You have secured a placement at an overseas university or accepted a role with an international employer. The offer has arrived. Then comes the request you were not expecting - a requirement to submit a mental health assessment or psychological report as part of the enrolment or onboarding process. The document exists. The question is whether it will actually be accepted.
Why overseas institutions ask for this
Many countries require foreign applicants to provide health documentation - including mental health assessments - as part of visa applications, residency processes or institutional enrolment. Simply sending a copy of a UK report is rarely enough. Overseas institutions and government bodies need assurance that the document is genuine. An apostille from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provides exactly that assurance.
When your report needs solicitor certification first
The FCDO authenticates documents by verifying the signature of the person who signed them. For a mental health report to go straight to the FCDO, the doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist who signed it must be registered with the FCDO. If they are not registered, or if you are working from a copy of the original, the document must first be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public. Their certified signature is then what the FCDO authenticates when it attaches the apostille.
Countries that require more than an apostille
If your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille is the final step and the document can be submitted directly to the receiving institution. For countries outside the Convention - including the UAE and several others in the Gulf and parts of Asia - the document must also go through embassy attestation after the apostille has been obtained. This is a separate process handled by the relevant embassy in London.
What happens if the report is in English only
Where the destination country requires documentation in another language, a certified or a SWORN translation will be needed alongside the apostilled original. Depending on the specific requirements of the receiving institution, the translation itself may also need to be apostilled separately. It is worth confirming this early to avoid having to repeat any part of the process.
We will confirm exactly what you need
If you are preparing a mental health report for overseas use and are unsure of the correct process, call our team on +44 (0) 204 646 9300. We will confirm what is required for your destination country and handle the legalisation from start to finish.