FCDO Legalisation Office · Hague & Non-Hague
UK Apostille and Legalisation
How the UK apostille chain works: the FCDO Legalisation Office, non-Hague embassy legalisation, and whether the translation comes before or after the apostille. We do not provide or arrange apostilles. If your document needs an apostille, get it apostilled first and we translate it, including the apostille.
- FCDO Legalisation Office: standard postal and Premium Same Day routes
- Embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt
- Translation before or after apostille, as the receiving authority requires
What Apostille and Legalisation Actually Are
An apostille is an administrative confirmation that the signature, seal or stamp on a UK public document is genuine. It is issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office (formerly The Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) and is only recognised by countries that are party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. A UK apostille is a self-contained certificate attached to (or stamped on) the document — no further authentication is needed to make the document acceptable to authorities in another Hague country.
Legalisation is the older, fuller chain used when the receiving country is outside the Hague Convention. After FCDO apostille (which acts as the base UK confirmation), the document is presented to the receiving country's embassy or consulate in London for a second stamp confirming acceptance. Both apostille and legalisation are confirmations of the document's origin, not of its content or of any translation attached to it. Neither replaces a proper certified translation.
A common misunderstanding is that apostille "certifies" the document's contents. It does not. It certifies that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is the genuine signature, seal or stamp of the issuing UK authority. If the receiving authority abroad also wants a translation, the translation is a separate step — sometimes done in the UK before submission, sometimes done in the receiving country after apostille, sometimes both. Which order is right depends on the receiving authority's list, not on our preference.
Cost: Apostille Fees and Our Translation
We do not provide or arrange apostilles. If your document needs an apostille, get it apostilled first and we translate it, including the apostille. The FCDO Legalisation Office and any embassy charge their own fees, paid to them directly. Our certified translation is £39.99 per page.
How to Get a UK Apostille
Four steps, done directly with the issuing authorities.
Check the Destination
Confirm with the receiving authority abroad (embassy, court, university, USC, employer) whether it wants an apostille, embassy legalisation, a translation, or all three, and in what order.
Prepare the Document
Some documents need a notary's or solicitor's certification before the FCDO will apostille them. Check this before you apply.
Apply to the FCDO
Apply directly to the FCDO Legalisation Office (standard postal or Premium Same Day service). For non-Hague countries, take the apostilled document to the relevant embassy or consulate afterwards.
Translation
If your document needs an apostille, get it apostilled first and we translate it, including the apostille.
Documents That Commonly Need an Apostille
Five clusters of documents where the UK apostille and legalisation chain applies routinely.
Civil Certificates (GRO)
UK birth, marriage, civil-partnership, death and divorce certificates. Standard GRO-issued copies apostille cleanly. Court-issued decree absolutes and decree nisis need the court seal — usually a solicitor's certificate first for older documents.
- Birth certificates (long form, GRO)
- Marriage & civil-partnership certificates
- Death certificates
- Decree absolute & decree nisi
Education Documents
UK degrees, transcripts, HEd Cert, HND, professional body memberships. Usually verified through UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC) or the awarding institution before apostille. GCSE / A-level certificates from JCQ boards apostille through the issuing board.
- Degrees, diplomas, transcripts
- GCSE / A-level certificates
- Professional body memberships
- UK ENIC statements of comparability
Police & Background Checks
ACRO Criminal Records Office (Police Certificate) is the standard document; some employers or embassies also accept DBS Basic. Both apostille through the FCDO chain. Certificates for use in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar or China then go to the relevant embassy.
- ACRO Police Certificate
- DBS Basic disclosure
- Immigration status letters
- Visa refusal / grant letters
Company & Court Documents
Companies House Certificates of Incorporation, Good Standing letters, filed accounts, board resolutions, powers of attorney, notarised affidavits. Court orders from the High Court, County Court and Magistrates' Court.
- Certificates of Incorporation & Good Standing
- Board resolutions and filed accounts
- Notarised powers of attorney
- High Court & County Court orders
Medical & Personal
GMC-registered medical letters, NHS vaccination records, medical fitness certificates for overseas visa applications, statutory declarations of single status, and adoption paperwork sworn before a solicitor.
- GMC medical letters
- NHS vaccination records
- Single-status statutory declarations
- Adoption paperwork
Translation: Before or After Apostille?
The order matters and it is set by the receiving authority, not by us. Getting it wrong wastes time and money. Three patterns cover most cases.
Pattern A — Apostille first, translate after (most European civil law)
Poland's USC (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego) civil registry offices, Spain's Registro Civil, France's mairies and Italy's comuni typically expect the UK document apostilled first, then translated into the receiving language by a sworn translator in country. In Poland the sworn translation is done by a Ministry-of-Justice-registered tłumacz przysięgły; in Spain by a MAEC traductor jurado; in France by an expert traducteur assermenté registered with a Court of Appeal. Sending a UK-side certified translation ahead of the apostille often means the receiving office rejects it and asks for the in-country sworn translation instead.
