Notarisation
A notary public certifying the document, or your signature on it, where the chain has to begin there.
Certification for use abroad
Legalisation & Apostille
Certification of UK-issued documents for use abroad, including notarisation, apostille and consular attestation where a country requires it.
Overview
What this actually involves.
A document issued in the UK does not automatically carry weight anywhere else. Depending on where it is going it may need notarising, then an apostille from the FCDO, then attestation by the destination's embassy — in that order, because each step certifies the one before it.
We work out which of those stages your document actually needs, put them in the right sequence, and keep the chain intact. A broken or out-of-order chain is the usual reason a document comes back uncertified.
What we handle
What this covers.
Apostille (FCDO)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office certificate, for countries within the Hague Apostille Convention.
Consular attestation
The destination embassy's own stamp, required by countries outside that convention.
Certified translation
Translation into the destination's language, itself certified where the receiving authority asks for it.
Which stages apply depends entirely on the destination country.
How we help
- Establishing which stages your destination actually requires
- Checking the document is in a form that can be certified at all
- Arranging notarisation where the chain starts there
- Submitting for the FCDO apostille
- Handling embassy attestation, including embassies that require an appointment
- Arranging certified translation at the right point in the chain
What you will need
- The original document, or a properly certified copy where the original cannot be sent
- The country the document is going to
- What the receiving body has asked for — in writing, if you have it
- Your identification, where a notary has to certify your signature
- Any deadline the receiving body has set
Indicative — we confirm the exact list for your case
Questions
The ones we are asked most.
Apostille or attestation — which do I need?
It depends on whether the destination is party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Countries within it accept the FCDO apostille; countries outside it require attestation by their own embassy, usually after the apostille. We confirm which before starting.
Can you legalise a photocopy?
Sometimes, via a certified copy, but it depends on the document and on what the receiving body will accept. Some insist on the original, and it is worth checking that before anything is sent.
Do you need my original documents?
Some stages require the original to be physically presented, so occasionally yes. Tell us how you would prefer originals handled and we will confirm what the chain allows before anything moves.
How long does the chain take?
Each stage has its own timescale, and an embassy stage is usually the least predictable. We give you the current expectation for your specific chain before you commit to a deadline.
Tell us what you are trying to do.
Describe the situation and we will confirm the route, the documents and the cost — in writing — before any work begins.