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Documents the FCDO can legalise.

The legalisation office (the FCDO) legalises all UK documents with traditional paper or electronic apostilles.

Electronic apostilles can not be applied to documents with an original seal, stamp, or signature from a UK official or public organisation, which do not require prior certification.

A UK document is considered as one originating or executed in the UK. The FCDO’s e-apostille service facilitates the legalisation of both physical and electronic documents.

For photocopies, legalisation, including e-apostilles, is available if a UK notary public or solicitor certifies their authenticity.

UK educational documents.

All UK educational documents must be solicitor-certified by an FCDO-registered solicitor that documents are either original or true photocopies.

In some cases, an FCDO-registered UK notary must notarise the educational document.

For educational documents originating overseas, or if you live outside the UK, the British Council in your country can also certify documents.

Documents can be apostilled traditionally with a physical paper apostille – or – an electronic apostille (e-apostille), where e-apostilles are accepted.

Educational document examples are:

Document	original/copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Degree certificate	original & copy	yes	yes
University transcripts	original & copy	yes	yes
ACCA certificates	original & copy	yes	some
Foundation degrees	original & copy	yes	yes
GCSEs, A Level, Edexcel, etc	original & copy	yes	yes
Vocational qualifications	original & copy	yes	yes
Diploma – advanced diplomas	original & copy	yes	yes
Bachelor’s degree	original & copy	yes	yes
Certificate of attendance	original & copy	yes	yes
School document	original & copy	yes	yes
Academic documents	original & copy	yes	yes
TEFL – TESOL certificate	original & copy	yes	yes
Letter of enrolment	original & copy	yes	yes
Declaration of value	original & copy	yes	yes

General Register Office (GRO) documents

All original documents, and official copies, from the General Register Office (GRO) or local registry office can be apostilled by the FCDO with the traditional paper apostille.

GRO documents do not qualify for an electronic apostille.

Photocopies of GRO documents can not be legalised, even if it is attached to a notarial cover sheet or a UK solicitor or notary public has signed them.

Here are some GRO-issued document examples:

Document type	original or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Birth certificate	original only	yes	no
Death certificate	original only	yes	no
Deed poll	original or copy	yes	yes, copy
Marriage certificate	original only	yes	no
Certificate of no impediment	original only	yes	no
Civil partnership	original only	yes	no
Adoption certificates	original only	yes	no
Gender recognition certificate	original only	yes	no
Divorce certificate	original or copy	yes	yes, copy
Letter of no trace	original only	yes	no

Personal and business documents.

There are hundreds of document examples that we could mention. However, the critical part is that each document is prepared correctly before submitting it to the FCDO.

The majority of company documents and personal documents must be notarised or solicitor certified before legalisation.

Check with our office first which documents can be processed electronically and which documents we need to receive the original.

Here is a mixture of document examples:

Document type	original or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Council tax letter	original or copy	yes	yes
Last will & testament	original or copy	yes	copy, yes
Power of attorney	original or copy	yes	copy, yes
Bank statements	original or copy	yes	yes
Letter of invitation	original or copy	yes	yes
Property documents	original or copy	yes	yes
Financial statements	original or copy	yes	yes
Mediation settlements	original or copy	yes	yes

Background, criminal, police, ID documents.

Background checks, disclosures of all kinds, ID cards (police, armed forces, PASS cards, etc.), identity cards, and criminal record checks like ACRO are all documents that the FCDO can legalise.

We must receive the original document to get an apostille for DBS, ACRO, passport, driver’s license, etc.

Here are a few document examples:

Document type	original or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Background checks	originals only	yes	no
UK passport	copies only	yes	yes, copy
UK driving license	copies only	yes	yes, copy
Criminal record check	originals only	yes	no
ACRO police certificate	originals only	yes	no
Official UK photo ID cards	copies only	yes	yes, copy
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)	originals only	yes	no
Disclosure Scotland documents	originals only	yes	no
UK police warrant cards	copies only	yes	yes, copy
Formal ID cards – armed forces	copies only	yes	yes, copy
Formal ID Cards – Post Office PASS card	copies only	yes	yes, copy
Sheriff court document	originals only	yes	no

Government documents.

The FCDO can legalise all UK government documents. Some examples of government documents are:

Document	original or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Bankruptcy and insolvency documents	original or copy	yes	yes
British Overseas Territory documents	originals	yes	no
Certificate of free sale	originals	yes	no
Certificate of naturalisation	originals	yes	no
Certificates for enforcement	originals	yes	no
Child benefit documentation	original or copy	yes	copy, yes
Council rent card or tenancy agreement	original or copy	yes	yes
Disability documents	originals	yes	no
Electoral register search	originals	yes	no
Export Certificates	originals	yes	no
Fingerprint documents	originals	yes	no
Firearms and shotgun certificate	originals	yes	no
Grant of probate	original or copy	yes	copy, yes
Home Office (HO) documents	original or copy	yes	yes
NEBOSH Certificate	original or copy	yes	yes
P60 & P45	original or copy	yes	yes

Religious documents.

