Attestation of Documents for Use Abroad in Siliguri
A notary at Hill Cart Road can attest a signature or a true copy on a paper you will send outside India. That stamp is the first local step, not the last. It is not an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs, and it is not legalisation by a foreign embassy. Ask the university, employer or embassy which of those they want before you travel.
Papers that leave Siliguri
Students, nurses and families sending a child abroad are asked for attested degrees, birth records, affidavits and powers of attorney. The foreign desk wants to know the copy matches the original, or that the person signed in front of a recognised officer.
A neighbour's experience with one country is a poor guide to another country's list.
Notary, apostille, embassy
The notary acts under the Notaries Act, 1952. India is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille is a certificate, generally obtained through the Ministry of External Affairs process, that a foreign authority in a convention country may rely on. A notary seal does not say 'apostille' and does not replace that certificate.
Some countries still want embassy or consular legalisation instead of, or as well as, an apostille. Their website for this month is the source. A Hill Cart Road stamp is not a promise that a named country will accept the paper. Stamp paper, if an affidavit is needed, is a West Bengal question. Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
What to bring
Bring the foreign checklist and the original documents, not only photocopies.
For a true copy going abroad
- The original degree, birth paper or deed
- A clear photocopy
- Your passport
- The line in the checklist that says notarised copy
For a signature or a power
- The person who must sign, in person
- The foreign form, if they supplied one
- Identity
- A translation only if a translator has actually made it
Which case is yours?
Find the row that matches your papers. The first step is yours. The last column is the office that still has to accept the paper.
| Your situation | What you do first | Who else is involved |
|---|---|---|
| They asked for a notarised copy | Bring the original and a clear photocopy | The university or employer named in the email. Apostille may still follow |
| They asked for an apostille | Treat the notary copy as a preparatory step, not the finished certificate | The Ministry of External Affairs process named in the current instruction |
| The person who must sign is already abroad | They sign before an officer where they are, if the form asks for their signature | That foreign officer, not a relative in Siliguri |
First 24 hours
Read the foreign checklist and see whether it asks for a notary, an apostille, or both. Bring the originals, not only photographs of them.
The Hill Cart Road stamp is the local step. It is not an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs and it is not an embassy legalisation.
Order of work
Start at the chamber only after you know whether they asked for a notary, an apostille, or both.
- Read their word If the email says apostille, we tell you the notary copy may be a preparatory step, not the finished one.
- Compare original and copy For a true copy, the original is in the room. We do not attest a copy of a copy as if we saw the original.
- Then the next office You take the notarised set to the apostille or embassy channel they named. We do not operate that channel.
When you know which row matches your papers, call or send them on WhatsApp.
Costly mistakes
People notarise a set, book a flight to Kolkata for an apostille, and then learn the university wanted a different document. People also translate a paper themselves and ask us to certify the translation as official. We certify a copy against an original we have seen. We do not certify that an English translation is accurate unless that is a separate, honest instruction we can stand behind, and we will say if we cannot.
Do not remove staples or substitute a page after attestation.
Limits and time
We cannot issue an apostille, book an MEA appointment, or speak for an embassy. Foreign deadlines are yours to watch. There is no notary rule that speeds up a ministry. If your intake date is close, send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost and bring the deadline in writing. Criminal history, name changes and lost passports still need their own truthful papers. Nothing on this page is advice on how to clear an immigration refusal.
Why the checklist comes first
Attesting the wrong sheet wastes stamp and a day. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost with the foreign email in your hand. We would rather tell you to get the apostille path clear than sell you a stamp they will not read.
A family sending one file
These visits are often a parent attending for a child who has already left. If the child must sign, the parent cannot sign in the child's place. Tell us that on the phone so nobody makes an empty trip to Hill Cart Road.
What we will do
We complete the notary step. The ministry and the embassy are outside this chamber.
- Read whether they asked for a notary or an apostille
- Attest a true copy against the original
- Attest a signature made in front of us
- Say clearly that MEA apostille is a further process
- Tell you to send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost
Questions people ask
How much does foreign-use attestation cost?
Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
How fast is the notary step?
Often one visit if the originals and the signer are here. Apostille or embassy time is extra and is not ours.
Is your stamp an apostille?
No. Apostille is a separate certificate associated with the Ministry of External Affairs process.
Which countries accept a notary only?
Read the instruction the university or embassy sent you. A neighbour's country is not a guide for yours.
Can you translate my degree?
Bring any translation they asked for. The chamber compares a copy with an original. It does not invent a translation. If they only want a true copy of the original, bring the original.
My child is already abroad. Can I sign?
Only if the form asks for your signature. If it asks for the child's, the child must sign before a proper officer where they are.
Do you send the papers to Delhi?
No. We attest here. You follow the apostille or courier steps on your checklist.
Talk to the office
Bring the papers you have. Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
This page is general information for people in Siliguri and North Bengal. It is not legal advice for your papers. Rules, stamp requirements and office practice change. Call the chamber before you rely on it.