Expanding a business overseas, opening a foreign bank account, registering with an international authority, or completing cross-border due diligence - all of these frequently require a UK Certificate of Good Standing to be apostilled before the receiving authority will accept it. The document confirms that a UK company or professional body is properly registered and in good standing. The apostille confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on it is genuine. Before submitting, it is essential to check whether your certificate meets the FCDO's format requirements.
What the FCDO requires
For the FCDO to issue an apostille, the Certificate of Good Standing must be the original certificate and must carry a clear issue date. It must also contain either a wet-ink signature from an authorised official, or a wet-ink stamp or embossed seal. These are the elements the FCDO uses to authenticate the document - the apostille confirms the authenticity of the wet-ink signature, seal or stamp, nothing else. If any of these features are absent, the document cannot be submitted in that form.
If you only have a downloaded or printed version
Many Certificates of Good Standing are now issued electronically. A PDF download, a scanned copy, or a printed version without a wet-ink signature or seal cannot be submitted directly to the FCDO. In these cases, the document must first be certified as a true copy by a UK solicitor or Notary Public. Only after that certification can it be submitted for apostille. The apostille is then physically attached to the certified copy - a paper certificate fixed to the back of the document - and the certified copy is what is returned to you.
When embassy attestation is also required
For Hague Apostille Convention member countries, the apostille is the final step. For countries outside the Convention - including the UAE, Qatar and others - the apostilled certificate must also go through embassy attestation in London before it will be accepted. In M&A or corporate transactions, confirm the full legalisation chain required by the counterparty's jurisdiction before starting the process.
Get started
Call our team on +44 (0) 204 646 9300 to confirm whether your certificate meets the FCDO's requirements and to manage the apostille or full legalisation process on your behalf.