UK Apostille Process

Do you need to use a UK document in another country? Perhaps a birth certificate to register a marriage abroad, a degree certificate for a job overseas, or a police certificate for a visa. In most cases you will need an apostille. This guide explains what an apostille is, how the UK process works and what it costs. It also covers how apostilles and certified translations fit together, which many applicants get wrong.

Quick Orientation: Apostille vs Translation

Using a UK document abroad? You likely need an apostille (this guide).

Applying for a UK visa using a foreign document? You likely need a certified translation — not an apostille. UKVI does not require apostilles for inbound foreign documents.

What Is an Apostille and the Hague Convention?

An apostille (said ah-po-STEEL) is a standard government certificate. It proves where a public document came from, so another country can accept it. The system comes from the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Its full name is the "Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents."

Before the Hague Convention, you needed a long chain of stamps to use a document abroad: local notary, regional court, national ministry, then embassy. That could take months and cost hundreds of pounds. The apostille replaced the whole chain with one standard certificate. One named authority in the country that issued the document now provides it.

As of 2026, over 120 countries are members of the Hague Convention. The list includes the United Kingdom, every EU member state, the United States, Australia, India (joined 2005) and China (joined 2023). Nigeria is not a member. Every member country accepts a UK apostille on its own. You need no further stamps.

What an Apostille Confirms

The document is genuine (not a forgery)
The signature or seal on the document is authentic
The person who signed it had the authority to do so
Any official stamp or seal on the document is genuine

What an apostille does NOT do: translate the document, check that the facts in it are correct, or promise that the receiving country will accept it for a given purpose.

When You Need an Apostille (and When You Don't)

Situations Where You Need a UK Apostille

You need a UK apostille when you must use a UK document in another Hague Convention country. Common examples:

Marriage registration abroad — Using your UK birth certificate or decree absolute to register a marriage in Spain, France, Australia or another Hague country
Employment checks overseas — Using a UK degree certificate, professional qualification or DBS certificate for a job abroad
Visa applications abroad — Applying for a long-term visa in the US, Canada or Australia with UK documents as evidence
Adoption cases — Sending UK birth certificates or court orders to foreign adoption authorities
Foreign court cases — Sending UK legal documents to courts in other Hague countries
Studying abroad — Using UK A-level certificates or GCSE results to get into a university in another country
Pension and benefit claims abroad — Using UK National Insurance records or work history documents

When You Do NOT Need a UK Apostille

No Apostille Needed for UK Visa Applications

Are you applying for a UK visa? That covers spouse, student, skilled worker, visitor, ILR and citizenship applications. You are sending foreign documents to a UK authority, not UK documents to a foreign one. In that case:

• UKVI does not require foreign documents to be apostilled
• You need a certified translation of any foreign-language document
• An apostille on the original means nothing to UKVI. They rely on the certified translation
• An apostille you do not need wastes £75 per document and slows your application down

The FCDO Legalisation Office: How to Apply

In the UK, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office issues apostilles. No other UK government body can put an apostille on a UK public document.

Costs and Processing Times

Service Level	Cost per Document	Processing Time	How to Apply
Standard (postal)	£30	Up to 5 working days	Post documents with application form
Premium (postal)	£75	Next working day	Post by 10am for next-day return
Walk-in (London)	£75	Same-day (appointments only)	Book appointment online

FCDO Address and Practical Details

Postal address: FCDO Legalisation Office, PO Box 6255, Milton Keynes, MK10 1XX

Walk-in office: Hannibal House, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 6TE (by appointment only)

For postal applications, always include a covering letter that lists each document, your return address and a prepaid return envelope. The FCDO advises tracked or recorded delivery both ways.

What You Can Apostille Through the FCDO

The FCDO can only apostille UK public documents. That means documents issued or certified by a UK public authority. It cannot apostille private papers such as letters and contracts, or documents from other countries. Documents it can handle include:

Civil Registration Documents

• UK birth certificates (full and short)
• UK marriage certificates
• UK civil partnership certificates
• UK death certificates
• Adoption certificates
• Decree absolute (divorce)
• Decree nisi

Official & Institutional Documents

• UK police certificates (ACRO)
• DBS certificates
• UK university degree certificates
• A-level and GCSE certificates
• UK court orders and judgments
• Notarised documents (solicitor-signed)
• Company documents (Companies House)

Important: Not All UK Documents Can Be Directly Apostilled

The FCDO will only apostille some UK documents once a solicitor has notarised them. The reason is simple: the FCDO can only check signatures on its own register. If someone else signed the document, the FCDO cannot check it directly.

Documents that usually need notarising first include personal statements, translations, private contracts and some certificates from private schools and colleges. A solicitor charges about £60–£150 per document. Expect it to add 2–5 days.

Step-by-Step: The Complete UK Apostille Process

Obtain the Original Document

You must send the original document. The FCDO will not accept photocopies. Lost your original birth certificate? You can order a certified copy from the General Register Office (GRO) for England and Wales, National Records of Scotland, or the General Register Office for Northern Ireland. Allow 5–10 working days for a new copy.

