Legalisation

What is an Apostille?

An apostille is an official certificate issued by the UK Legalisation Office, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Legalisation is the process by which the Legalisation Office checks the signature, stamp or seal appearing on the document against its records. Once verified, the document is legalised by the addition of an apostille certificate, confirming the authenticity of that signature, stamp or seal for use overseas. The apostille does not certify or approve the contents of the underlying document.

For many countries, an apostille is sufficient and no further legalisation is required. For some countries, further legalisation or attestation may be required , for example by the relevant embassy or consulate in the UK and in some cases, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the destination country. 

Does my document need to be notarised first?

This depends on the type of document. Some official UK documents can be legalised directly by the FCDO, while others must first be notarised or appropriately certified.

Paper Apostille or E-Apostille?

The FCDO offers both traditional paper apostilles and electronic apostilles, known as e-Apostilles.

The appropriate option will depend on the type of document and the requirements of the authority or organisation receiving it overseas. 

For a paper apostille, the original or appropriately certified document is submitted to the FCDO. Once legalised, the apostille is attached to the document and the completed document is returned in paper form.

An e-Apostille provides a fully electronic legalisation process. The document is submitted electronically as a PDF and, once legalised, the e-Apostille is issued electronically and the completed document can be shared digitally.

Not every document is eligible for an e-Apostille. An e-Apostille is valid in its original electronic format and cannot be converted into a paper apostille by printing it.

UK Birth, marriage and death certificates

UK birth, marriage and death certificates issued by the General Register Office (GRO) are official public documents and can usually be submitted directly to the FCDO for legalisation without prior notarisation.

GRO certificates are not currently eligible for an e-Apostille.

If you have been specifically instructed to obtain a notarised copy , please send us the instructions you have received so that we can review the requirements.

Criminal record certificates

We regularly assist with the legalisation of criminal records documents, including ACRO Police Certificates and DBS certificates.

ACRO Police Certificates and DBS certificates are not currently eligible for an e-Apostille and therefore require the paper-based legalisation process.