time. Private persons cannot request it.
Bring originals or copies certified by German authorities. Copies certified by an Indian notary are not accepted (Embassy FAQ, partly outdated).

Police certificate (PCC)

Apply via Passport Seva (PSK/POPSK). Fee conflicts between sources: INR 500 (instruction PDF) and INR 750 (current FAQ).
Whether a PCC is required for German work visas is not confirmed. It is not in the Blue Card or Chancenkarte checklists.

Translations

Requirements differ by checklist and receiving body; we could not verify details. Ask the authority that receives the document before you pay a translator.

Where to apply

Work categories (Blue Card, employment, Chancenkarte, training, family) use the online Consular Services Portal (digital.diplo.de); biometrics and appointments are at VFS. There are German missions in New Delhi (Embassy) and Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru (Consulates General). Hyderabad and Pune have VFS centres only (Maharashtra including Pune belongs to Mumbai; which mission covers Hyderabad is not verified).

Fee: €75 / INR 8,400 for adults, €37.50 for minors, plus the VFS service fee.
Time: "may take several months"; no status questions for the first 3 months; earlier appointments only in medical or humanitarian emergencies.
Since 3 June 2026 Indian citizens no longer need an airport transit visa in Germany.

A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.