Starting a new job abroad often involves more paperwork than starting a role in the UK. Before you can begin work, an overseas HR team may ask for documents proving your identity, qualifications, employment history, criminal record, professional status or health clearance.
The documents themselves may be valid in the UK, but they may still need certification, legalisation or translation before they are accepted overseas.
Proof of identity
Most employers will ask for proof of identity before completing onboarding, visa or work permit steps.
This is usually a valid passport. In some cases, HR may request a certified copy of your passport rather than the original.
A passport copy normally needs to be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public before it can be legalised for overseas use. The receiving employer or authority should confirm whether a solicitor-certified or notarised copy is required.
Qualification certificates
If the role requires specific education or training, HR may ask for degree certificates, diplomas, academic transcripts, professional certificates or training records.
Some documents can be certified and legalised quickly. Others may need verification from the university, college or awarding body before a solicitor or Notary Public can certify them.
This is especially common where the employer needs proof that the qualification is genuine before submitting it to a visa or licensing authority.
Employment references
An overseas employer may ask for letters from previous employers confirming your job title, dates of employment, duties, salary or conduct.
Employment letters are usually private documents, so they often need solicitor or notary certification before legalisation.
The letter should ideally be on company letterhead, signed by an authorised person and dated. If the letter is issued digitally, additional checks may be needed before it can be certified.
Police certificates and background checks
Many overseas employers require a criminal record check, especially for roles in education, healthcare, finance, childcare, government, security or regulated sectors.
Depending on the requirement, this may be an ACRO Police Certificate, DBS certificate or another background document.
The format matters. ACRO certificates are usually legalised as originals, while DBS certificates commonly need solicitor certification before legalisation.
Professional registration documents
For regulated professions, HR or the licensing authority may ask for proof of professional registration or good standing.
This can include certificates from bodies such as the GMC, NMC, HCPC, SRA, ACCA or other professional organisations.
Some documents can be legalised as originals if they carry a verifiable signature or seal. Others may need solicitor or notary certification first.
Medical and health documents
Some jobs abroad require medical paperwork before you can start work or obtain a work visa.
This may include medical reports, fit-to-work certificates, vaccination records, lab results or mental health assessments.
The correct route depends on who issued or signed the document. If the signature cannot be verified directly, solicitor or notary certification may be needed before legalisation.
Proof of address and financial documents
In some cases, HR, immigration authorities or relocation teams may ask for proof of address, bank statements, tax documents or pension records.
Because many of these documents are issued digitally, a printed PDF may not be accepted unless it has been certified.
Check whether the document must be recent, as some authorities only accept records issued within the last three or six months.
Translation and extra legalisation steps
If the employer or government authority does not accept English documents, a certified or sworn translation may be required.
For countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention, embassy or consular attestation may also be needed after UK legalisation.
These extra steps can affect your start date, so they should be confirmed as early as possible.
Prepare before your start date
Before starting work abroad, ask HR for the exact document checklist and confirm whether originals, certified copies, notarised documents, legalisation, translation or embassy attestation are required.
Preparing the documents correctly at the beginning helps avoid onboarding delays, visa issues and repeated submissions.
If you are starting work abroad, 12 Apostille can review your HR document list, confirm the correct route and help prepare your UK documents for overseas use.