Letter of attestation: What it is and when you need one

Formal procedures involving institutions like banks, academic bodies, and immigration departments may require you to produce a letter of attestation.

While such a request may come unexpectedly or on short notice, you need not panic. There are established processes you can follow to get the document relatively quickly.

This post explores what a letter of attestation is, how to get it, and how to prepare it for use abroad.

A letter of attestation is a formally written statement that certifies the authenticity of a claim, event, or document.

Here are examples of the things such a letter may attest to:

The attestation must be done by a qualified third party. Think of it as a certified testimonial to give the requesting institution the confidence to trust the information you’ve provided.

The types of attestation you’ll need depend on the information the requesting institution wants to verify.

Generally, you can get the following attestation letters in the UK:

In the UK, you can get a letter of attestation from chartered professionals, legal professionals, industry regulators, or the institution that’s the primary source of the document being verified:

The format and wording of a letter of attestation generally depend on the purpose of the document and the requesting authority. It’s typically structured to include:

The statement of attestation generally follows the phrasing structure below:

For instance, a university attesting to your academic credentials may word the letter as follows:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Subject: Letter of Attestation for Academic Credentials

This letter serves as a formal attestation of the academic records for John Doe, born on December 20, 1992.

The Office of the Registrar at LAS University hereby confirms that the aforementioned student was a registered student at this institution and completed the requirements for the following award:

We attest that the degree certificate issued to the student is an authentic document of this university, granted under the authority of the University Senate.

Please contact the undersigned should you require further verification.

[Signature]

Jane Doe, Registrar, LAS University [University Stamp]

NOTE: The above is for illustration purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

If you plan to use the letter of attestation outside of the UK, it should be legalised for international use.

Document legalisation is the formal process of verifying the authenticity of a document so that institutions in other countries can recognise it.

To streamline the legalisation process, many countries adopted the Hague Apostille Convention. Under the convention, member countries are required to:

Therefore, we recommend that you get your documents apostilled when you plan to use them abroad.

Foreign authorities will easily recognise a UK apostille, reducing the likelihood that your papers will be rejected on suspicion that they aren’t genuine.

The competent authority designated by the UK government to handle document legalisation and issue apostille certificates is the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).

You can submit your letter of attestation directly to the FCDO Legalisation Office to get it apostilled. However, navigating the bureaucracy alone can be overwhelming and time-consuming.

The FCDO has registered apostille agents/facilitators that can help you process apostilles much more quickly. Our company, London Apostille Services Ltd., is one such registered apostille facilitator.

We’ll help you navigate the legalisation process, which includes:

It’s vital to remember that if your destination country is not party to the Hague Apostille Convention, you’ll need embassy attestation in addition to the FCDO apostille. In that case, we’ll also assist you in processing the embassy attestation.

Contact us today to legalise your letter of attestation for use abroad. We offer a comprehensive service that ensures your document is fully legalised for your specific destination country.

Here are answers to some of the commonly asked questions about letters of attestation: