SDM vs HRD Attestation: Which One Does Your Document Need?

Sdm Vs Hrd Attestation – SK Document Centre

Short answer: SDM attestation is for personal documents (birth, marriage, death certificates, affidavits). HRD attestation is for educational documents (degrees, diplomas, marksheets, school certificates). They are not interchangeable. The document type decides which one you need.

“SDM vs HRD attestation” is a common search because both are state-level steps before the MEA. Here is the simple rule and the detail behind it.

The simple rule

	SDM attestation	HRD attestation
For	Personal documents	Educational documents
Who	Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Delhi)	State education / HRD department
Verifies with	Issuing authority records	University or board
Typical time	3–7 working days	1–3 weeks
Next step	MEA apostille or attestation	MEA apostille or attestation

Documents that go to the SDM

Birth and death certificates
Marriage certificates
Affidavits, including single status
Some medical and experience certificates

Documents that go to HRD

Degree and diploma certificates
Marksheets and transcripts
10th and 12th certificates
Migration, transfer and school leaving certificates

What about other states?

Outside Delhi, personal documents usually go to the Home Department or General Administration Department. Educational documents still go to that state’s education department, or through MEA e-Sanad where the university is connected.

Why the wrong choice costs time

An office that receives the wrong type of document returns it, and you lose days. Check the route before you submit anything, or let us do it.

Not sure which attestation your document needs? Send a photo of the document or the instruction you received on WhatsApp or call +91 93109 70010. We tell you the exact process, time and charges before you spend anything.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SDM and HRD attestation?

SDM attests personal documents, and HRD attests educational documents.

Can I choose SDM to save time on my degree?

No. Degrees must go through HRD or e-Sanad.

Do I need both SDM and HRD?

Only if you have both personal and educational documents.

Which is faster?

SDM is usually faster because HRD must verify with the university.