Frequently Asked Questions

An apostille is an official certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) that authenticates the origin of a public document. It is recognised by all countries that are members of the Hague Convention, allowing your UK documents to be accepted abroad without further verification. The apostille is attached to your original document as a separate certificate bearing an official stamp and unique reference number. It confirms that the document is genuine and has been issued by a recognised UK authority.

You need an apostille if a foreign authority, employer, university or government body has asked you to legalise or authenticate your UK documents. This is common when relocating abroad, getting married overseas, enrolling in a foreign university, setting up a business internationally, or presenting legal documents in another country. If the destination country is a member of the Hague Convention, an apostille is the standard requirement. Use our free What Do I Need? tool to check exactly what your country requires.

The Hague Convention — formally the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents — is an international treaty signed in 1961. It simplifies the process of authenticating documents between member countries by establishing the apostille system. Over 120 countries are members, including the UK, USA, most of Europe, Australia, and many others. For countries that are not members of the Hague Convention, a more involved process called embassy attestation or legalisation is required instead.

Almost any UK-issued document can be apostilled. Common examples include birth, marriage and death certificates, academic qualifications such as degrees and diplomas, ACRO police certificates, medical documents, powers of attorney, company registration documents, court orders, change of name deeds, and solicitor-certified copies of passports or other personal documents. The key requirement is that the document must originate from the UK — foreign documents cannot receive a UK apostille.

An apostille is a single-step authentication issued by the FCDO for use in Hague Convention member countries. Legalisation (also called embassy attestation) is a multi-step process required for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention. Legalisation involves first obtaining an FCDO apostille and then having the document further authenticated by the relevant embassy or consulate. The term “legalisation” is also sometimes used as a general term covering both processes. We handle both apostille and full legalisation on your behalf.

No, an apostille and a notarisation are different things. A notarisation is performed by a notary public who verifies the identity of the person signing a document and witnesses the signature. An apostille is an official government certificate issued by the FCDO that authenticates a document for international use. In some cases you may need both — for example, a privately drafted document may need to be notarised before it can receive an apostille. Our team can advise you on the correct process for your specific document.

Our apostille service costs £90 per document when your document already has the necessary certification (such as an original birth certificate or degree). If your document requires solicitor certification first — for example photocopies, translations or privately issued letters — the total cost is £120 per document, which includes both the solicitor certification and the FCDO apostille. Visit our pricing page for full details including delivery options.

You need solicitor certification if your document is a photocopy, a translation, or a privately issued letter such as an employment reference or company letter. Original documents issued by UK authorities — such as birth certificates, degree certificates, and ACRO police certificates — do not normally require solicitor certification. If you are unsure whether your document needs certification, our team can check it and advise you free of charge on 0203 916 6250.

We accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, as well as bank transfers. Payments are processed securely through Stripe at the time of ordering, so your financial details are never stored on our systems. For corporate clients or large orders, we can also arrange invoicing — email us for details.

Yes, we offer volume discounts for orders of five or more documents. The exact discount depends on the number and type of documents you need apostilled. This is especially useful for businesses sending multiple company documents or families relocating abroad with several personal documents. Contact us on 0203 916 6250 or email info@legalisenow.com for a personalised quote.

We offer four delivery options to suit your needs: free in-person collection from our London office at 50 Broadway, DHL UK Next Day delivery for £11.63, DHL Europe delivery (2–4 business days) for £40, and DHL Worldwide delivery (3–7 business days) for £50. All courier deliveries include full tracking so you can monitor your documents at every stage of their journey back to you.