UK Apostille Service for Documents Used Abroad

Going to use a UK document in another country? It usually needs an apostille. This is a certificate from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that proves the signature or stamp on your paper is real.

You send us a scan. We tell you if an apostille is the right step, what it costs, and how long it takes. Then we do the running around for you.

Apostilles work for countries in the Hague Convention. For other countries, the document needs embassy legalisation instead. We will tell you which one applies before you pay.

Birth and marriage certificates, degrees, police checks, powers of attorney and company papers are the ones we handle most.

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What an Apostille Certificate Actually Proves

An apostille says one thing: the signature, seal or stamp on your document is genuine. The FCDO checks it against their records and attaches the certificate. That is the whole job.

It does not check if the words on the page are true. It does not promise the office abroad will be happy with your document. Many people think it does, and that is where the surprises come from.

One more thing worth knowing. The UK can only apostille papers signed by a UK official. A birth certificate from Pakistan, Spain or Nigeria cannot be apostilled here. That has to be done in the country that issued it.

For foreign papers, we translate them and a UK notary public signs the translation. The FCDO then apostilles the notary. Our notarised translation service does all three stages in one order, in the right order.

apostille service for UK documents

Who Accepts Your Apostilled UK Documents

FCDO Legalisation Office

Embassies and Consulates in London

Courts and Notaries Abroad

Civil Registries and Property Offices

Universities and Employers Overseas

How to Get an Apostille Stamp

Three steps. You do the first one. We do the rest, including the trip to the FCDO.

Send a Clear Copy

Email or WhatsApp a photo or scan of every page. Tell us which country it is going to, and by when.

Confirm and Pay

We check if an apostille is right for you, whether we need the original, and what the full cost is. Nothing starts until you say yes.

We Get It Apostilled

We prepare the paperwork, send it to the FCDO, and post it back to you by tracked delivery with the apostille attached.

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Apostille for Documents Not in English

Is your paper in another language? Then it needs two things. First a translation. Then a UK notary signs it, and the FCDO apostilles that signature. Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, Polish, Urdu and Romanian are the ones we see most.

French Flag

French

Italian Flag

Italian

German Flag

German

Chinese Flag

Chinese

Spanish Flag

Spanish

Greek Flag

Greek

Russian Flag

Russian

Polish Flag

Polish

Dutch Flag

Dutch

Portuguese Flag

Portuguese

Japanese Flag

Japanese

Swedish Flag

Swedish

Why People Use Our Apostille Service

Most of this job is knowing the small rules. Do they need the original? Does it need a notary first? Is the country even in the Convention? We answer that on day one, along with our sworn and certified translation services.

We Check It First

The FCDO sends back anything it cannot verify. We spot those problems before your document goes anywhere.

Steps in the Right Order

Translate, then notarise, then apostille. Do it the wrong way round and you pay for it twice.

Translation and Apostille Together

One order, one price, one person to ask. You are not chasing three different companies.

We Say When You Don't Need It

Lots of documents need no apostille at all. If yours is one of them, we will tell you instead of taking the money.

Your Original Is Tracked

Documents travel by tracked post both ways, and we message you when they arrive and when they leave.

No Office Visit Needed

Everything is done by email, post and WhatsApp, wherever you are in the UK or abroad.

You Are Never Left Guessing

We update you when the document is received, when it goes in, and when it is on its way back.

Embassy Route Handled Too

If your country is outside the Convention, we arrange the embassy legalisation instead.

Ask Before You Order

Half of what people are told they need turns out to be unnecessary. A quick message can save you a lot.

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Two details get you an answer: which country the document is for, and when you need it. Send those with your scan and we will reply with the right route, a fixed price and a real date. No guessing, and nothing charged until you agree.

When Do You Need an Apostille?

These are the reasons people come to us. In each one, the office abroad decides what it wants, so their written list is the thing to get first.

Moving Abroad for Work

Employers and visa offices often ask for an apostille on your degree, reference or police check.

Studying at a Foreign University

Universities abroad may want your degree certificate and transcripts apostilled before they accept them.

Getting Married Abroad

A certificate of no impediment, birth certificate or divorce decree usually needs the apostille.

Legal Matters Overseas

Court papers and solicitor letters for a case abroad are commonly apostilled first.

Citizenship Applications

Birth, marriage and nationality papers are often asked for with an apostille attached.

Power of Attorney Abroad

If a relative will act for you overseas, the POA is notarised first and then apostilled.

Registering a Business Abroad

Certificates of incorporation, good standing letters and filings often need apostilling.

Relocating With Children

Birth certificates, school letters and consent forms may all need the apostille.

Property and Probate Abroad

Deeds, grants of probate and death certificates for an estate overseas come up often.

Apostille Service Reviews From UK Clients

Here is what clients say about their apostille orders, from marriage papers and degrees to powers of attorney and company files sent overseas.
They talk about how the route was explained, how long it took, and how their originals were looked after.

Careful With Every Detail
Ormeau, Belfast

Names, dates, formatting — they checked everything before notarisation and apostille. That attention showed in the final set. The documents were accepted and that was all I hoped for.

Emily C.
Delivered When It Mattered
Southall, London

Deadlines don’t wait, and neither did they. My apostilled notarised translation arrived exactly when promised. Sometimes I wonder how many people they’ve helped like this — probably a lot.