Determine if Solicitor Notarisation Is Required

Check whether a solicitor must notarise your document before the FCDO will apostille it. The FCDO website lists the signatories it accepts. As a rule:

Usually does NOT need notarising: GRO birth, marriage and death certificates, ACRO police certificates, degree certificates from major universities, Companies House documents and court orders.
Usually DOES need notarising first: private translations, personal statements, papers from private schools or smaller colleges, and foreign documents used in a UK legal case.

(If Required) Notarisation by a Solicitor

A solicitor who is also a notary public confirms three things: they have seen your original document, they have checked who you are, and the document is genuine. This is a sworn statement, made in front of a witness. The FCDO holds that solicitor's signature on its register, so it can then apostille the notarised copy. You can find a notary through the Notaries Society or the Faculty Office. Cost: £60–£150. Time: 1–3 days, and many offer same-day.

Prepare Your FCDO Application

Fill in the online form on the FCDO Legalisation Office website. You give your contact details, the country where you will use the apostille, and a list of each document. Some countries have their own rules, which is why the FCDO asks. You pay online before you post anything, and you get a reference number.

Post Documents to the FCDO (or Walk In)

Send the original documents by tracked or recorded post to the FCDO address. Send notarised copies instead where those are needed. Include your reference number, a covering letter listing each document and a prepaid return envelope. For the London walk-in service, book online and bring everything with you.

Receive Your Apostilled Document

The FCDO attaches the apostille to your document. It is a printed certificate, usually on a separate page, stapled or bound to the original. You get everything back by post, or in person at the walk-in office. The apostille carries a unique reference number. The receiving country can check that number online in the HCCH apostille e-register.

UK Documents Commonly Apostilled

Document Type	Issuing Body	Notarisation Needed First?	Common Uses Abroad
Birth certificate (GRO copy)	General Register Office	No	Foreign marriage registration, citizenship applications
Marriage certificate	GRO / local registry	No	Spouse visa abroad, name change, inheritance
Death certificate	GRO / local registry	No	Foreign probate, pension claims, estate matters
Degree certificate	UK university	Sometimes	Foreign employment, professional registration, academic admission
Police certificate (ACRO)	ACRO Criminal Records	No	Visa applications abroad, character checks
DBS certificate	Disclosure and Barring Service	Sometimes	Foreign employment, child-related work abroad
Decree absolute	UK court	No	Foreign marriage after divorce, legal status proof
Court order	UK courts	No	Foreign court proceedings, child custody matters
Power of attorney	Solicitor-drafted & notarised	Yes (always)	Managing property or assets abroad
Company documents	Companies House	No	Opening foreign bank accounts, overseas business registration

Translation + Apostille: The Order Matters

This is the part people get wrong most often. Sometimes you need both an apostille on a UK document and a translation of it. The order you do them in matters. Get it wrong and you have to start again.

The Correct Order (Do Not Reverse This)

Get the apostille on the ORIGINAL document first

Send your original UK document to the FCDO, notarised first if that is needed. Wait for the apostilled original to come back.

Then get a certified translation of BOTH the document AND the apostille

A professional translator then translates the whole package into the language you need. That includes the words on the apostille certificate. The translator certifies the complete translation.

Why You Must Apostille First, Translate Second

Many foreign bodies — embassies, registrars and courts — want the apostille itself inside the translated package. Translate first and apostille second, and your translation will not include the apostille text. You will have to pay for the translation twice.

Some countries also want the apostille attached to the translation rather than the original. So the translator must treat the apostilled document as one complete unit.

Note: not every country makes you translate the apostille text. Some only want the original document translated and will read the FCDO apostille in English. Always check the rules of the country where you will use the document before you order a translation.

Apostille vs Certified Translation vs Notarised Translation

People mix these three terms up all the time, including solicitors and government offices. Here is a clear comparison:

Feature	Apostille	Certified Translation	Notarised Translation
What it is	Government certificate on original doc	Translation + translator's declaration	Certified translation + notary witness
Who issues it	FCDO (UK government)	Professional translator / agency	Translator + solicitor/notary public
What it authenticates	The origin & genuineness of the document	The accuracy of the translation	The translator's identity and signature
Cost (approx.)	£30–£75 per document	£15–£50 per page	£15–£50/page + £60–£150 notary fee
Processing time	1–5 working days	Same-day to 5 days	2–7 days
For UK visa applications?	Not required by UKVI	Required for foreign-language docs	Not required by UKVI
For using UK docs abroad?	Required for Hague countries	May be needed if doc is in English	Some countries require this

Countries That Don't Accept Apostille: Non-Hague Members

Some countries are not members of the Hague Convention. In those countries an apostille is not enough, and may not count at all. You need a different process called full embassy legalisation. It is also known as consular legalisation or chain legalisation. It takes much longer and costs much more.