Foreign and Commonwealth Office FCO document legalisation
Legalisation of documents is the process of authenticating by competent authorities in one country to be acceptable and valid in another. It involves verifying official documents signed by public officials to make them legal. Public Officials from a legalisation perspective are either a Notary Public or a Solicitor.
Once the FCDO in the UK issues an apostille for your UK documents, they attach a stamp certificate that is called an ‘apostille’ verifying that the signature on the document is authentic and genuine.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the only government entity authorised to issue apostilles in the UK
FCDO confirms that the official UK document is authentic, genuine and ready for international use.
The legalisation office in the UK provides apostille services to countries that are part of the Convention of 5 October 1961, for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention further consular legalisation is a must.
How does the legalisation process work?
There are a few steps in the legalisation process depending on a few factors.
Usually, two or three countries are involved in the legalisation process
Country A, where the documents originate and the receiving country, B, where the documents will be used.
Difference between document legalisation and apostille
Legalisation is equal to apostille, FCDO issues an apostille by way of legalisation.
We use consular legalisation terms where an apostille certificate is not sufficient.
Document Legalisation Services
The legalisation office, the FCDO legalises all UK public documents with paper-based or electronic apostilles ( e apostille )
Our E apostille service is offered for documents with an original seal, stamp, or signature from a UK official which do not require prior verification or certification.
UK public documents are considered if they are originating or executed in the UK.
Apostille certificate for photocopies, including e-apostilles, is only available if a UK notary public or solicitor authenticates or certifies the documents first.
General Register Office (GRO)
All original documents, and official certified copies, from the General Register Office (GRO) or local registrar office, can be legalised and apostilled by the Legalisation Office, the FCDO with Hague apostille. The E apostille and electronic apostille cannot be applied to GRO documents. Documents legalised by way of Hague apostille certificates will bear traditional paper-based apostille certificates.
Documents issued by GRO such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, adoption certificates or death certificates do not have to be certified by a Notary Public or Solicitor.
Photocopies of GRO documents can not be legalised under any circumstances.
UK educational documents legalisation, apostille services
All UK educational documents must be first certified by a Notary Public or UK solicitor registered with the FCDO, legalisation department. Documents originating in foreign countries require further legalisation and certification by the British Council only for Universities accreditated in the UK. All other foreign educational documents would have to be apostilled by Foreign Affairs and we cannot assist with legalisation in the United Kingdom. Please see our personal document section where the legalisation process for a Master’s degree, transcript, bachelor’s, teaching qualification or GCSE is explained in more detail.
UK Personal documents
UK personal documents can be divided into two main categories. The first category is the documents that do not require Public Official certification, other documents require Notary Public or UK solicitor certification prior to the Hague apostille stamp.
Commercial documents
Documents that have been issued by Companies Hosue do not require certification. Documents such as POA or Board resolution must be notarized first. The UK document for business purposes must be legalised by competent authorities to obey the Hague Convention. Our legalisation service assists with obtaining COGS and drafting the Certificate of Incumbency
Background, Police criminal record checks
Background checks, DBS, ACRO Police, passports or driver’s licenses must be originally issued by the competent authorities in the UK in order to obtain an apostille stamp issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, the FCDO. Police or other issuing authorities can forward the document directly to our office for further legalisation.
Government documents
The Legalisation Office, FCDO can legalise all UK government documents. The foreign public documents must be legalised at the country of origin. Document issued overseas can only be legalised by way of a Hague apostille certificate as a true copy of an original.
Religious documents
The FCDO can legalise religious documents if they have originated from the UK and have been certified by a notary public or UK solicitor. Below example of the most common type of religious documents that are subject to foreign legalisation.
Islamic Marriage and divorce certificates issued by UK mosques
Baptismal certificates of any denomination.
Jewish divorce certificates issued by a Jewish court.
UK court documents
Documents issued by the below courts
The County Court, The Family Court, The Magistrates Court, The Crown Court, The High Court, The Court of Appeal, and The UK Supreme Court can be legalised as original or certified copies. We can obtain an apostille in Milton Keynes with our 24-hour premium service
Companies House company documents
Most documents issued by Companies House can be downloaded from Companies House and legalised once certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public. For documents issued and signed by the Companies House registry certification is not required.
Medical documents
We can assist with legalisation on most medical reports and letters that have been issued by the NHS if a UK doctor registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) has signed them.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the FCDO, can also legalise true copies of the documents once certified by a solicitor or Notary Public as true copies.
Documents originated in British overseas territories
The FCDO can only legalise original documents that have been issued in a British overseas territory if a government official has previously legalised them. If you require legalisation on copies of those documents, there is no need for the Governor’s office apostille certificate.
British territories include:
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
The British Virgin Islands
Caicos Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Montserrat
Documents excluded in UK crown dependencies
The FCDO does not have to re-apostille documents that have been apostilled in British Crown Dependencies, (Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man)
Foreign documents
Foreign documents can be apostilled and legalised as true copies of an original document.
Please contact us for more details on how to legalise foreign documents or documents in a foreign language at the FCDO.