Andhra govt. HRD/GAD/NRI attestation/authentication

In order to get apostille from MEA, you need to get authentication from AP govt if your document originated is issued in Andhra Pradesh. I will explain the overall process here for authenticating your degree certificate (if it is issued by a university in AP) and ICSE/CBSE certificates. Please note that you need to either have an admission letter/email from a foreign university or a job offer in case you are going abroad to work, as the official at the NRI dept. office will ask for it. Also please read through this blog post fully before starting the process.

Note 1: At any point in the process if you get any doubt or face any problem, feel free to contact the below mentioned officials from the AP govt who will explain everything perfectly. Also, please read the instructions on this AP Govt.  website regarding the procedure.

Mr. Vinod: +919502644012

Note 2: There was no “Tatkal” service when I went there for authentication. Please consult Mr. Vinod and confirm beforehand in case you want to opt for Tatkal service. 

The Procedure

STEP – 1: Notarize your documents from a public notary. The notaries near Vijayawada court building (beside CM camp office backside of PWD Ground), they charge about Rs. 100 /- per document. Either you could do there, or in your respective place if it is cheaper.

STEP – 2: AP govt charges Rs. 250 /- per document for authentication. So, take a DD of Rs. 250 /-, or if you have two documents, take a DD for Rs. 500 /-.

Important!: Please take the DD only in one of these banks as they only accept DDs from these banks:

• State Bank of India
• State Bank of Hyderabad
• Andhra Bank
• Karur Vysya Bank

The Demand Draft should be obtained in favor of SPECIAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT (PROTOCOL), G.A(N.R.I) DEPARTMENT, A.P SECRETARIAT, HYDERABAD. 

Now the bank clerk might say (happened in my case at an Andhra Bank branch) he can't fit in this much matter, but tell him you took it before and insist that he type the whole statement before it is mandatory to do so as it is government work. 

STEP – 3: Please scan the following documents and keep them ready in your computer:

• Front and back pages (scanned as two separate documents) of the notarized document which is to be authenticated for apostille later
• Support document (scanned in a single file), like a mark-sheet if you are trying apostille CBSE pass certificate. * Please call Mr. Vinod in case you have doubt here.
• Passport front and back pages (scanned as one single file)
• Your photo (scan the passport size photo in JPG format)
• Your signature (scan as JPG image)

STEP – 4: Once you have scanned files of above mentioned documents, immediately go to this website and book a slot. There, upload all the above documents in the respective places and fill the whole application. Then submit it and take a print out of the application.

STEP – 5: Next, before going to the office to submit documents on the date you booked a slot, make sure to carry all these following documents:

• Original document (notarized already) to be authenticated
• Photocopy of the above document (front and back)
• A passport-size photograph
• The DD you took earlier
• Photocopy of the DD
• Original passport (please don’t forget it!)
• Photocopy of the passport
• The application print-out you took in STEP – 4
• A copy of the official admission letter/email from foreign university

 STEP – 6: On the day of appointment, please go there by 10 AM. They only accept the documents up to 11:30 AM. Then submit the documents and collect the receipt. You will probably given a date about 4-7 days away. It can take more than that. Such is our bureaucracy! Once you receive the documents back after attestation, you should see a stamp, signature and a seal on the backside of your documents as shown in the image below, 

Additional Information

• Please try to do the process yourself and save some money by not seeking the services of any agents. An agent asked me Rs. 7500 /- per document just for this Rs. 250 /- process!
• Besides educational documents, you should be able to get other documents such as birth certificates, and other official documents authenticated. Kindly contact Mr. Vinod and he will give you the relevant details.
• They will also authenticate the provisional degree certificate in case you don’t have the OD yet.
• Since most probably you will be needing the documents urgently/faster, go to AP Secratariat in Velagapudi by 3 PM on weekdays. Get a pass and go to the designated block were the GAD NRI department is located. Go inside and keep pestering the Section Officer (S.O.) there. If luck is with you, he will give it by evening.
• Don’t pay anybody any money other than the DD you took earlier.

Apostille

Please refer to this post about how to apostille your documents.