Rajiv M.
Simple, Even for First Timers
Leith, Edinburgh

It was my first time dealing with apostille services, and I had doubts. But they made it feel manageable, step by step. In the end, my documents were ready for use abroad, no extra questions asked.

Sarah T.
Exactly What the Embassy Needed
Rusholme, Manchester

They checked my embassy requirement before starting, which I appreciated. The notarised translation with apostille was prepared properly and accepted straight away. That quiet moment of relief — priceless.

Ahmed Amir
Calm in the Middle of Stress
Wembley, London

When documents are urgent, your mind races. But their team stayed calm, kept me updated, and handled the apostille notarised translation smoothly. I remember opening the email and just… breathing easy.

Nisha Patel
Clear Process, No Guessing
Clifton, Bristol

They explained what comes first, what follows — translation, notarisation, apostille — in plain words. That helped more than I expected. The final documents were delivered on time and accepted without any delay.

Thomas Rex
Online but Still Personal
Cheetham Hill, Manchester

Everything was done online, yet it never felt distant. Updates came at the right time, small questions were answered, and my apostille translation arrived ready to submit. It felt… looked after.

Maria Gomez
Quietly Professional Work
Headingley, Leeds

No big promises, just steady work. The apostilled notarised translation came exactly as discussed, neat and properly prepared. Sometimes I think that’s what builds trust — doing the job without drama.

Peter White
Felt Easy From the First Step
Alum Rock, Birmingham

I expected confusion, forms, back and forth — but it stayed simple. They guided me through translation, notarisation, then apostille, like it was routine for them. In the end, my papers were ready for overseas use, and yes… accepted.

Ayesha Khan
Smooth and Reliable Service
Croydon, London

Sometimes you just want paperwork to behave… and this did. The apostille notarised translation was explained clearly, handled with care, and delivered on time. I’ve seen messy services before — this felt calm, professional, and the documents were accepted without a single question.

James Hoble
Clear From the First Email
Belgrave, Leicester

From the first reply, things were explained properly. No confusion, no hidden steps. My apostilled notarised translation arrived on time and ready to submit.

Priya Mahindra
Good Choice for Business Papers
Southhall, London

Used this for company documents going overseas. The translation was accurate, notarisation clean, and apostille done without delay. Felt like a service that knows its responsibility.

Steven Pan
Took the Weight Off My Shoulders
West Bridgford, Nottingham

I didn’t want to mess up apostille process myself. They handled it all, calmly & correctly. In the end, my documents were accepted & that was a big relief.

Helen Watts
Questions Answered, No Rush
Hounslow, London

I asked a few small things — maybe more than needed. They answered patiently, every time. The apostille notarised translation came back perfect and on schedule.

Rakesh Vadhwa
Looked Proper and Official
Jesmond, Newcastle

When the documents arrived, they looked neat, stamped, and ready for submission. The apostille and notarisation were clearly done with care. It gave confidence before sending them abroad.

Laura Bennett
Well Managed From Start to End
Sparkbrook, Birmingham

From upload to final delivery, everything felt organised. I’ve seen services lose track midway — this one didn’t. My documents were accepted without delays.

Imran Sheikh
No Back and Forth Needed
Ilford, London

They got it right the first time. Translation, notarisation, apostille — all aligned with what was required. I didn’t have to resend or correct anything, which felt rare.

Sofia Grey
Explained Things Like a Human
Ilford, London

Not jargon. Not sales talk. Just clear explanations of what my documents needed. The apostille notarised translation was done right, delivered on time, and accepted abroad — simple as that.

Farah B.

Apostille Questions People Ask Us Most

That the signature, seal or stamp on the paper belongs to a real UK official, such as a registrar, court officer, solicitor or notary. It says nothing about whether the information in the document is correct, and it is not a promise that the office abroad will be satisfied.

Not the certificate itself. The FCDO can only apostille papers signed by UK officials, so a certificate from another country has to be apostilled there. What we can do is translate it, have a UK notary sign the translation, and get that signature apostilled. Most foreign offices accept this.

Only in countries that have joined the Hague Apostille Convention, which is most of Europe and the Americas, plus Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China and Canada in recent years. Countries like the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Iraq are outside it and need embassy legalisation instead. Tell us the country and we will confirm.

Usually yes for certificates and court papers, because the FCDO needs to see a real signature or seal. Sometimes a photocopy works if a solicitor or notary certifies it first. We check your scan and tell you before you post anything, so nothing valuable goes in the mail for no reason.

If it is going abroad, usually yes. The notary confirms a signature. The apostille confirms the notary is genuine. Offices overseas normally want both. If your document is staying in the UK, you almost never need an apostille at all.

The FCDO has a standard postal service and a faster premium one, and their times change with demand. Add the post each way, plus translation and notary time if you need those. We check the current position when you ask and give you a real date, not a best case.

The apostille has no expiry date. The document under it might. Police checks, certificates of no impediment and company good standing letters are often only accepted for three or six months, and some offices want the apostille itself to be recent.

It depends on the office receiving it. Some want the original apostilled first and then everything translated, including the apostille. Others want the translation notarised and that apostilled. Getting this wrong means paying twice, so ask them and send us their reply.

Yes. Each one gets its own apostille and its own FCDO fee, but sending them together saves on postage and handling. Tell us how many you have and we will price the whole set for you.

This happens when a signature cannot be checked, the paper is a plain photocopy, or it is a type they do not handle. We look for those problems before anything is submitted, and if something needs a notary first we say so at the quote stage, not after a rejection.

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