When Is Attestation Required for Overseas Use?
Trade Licence Attestation may be required when an Indian business licence must be accepted by a foreign authority for company registration, branch setup, tendering, licensing, banking due diligence or another commercial purpose. The correct legalisation route depends on the destination country and the receiving authority. For Indian commercial documents, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) procedure generally requires prior authentication by the relevant Chamber of Commerce before normal attestation.
- Opening or registering a branch, subsidiary or representative office abroad
- Submitting business licensing or renewal records to a foreign authority
- Completing vendor, distributor, franchise or agency onboarding requirements
- Supporting corporate bank, compliance or know-your-business documentation
- Participating in overseas tenders or commercial registration procedures
- Proving the licensed nature of business activities to an overseas recipient