What documents are required for apostille of an Indian birth certificate?

The exact checklist can depend on whether you're going through e-Sanad or the regular authentication/apostille process.

MEA currently lists two routes: e-Sanad for eligible documents and a separate process for documents not covered by e-Sanad. For the latter, the first step is authentication, and the next step is submission through an authorized outsourced service provider.

For an Indian birth certificate, I'd have these ready at minimum:

• Original birth certificate
• Photocopy of the birth certificate
• Passport copy

Then confirm the State authentication requirement for the State that issued the certificate.

There are also Mission-specific checklists for situations where an Indian document is being presented to an Indian Mission. For example, an MEA consular-service document lists an original State-authenticated birth certificate and copies as part of the requirements.

So I wouldn't rely on a generic internet checklist. Your birth certificate's issuing State and the country where you're going to use it matter.

I recently did this for an Indian birth certificate while living in Australia.

The basic documents I was asked to arrange were the original birth certificate and copies, along with my passport details. The important part was getting the certificate authenticated by the appropriate authority before the MEA stage.

MEA's general procedure specifically says that personal documents such as birth certificates should first be authenticated by the designated State/UT authority.

One thing I would be careful about is confusing apostille with ordinary document attestation. If you're using the birth certificate in a country covered by the Hague Apostille Convention, you generally want the apostille route rather than normal attestation.

I also wouldn't send your original certificate to an unknown person just because they claim to provide apostille services. MEA itself advises applicants to use the authorized service-provider process and warns against unauthorized intermediaries.

Your relative may be able to help with the India-side process, but I'd confirm what authorization, if any, is required before they submit it.

I had my Indian birth certificate apostilled for use in Germany, and the main thing I learned was that the birth certificate itself has to be properly authenticated before the MEA apostille stage, unless it is eligible for the applicable e-Sanad route.

MEA classifies birth certificates as personal documents that can be apostilled. For documents not covered by e-Sanad, its procedure says the document first goes through authentication by the designated State/UT authority and is then submitted through an authorized outsourced service provider.

For my case, I had the original birth certificate, a photocopy of it, and a copy of my passport. I also had to deal with the State authentication separately.

I wouldn't automatically prepare an affidavit or residence permit copy unless the particular submission route asks for one. The exact supporting documents can vary according to the procedure and jurisdiction.

Since you're in the UK, I'd first confirm the current Maharashtra authentication process and then check the current MEA submission instructions. The requirements listed by an agent aren't necessarily the same as the official MEA requirements.