Apostille UK Service London - Fast, reliable and efficient
Apostilles - what are they?
A UK Apostille is an official certificate from the UK Government. It confirms the signatures and seals of a notary or public official.
The Hague Apostille Convention is the international treaty which sets out the rules in relation to Apostilles. This explains why you might hear the term 'Hague Apostille' or 'Apostille of the Hague'.
Use our Apostille Service London for Faster Results
You can Apostille documents yourself directly. The United Kingdom FCDO Apostille Gov UK service offer a postal service which is open to the public.
Based on our experience, this postal process can take several days to a few weeks, depending on their workload.
You can trust us with your documents as we are a registered business user with the FCDO's Legalisation Office.
We take documents to their Milton Keynes office every day for our clients and can get quicker and guaranteed turnarounds.
We Offer 3 Apostille Services
Urgent Next-Day Service
If we receive the document by 10.30am it will be ready for collection the following day from 15.30pm.
You can drop off your document and pick up from our office in Central London.
Standard Service
Using this service, the turnaround time is 5 working days.
You can drop off your document and pick up from our office in Central London.
E-Apostille
FCDO - two day turnaround. Electronic Apostilles are usually turned around the same day.
This service is only for E-Notarisations with a Qualified or Advanced Electronic Signature, not for other paper documents.
Can I get a same-day service?
The Legalisation Office stopped its same day London service in December 2023.
We can try to get a same day service under their Restricted Urgent Service.
You must show exceptional circumstances to use this.
To avail of this please let us know why you need a same day service and we will seek pre-approval from the FCDO.
Get in touch now and we'll explain what you need to do
Telephone: +442074992605
Email: notary@notarypublicinlondon.com
We are familiar with the processes of the FCDO and have a good working relationship with them. We ensure you get your business or personal document processed in a smooth and efficient manner.
Do I need to notarise my document?
You will need to notarise most documents with a Notary Public before they can receive an Apostille.
Here are some examples of documents requiring notarisation:
- Affidavits
- Statutory Declarations
- Powers of Attorney
- Certified copy of documents including passports and proof of address
- Certified copy of education certificates
- Company resolutions
- Companies House documents
It is particularly important to notarise educational documents, as they often need to be legalised for international use.
Types of Documents that don't require notarisation
- Birth Certificates (get an Apostille on Birth Certificate)
- Marriage Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Official documents issued by a UK Government Department or Agency. These are usually original documents such as ones signed in 'wet-ink' by ACRO, HMRC or Companies House.
- Documents Apostilled already by a British Overseas Territory. For example, BVI and the Cayman Islands or by Crown Dependency such as Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.
Do I need embassy or consulate legalisation?
Not all countries have signed the Apostille Treaty.
For certain countries, further legalisation may be required to ensure the documents are properly handled and accepted by interested parties outside the UK.
In this situation, the country's United Kingdom embassy or consulate may also need to stamp and seal the documents.
In these cases, a Notary signs and seals the document and obtains an Apostille Stamp. Then, the Consulate stamps and seals the documents issued. This shows how the Hague Convention abolish the requirement for consular legalisation for member states.
Visit our Country Guide for further details. Here we set out our legalisation service.
If you have any questions, please contact us by phone or email.
Why Choose Our Apostille Service?
There are many reasons why you should choose our apostille service:
Experience - our team has over 20 years of experience in processing documents, and we have a deep understanding of the legalisation process. It's natural you might be unsure of Apostilles, we can guide you through uncertainty.
Our team is dedicated to providing excellent customer service, and we pride ourselves on our high level of support and guidance throughout the process. Give us a call and find out.
We are registered business users with the fCDO Legalisation Office.
We visit the Legalisation OFfice every day and hand deliver your documents.
We are a Regulated profession providing you with safeguards.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and have data policies ensuring your data is safe.
We offer a fast and efficient service.
For urgent apostille requirements, we also offer a next-day service.
Apostille FAQs
Who can issue an Apostille in the UK?
The Apostille Convention stipulates that a competent authority must issue an Apostille and this is the FCDO Legalisation office in the UK. The FCDO Legalisation office is located at Hanslope Park, Hanslope. Milton Keynes. MK19 7BH
Various types of UK documents require apostille certification, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic qualifications, and legal documents.
Can I get one myself?
You can get an Apostille from the FCDO yourself, you need to pay for the service online https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised and use their postal service. Or you can use a service provider like Edward Young Notaries & Lawyers for a guaranteed turnaround time.
How long do the FCDO take?
For registered business users like Edward Young Notaries & Lawyers, the FCDO turnaround time is 1 day. For non-business users, the FCDO operate a postal service. Please note that this is subject to delays depending on many issues including how busy the FCDO are at a particular time. If your document is time sensitive, you may wish to consider using a registered business user for a guaranteed turnaround time.
Can an Apostille be done online?
Yes, visit our E-Apostille page for further details. E-Apostille can only be issued in respect to Notaries or other signatories who have a Qualified Electronic Signature or an Advanced Electronic Signature. For documents that don't meet this requirement, you will have to rely on a paper based Apostille.
Can the FCDO reject a submission?
Yes, they can reject a submission for lot of reasons. Some of the more common reasons is that the signatory has not provided a correct certification. The signatory may not have lodged their signature with the FCDO. If it is a certified copy passport, no signature on the passport. They may also reject foreign language documents.
Why is an Apostille required?
An Apostille is required for a number of reasons:
- It validates a public document as being genuine
- It avoids consular office legalisation for Member States of The Hague Convention
- It helps prevent fraud. The receiving party can be sure that a Notary has actually signed a Notarial Certificate.
- It meets the requirements of overseas jurisdictions and international law.
Can I verify an Apostille?
You can verify each FCO Apostille or e-Apostille by using the FCDO verification service.
Give us a call on +442074992605 to get your Apostille today.