What is an Apostille?

An Apostille is a form of certification by the UK Government  (Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office) confirming the validity of a Public Official's signature or seal.



What is Legalisation?

The term "legalisation" is sometimes used interchangeably with the work apostille but it can also refer to the additional process whereby the validity of an Apostille is certified by the diplomatic or consular representative of the jurisdiction where the Notarial Act is to be used. 



Do my documents require an Apostille or Legalisation?

The requirements depend on the country your documents are being sent to. When you contact us for a quote we will ask where your documents are going so that we can inform you of the official requirements for that jurisdiction.

Some countries are satisfied with a notarisation (eg Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand). However, a number of countries require an apostille stamp on international documents for them to be used within their jurisdiction (eg Spain, Italy and Bulgaria)

Some places, such as India, the USA and Canada can ask for an apostille but do not always require one.

Countries that require consular legalisation in addition to the apostille include UAE, Vietnam, and Qatar.

The Apostille and Legalisation Process

If your recipient only requires notarisation then you will usually be abe to take the documents away with you after your appointment.

If an apostille/ legalisation is required then the document will need to be sent the the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office for apostille.

If consular legalisation is required then the document will go to the relevant embassy after apostille.

You should be aware that certain embassies have very particular requirements about what their will accept and you may be required to complete an authorisation form to enable our legalisation agent to obtain the legalisation stamps on your documents.

You do not need a notary to arrange the apostille and legalisation but we are happy to arrange everything for you if you wish. In some cases we outsource to legalisation agents either for speed or because certain embassies require personal attendance.

Direct Apostilles

This is how we describe apostilles done directly onto the document without the need for notarisation. The main examples are GRO documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates and certificates of no impediments, ACRO police checks and certain Companies’ House certificates.

In these instances the apostille is certifying the signatory on the document, eg the Companies House / GRO Registrar or the ACRO official.

In the vast majority of cases this is not a problem and most will go through without problem. However, if the “Official” who signed your document is not registered with the Apostille Office at the FCDO then the document will be rejected.

This is most common where a marriage certificate was signed by a priest or was issued a number of years ago.

Where a document is rejected you should contact the Official or the person who issued you with the document and ask them to get their signature registered at the FCDO. They would do this by contacting the FCDO at LegalisationVerify@fcdo.gov.uk . They will need to provide a sample of their signature, and confirmation of their position and tenure.

If a GRO certificate is rejected then you might choose to obtain an additional certificate from the Registry Office. A recently issued certificate is very likely to be signed by someone already registered with the FCDO.

At the time of writing Liverpool registry office will replace a certificate like for like with a (Liverpool based) certificate signed by an FCDO registered Registrar they ask that you send your rejected certificate in with a cover letter explaining what you want and they will exchange like for like.

Where we arrange direct apostilles are charges are the same as for apostilles on notarised documents. Please be aware that we will not take steps to verify ministers, doctors or other signatories. This would be your responsibility. You should also be aware that as of March 2025 the apostille office have advised that they will not be issuing refunds where they are unable to apostille a document. We are currently unsure as to whether this will apply to direct apostilles where the signatories are not registered and this page will be updated once the position is clearer. If documents are rejected there may be additional resubmission  / post charges.

E-Apostilles

These are available on most notarised documents but not all. Police checks and birth / death / marriage certificates are amongst those that cannot be electronically apostilled.

Not all recipients will accept an e-apostille so we recommend checking with your recipient prior to requesting one. If you are unsure as to whether or not your recipient will accept an e-apostille and you are unable to check then we would recommend opting for the traditional paper based option.

E-apostilles are usually quite quick – often completed the same day or day after submission.

How much will it cost?

Apostilles

The cost depends on your needs, both in terms of speed and destination.

For apostilles we presently offer three options:- standard, next day, and electronic. Standard and electronic apostilles are the same price.

As a guide (all in £GBP)

Standard / Next Day

1 doc   80               115               

2          135              175

3          185              235               

Extras +50             +60 

We can arrange to have your documents couriered internationally after apostille if required. The price depends on the service used. Additional charges may apply for particularly large bundles of documents

  Standard / Next day

EU         25                35                 

World   35                45                 

Consular legalisation

Charges depend on the destination country. Please contact us if you require pricing for a particular country. 

Further FAQs

What happens if my document is rejected?

If the document is rejected due to an error on our part then we will cover the costs of resubmitting the document for apostille.

If the rejection is not due to an error on our part, for example, the Official's signature was not on the Apostille Office's database, then we would not be liable for the resubmission and administrative charges.

How long do apostilles take?

Standard apostilles are usually processed within 2 weeks.

Agent apostilles are processed "next working day"

E-apostilles are usually processed same or next working day.

(For standard and agent apostilles remember to factor in a working day for the document to reach the apostille office and at least another day for it to be sent back to you after it has been processed)

Are timings guaranteed?

No.

No timings are guaranteed and there can be delays for a number of reasons from postal delays, to office closures and rejections. We are unable to provide any guaranteed apostille or legalisation services. If you are under time constraints then please ensure we are aware of it so that we can advise you of the most appropriate services and do our best to help you meet your deadline.

Is there a same day service?

E-apostilles are often processed the day of submission.

At the present time there is a very limited same day service for paper apostilles in Milton Keynes but the apostille office screens the requests and rejects applications that it doesn't deem to be a genuine emergency. There are significant additional charges for this service and you also need to factor in courier times. If your matter is a genuine emergency and unsuitable for e-apostille then we would be happy to discuss your needs with our agent to ascertain whether a same day apostille would be an viable option.

The agent service is a "next day" option and will be the option we propose in most cases where there is a time concern and e-apostilles are not acceptable.