An Apostille is an official certificate issued by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) that verifies the authenticity of a document’s signature, stamp or seal. It enables documents issued in the UK to be recognised abroad for international use.

You may require an Apostille when submitting UK-issued documents (e.g., birth/marriage certificates, educational diplomas, company documents) for purposes such as immigration, overseas education, business operations or international marriage. The Apostille confirms validity for use in countries party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Common examples include: birth, marriage and death certificates; court documents; diplomas and other educational certificates; documents from Companies House; powers of attorney; DBS/ACRO criminal record checks; and other official or notarised documents.

If your document was not issued by a recognised UK authority — for example, a private contract, letter, or certificate — it will usually need to be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public before an Apostille can be issued. This certification confirms the authenticity of the signature or content, which the FCDO requires for Apostille processing.

However, public documents such as UK-issued birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and other General Register Office (GRO) documents are already officially recognised and do not normally require solicitor certification before Apostille legalisation.

The FCDO can only issue an Apostille for documents that were originally issued in the United Kingdom.

However, if your foreign-issued document is certified by a UK solicitor or notary public, it can then be submitted for Apostille legalisation. This certification confirms the authenticity of the copy or signature, allowing the FCDO to process the document even though it was not originally created in the UK.

This is a common requirement for overseas birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic records, and corporate documents that need to be recognised internationally.

An Apostille is the simplified form of document authentication recognised by all Hague Convention member countries. It confirms the validity of a document for international use without requiring further embassy verification.

In contrast, full legalisation includes an additional attestation step carried out by the embassy or consulate of the destination country. This is required when the country is not a member of the Hague Convention, such as the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, or Vietnam.

For many documents, you can request next-day or 24-hour priority processing once your documents have been received. Please note that postage or courier transit times are additional, and an extra day may be required for solicitor certification if requested.

• Express Apostille: £79
• Express Apostille with Solicitor Certification: £94
• e-Apostille with e-Certification: £92
  
  

You can verify the Apostille through the UK Government’s online verification service, using the unique certificate number printed on the Apostille. Click the link to check: https://www.gov.uk/verify-apostille

The Apostille itself does not expire; however, the underlying document may have validity limitations or may be considered outdated depending on the requirements of the receiving authority. Always check with the organisation or country where the document will be used.

Rejections typically occur when a document has no recognisable signature or stamp, has been laminated, is a photocopy rather than an original or certified copy, or is a type not eligible for an Apostille (such as a religious certificate). If this happens, you may need to obtain a corrected document.

Yes - many UK documents are eligible for an electronic Apostille, which is issued and verified online. However, certain document types still require a physical paper-based Apostille and cannot be processed electronically.

Place your order online and follow the instructions for international posting. Use a tracked courier service, clearly include your order number, and ensure you meet any required steps. Once processing is complete, 12 Apostilles will return your documents using your selected courier option.