Marksheet Attestation
Marksheets are an integral part of the certification of every educational course. It evaluates the academic stamina and performance of the certificate holder. Whether you have completed a graduation or post graduation or any other level of educational programme, marksheets are a crucial part of it. While applying for higher studies or looking for a job, the mark sheets need to be submitted to the recruiters beforehand.
It is mandatory for the certificates to be attested before they are presented in a foreign country. Attestation ensures the authenticity of the certificates allowing the authorities to consider it for official purposes without any further verification. Marksheets issued in India will become eligible to be used in foreign countries for educational and employment purposes once they have undergone attestation by the concerned authorities.
Marksheet Attestation is the act of verification of the genuineness of a marksheet by authorized officials or government departments with their official seal and signature to authenticate the legal document. The educational certificates and marksheets are to be attested by the home department and external affairs ministry of the country of origin and the embassy of the destination country.
Importance of Mark Sheet Attestation
Attestation of any document is necessary for its legal validity and acceptance on the international level. Attestation of the mark sheet enables it to be used for a number of official purposes. These include:
- Higher Education
- Job Purpose
- Professional change
- Establish a business abroad
- Dependant visa
- Change visa status abroad
- Resident Permit or Sponsorship
Documents required for Mark Sheet Attestation
For every attestation process, certain documents are needed to be presented to the authority for their satisfactory verification. The documents required for mark sheet attestation are:
- Original marksheets or consolidated certificates
- Passport copy of the candidate
- Visa copy of the candidate
- Authorization letter (if applicable)
- 2 Photographs
Authorities may ask for some more documents for further clarification. You may also need to furnish your contact details such as address and email id.
Procedure for Mark Sheet Attestation
Marksheet attestation is similar to any other certificate attestation procedure. Attestation begins with document verification at the regional level. Then it is followed by HRD attestation, MEA attestation and finally Embassy Attestation.
Notary Attestation is a preliminary procedure of attestation. During this attestation procedure, the document is verified by an authorized notary and a stamp is pasted upon their satisfaction. This enables further attestation procedure. As marksheets are educational documents, the educational institute such as a School/College that issues the certificate verifies the document’s credibility.
The State HRD sends a copy of the mark sheets to the educational institution. After satisfactory verification of the documents, the School/College sends a confirmed letter to the HRD informing the legality of the document. HRD validates the document with a proper seal and signature based on the verification done by the educational institution. This is a time consuming procedure. Attestation by sub divisional magistrate is another way of mark sheet attestation, which is relatively faster.
Once the State Level attestation is completed it is followed by MEA attestation. Attestation by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is the final certification from the Government of India.
After the marksheet has undergone attestation by the MEA, Govt. of India, it can proceed for attestation from the foreign Embassy in India. The Embassy will attest marksheets once they are attested by MEA.
Time required and Cost involved in the Mark Sheet Attestation
The attestation process roughly takes a couple of weeks. However, the time varies according to the type of certificate and the country for which it is being attested. If it is a busy season and the offices are occupied with a lot of work, then the process might take extra time. The cost of attestation also depends upon different factors. It varies according to the university issuing the certificates.