Pattern B — Certified translation first, apostille after (some UK-outbound uses)
For certain overseas visa applications, university transcript submissions and embassy paperwork, the receiving authority wants an apostille attached to a certified English or bilingual translation, not to the original. In these cases the certified translation is bound to the original UK document with a Statement of Truth (CPR 32.14), and the composite bundle goes to the FCDO. This is common with UK-issued academic transcripts destined for Middle Eastern universities and for some South American consular routes.
Pattern C — Both (double authentication)
A minority of cases — high-value court proceedings abroad, notarised affidavits used in inheritance matters, some banking KYC files for offshore corporate structures — require both the original apostilled and a separately apostilled sworn translation. Both come back with FCDO stamps. Which route your case falls into is best confirmed by the receiving authority in writing before you submit anything. We can advise per document if you tell us the destination and the receiving authority.
Hague vs Non-Hague: Which Chain Do You Need?
The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 is the treaty that created the single-stamp apostille. Countries that have signed the Convention accept a UK apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office as sufficient authentication. Countries that have not signed require the fuller legalisation chain: FCDO apostille first, then the receiving country's embassy or consulate in London.
Hague Convention — apostille only
Every EU member state; most of Europe including Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey and Switzerland; the United States; most Commonwealth countries; most of Latin America; most of the Anglophone Caribbean; India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam; and — since 2024 — Canada and China. For any of these, a single FCDO apostille is the whole chain.
Non-Hague — apostille then embassy legalisation
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, and several African and Central Asian states. Each embassy in London runs its own schedule, its own fee structure, and its own document requirements. Fees vary widely per embassy. Always verify with the specific embassy before commissioning — accession dates shift and the embassy's own website is the authoritative source.
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Need the Translation?
If your document needs an apostille, get it apostilled first and we translate it, including the apostille. Send us the document, the destination country and the receiving authority for a fixed translation quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between apostille and legalisation?
Apostille is the streamlined authentication used between countries that have signed the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. A single stamp from the FCDO Legalisation Office confirms the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine. Legalisation is the fuller chain used for countries that have not signed the Hague Convention: after FCDO apostille, the receiving country's embassy or consulate in London adds a further authentication. Both are administrative confirmations of origin, not of content or translation accuracy.
Do I need to translate the document before or after the apostille?
It depends on the receiving authority. Most European civil law systems (Poland, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal) want the document apostilled first, then translated, then the translation itself sometimes also apostilled or certified sworn in country. Some UKVI-facing situations use a certified translation first, apostille after. Always check the receiving authority's own list before you commission either step. If in doubt, we can advise per document.
How long does the FCDO Legalisation Office take?
Standard postal service is around 2 working days from arrival at the FCDO. Premium Same Day Service, available via participating agents in London (Milton Keynes was the previous handling site pre-2024 realignment), can return a document the same working day if it arrives before the cut-off. Court and tribunal documents that need a High Court solicitor's certificate before apostille add 2 to 5 working days.
Which documents typically need apostille or legalisation?
Birth, marriage, death, divorce and civil-partnership certificates (GRO copies); police clearance from ACRO Criminal Records Office; UK academic transcripts, degrees, diplomas and qualifications (usually verified by UK ENIC first); notarised affidavits and statutory declarations; company documents (Certificates of Incorporation, Certificates of Good Standing from Companies House); powers of attorney; adoption paperwork; and any UK court order intended for use abroad.
What's the cost of UK apostille?
Standard postal apostille at the FCDO Legalisation Office is £45 per document plus courier or return postage. Premium Same Day Service through an agent adds a handling fee (typically £75–£150 per document depending on turnaround). Embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries is charged separately by each embassy in London and varies widely — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and China all have their own schedules and lead times.
Which countries are outside the Hague Convention and need embassy legalisation?
Canada was outside the Hague Convention until January 2024, and joined the Hague chain in 2024. Countries still requiring embassy legalisation on UK documents include (as of 2026-07): the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt (partial), and several African and Central Asian states. Always verify with the specific embassy in London before commissioning a chain — accession dates shift, and the embassy website is the authoritative source.
Can Tatkowski get the apostille for me?
No. We do not provide or arrange apostilles or embassy legalisation. In the UK you apply directly to the FCDO Legalisation Office, and for non-Hague countries to the relevant embassy or consulate. If your document needs an apostille, get it apostilled first and we translate it, including the apostille.
Do UKVI applications need apostille on foreign documents?
Usually no. UKVI accepts certified translations of foreign public documents without apostille under Paragraph 39B of the Immigration Rules. Apostille is required for UK-issued documents intended for use abroad, or where a foreign receiving authority (e.g. a Spanish court, a Polish USC office, a South African university) explicitly demands the apostilled original plus a sworn translation of it. Check the exact receiving authority's requirement before commissioning.