The FCDO can legalise certain religious documents if they have originated from the UK and have been certified by a notary public or UK solicitor.

Documents include:

Islamic Marriage and divorce certificates issued by UK mosques
Baptismal certificates of any denomination.
Jewish divorce certificates issued by a Jewish court.

Hajj or Umrah

Before Hajj or Umrah documents can be legalised, an Arabic-speaking solicitor in the UK or an Arab British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) official must certify documents.

UK court documents.

Original documents issued by UK courts and photocopies can be legalised if a notary public or UK solicitor has certified them as original documents or true photocopies.

UK court document examples are:

Document type	original or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
UK court documents	original or copy	yes	yes
Affidavits (sworn)	originals	yes	no
Apostille for a guardianship order	originals	yes	no
Statutory declaration	originals	yes	no
County court judgments	original or copy	yes	yes
Declarations and notarial acts	originals	yes	no
Decree nisi & decree absolute	original or copy	yes	yes
Employment tribunals	original or copy	yes	yes
High Court of Justice document	original or copy	yes	yes
Immigration and asylum tribunal	original or copy	yes	yes

HMRC & Companies House documents.

The originals of these documents can be legalised if an official from Companies House has signed them.

If this isn’t the case, then a notary public or UK solicitor must certify them as original documents. Photocopies can also be legalised if a UK solicitor or notary public has certified them as true photocopies.

Companies House document examples are:

Document type	originals or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Articles of association	originals or copies	yes	yes
Board resolutions	originals or copies	yes	yes
Certificate of good standing	originals or copies	yes	yes
Certificate of incumbency	originals or copies	yes	yes
Certificate of Incorporation	originals or copies	yes	yes
Certificate of origin	originals or copies	yes	yes
Certificate of residence	originals or copies	yes	yes
Companies House documents	originals or copies	yes	yes
Company resolutions	originals or copies	yesyes	yes
Confirmation statements	originals or copies	yes	yes
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)	originals or copies	yes	yes
Memorandum of Association	originals or copies	yes	yes

Export certificates.

The FCDO can legalise export certificates if an official of the concerned UK Government Department has signed them. Photocopies may also be legalised if a UK solicitor or notary public has certified them as true photocopies.

Medical documents.

The FCDO can legalise medical reports and letters that have been issued by the NHS Trusts and UK hospitals if a UK doctor registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) has signed them.

The FCDO can also legalise letters about non-medical issues, such as letters of offer of employment and job references if a UK solicitor or notary public has certified them as genuine.

Other medical documents issued by doctors, such as Form 3 for social security purposes or statutory sick pay, cannot be legalised.

Document type	original or copy	paper apostille	electronic apostille
Coroner’s report (post-mortem)	original only	yes	no
Cremation certificates	original only	yes	no
Department of Health (DH)	original only	yes	no
Doctors letter	original only	yes	no
Fit note	original only	yes	no
Medical reports	original only	yes	no
Sick note	original only	yes	no

Pet travel scheme.

Documents to export pets abroad can be legalised. However, the documents must be original, and a qualified veterinary surgeon must have signed them. Note that we are unable to legalise other pet-related documents.

Pet export document
Pet Travel Scheme

Documents from UK crown dependencies.

The FCDO cannot legalise documents that have been executed or originating in British Crown Dependencies, including Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.

The Legalisation Office does not need to further legalise these kinds of documents, once legalised in that dependency, to be recognised by foreign authorities.

Documents from British overseas territories.

The FCDO can only legalise documents that have been executed or originate in a British overseas territory if a government official has previously legalised them.

British territories include:

Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
The British Virgin Islands
Caicos Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Montserrat
St Helena
South Georgia
South Sandwich Islands
Turks

List of overseas territories offices and contact details

Foreign language translations of UK documents.

Translations of UK documents that have been issued or executed in the UK can be legalised. A UK solicitor or notary public must certify that these documents are true translations.

However, the FCDO cannot legalise documents on the translator’s signatures except when they are a consular official, practising UK solicitor, or notary public.

Although certified copies of documents in a foreign language cannot be legalised.

Foreign documents.

Contact the High Commission, consulate, or the relevant embassy for advice on proceeding if you need a foreign document legalised.

If your document needs to be attached to a notarial cover sheet with certification from a UK solicitor or notary public, make sure that the cover sheet refers expressly to that document.

Also, make sure that the document and the cover sheet are properly bounded, otherwise they may be rejected.

Contact us.

Please do not hesitate to call, or email us directly. We have dedicated staff who will walk and talk you through the process of FCDO document legalisation.