Many documents that need to be sent to India must also be stamped by VFS, and VFS requires those documents to notarised and stamped with an apostille. DFAT is the authorised issuing authority for apostilles in Australia and so if your documents must be stamped with an apostille, then they must be processed by DFAT.
Recently, DFAT have introduced a number of changes to the way they process documents as well as the cost. Previously, you could walk into DFAT at their Sydney office and have your documents processed over the counter. You might have to wait depending on how busy they were, but it was a fairly informal and simple process as long as you were able to go there during their normal opening hours. Now, you need to call in advance to make an appointment. Sometimes you will be able to make an appointment on short notice, but other times you could be waiting for a few business days. If you are going to go to DFAT to have your document stamped with an apostille, you will still need to allow for half a day at least.
From 1 January 2017, DFAT have also changed their filing fees and the way that they charge their filing fees. Previously, single paged documents were $60 for the apostille and $80 for multiple paged documents. Now, there is a flat fee of $80 for all documents. Simple. You do not need to worry about the size of your document, or whether your document has been bound or not, the fee to have your document stamped with an apostille is $80.
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, in addition to notarising your documents we are able to arrange for your documents to be stamped with an apostille at DFAT. Our services will cover both filing and the filing fee and is perfect for those clients who do not have the time to make an appointment and go to DFAT themselves. If you need this additional service, we can handle the whole process on your behalf from notarisation, and apostille stamping so that you can collect the final document from our office or if you prefer, posted out to you by express post.
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/notary-fees/.
Acknowledgements
This blog is supported and maintained by Phang Legal. Phang Legal is a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney. With offices conveniently located in Parramatta, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
For more information regarding notary public services for documents going to India, view our notary publications at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/jurisdiction/india-notary/.
Frequently asked questions regarding our notary public services can also be found at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/faqs/.
For Hindi to English translation services by NAATI accredited translators, see https://hindi-naati-translation.blogspot.com.au/.
Notary Public
Ern Phang is the solicitor director of Phang Legal and a notary public. Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public, including the kinds of problems and solutions that his clients face when sending documents to India.
IMPORTANT: the information in this article is correct at the time of publication, however the law constantly changes. This means you should always refer to the most recent articles because we try to update this blog on a regular basis with the most current information.
