Apostille service overview:
  • We can apostille all types of Home Office (HO) documents
  • Contact us to find out how the process works for your document
  • 10-12 day service from £98
  • 3-4-day service from £120
  • 1 day (next business day) from £130
  • 1-day e-Apostille from £167

The price includes admin fees, solicitor certification, apostille certificate, FCDO fees, and VAT.

Most Home Office (HO) documents must be certified by an FCDO-registered solicitor or notary before being submitted for an apostille certificate.

It is recommended that the original HO documents be apostilled, especially if they bear a wet ink signature. 

We can return the legalised documents via DHL or Royal Mail (next-day service), or you can collect them in person.

Jump to: How much does it cost? ↓ How long does it take?

How the process works:  

Step one:

Ensure you have valid Home Office document(s) that is not damaged and can be apostilled.

Step two:

Contact our office.

Please provide the following information:

  • What kind of Home Office documents need to be apostilled?
  • In which country will your HO document(s) be used?
  • How soon do you need the apostille?
  • How will the HO document(s) be delivered and returned?

When we have all the information, the team will assess your enquiry and give you a detailed quotation.

If you accept the quotation, the process of getting an apostille starts.

Step three:

Once your disability document has been apostilled, we will email you a scanned copy.

If you are not collecting your apostilled document from our London office – we will provide you with the tracking number the courier gave.

Note that we return documents by DHL or Royal Mail only. If you want to make other arrangements, please let us know.


How much does it cost?

The price includes admin, solicitor, FCDO, and VAT. Business documents incur an additional processing fee.

There could be additional costs, depending on your chosen service and how many documents you wish to apostille. Additional cost examples are:

  • Translations start from £30
  • Notarisation by notary public (+ £96)
  • Return delivery costs (+ £12)
  • Embassy legalisation (from + £75)

How long does it take to get an apostille?

There are 4 options for getting an apostille.

Option one: 10-12 days:

Your documents are “posted” to the FCDO in Milton Keynes and then posted back to our office – or your address. This process usually takes about 10 business days. (currently unavailable)

Option two: 3 to 4 days:

  • If documents arrive by 10:30 am, it will take 3 days
  • If documents arrive after 10:30 am, then it will take 4 days
  • Documents are submitted and collected in person

Option three: 1 day (next business day)

  • Documents must arrive before 10:00 am for the next-day service.
  • Documents can be collected around 3:30 pm the next day.
  • Documents are submitted and collected in person

Option four: e-Apostille 1 to 2 days 

Electronic apostilles are usually completed within 24 hours but can take two working days, depending on the FCDO’s workload.

Do I have to come to your office?

No, you don’t need to attend our office in Westminster. Documents can be sent by courier or by post. We recommend using a tracked service if you send your documents by post. We return your documents in the same way.

You are, of course, welcome to drop the documents off in person. However, delivering in person requires that you have an order number. Therefore, please make sure you contact our office first.

How do I pay for an apostille from the Home Office?

If you submit your application for an apostille directly to the FCDO, you can pay online via their website. We can invoice you if you want us to handle your apostille application. You can make an online card payment or pay through PayPal or bank transfer. See other payment options that we accept.

Do I need to have my HO document notarised or certified before getting an apostille?

Most HO documents must be certified. Although the Home Office keeps records of documents such as visas, work permits, and residence permits, these documents are not considered public documents. For this reason, they must either be notarised by a UK notary public or certified by a UK solicitor.

In practice, to preserve the Home Office’s original document intact, most people use a certified or notarised copy to obtain the apostille. The apostille certificate will be physically affixed to the document you submit.

We can arrange to have your UK documents certified or notarised before they are submitted for an apostille.

Home Office-issued documents that can be apostilled:

  • Indefinite leave to remain (ILR)
  • Indefinite leave to enter (ILE)
  • No time limit (NTL)
  • UKVI settlement letters
  • Immigration status document
  • Home Office travel documents
  • Asylum registration card
  • Naturalisation or registration certificate
  • Biometric residence permit (BRP)

Can I expedite my HO apostille request?

Yes, you can request an expedited apostille service. Our same-day service takes 5 hours to complete. Note that the expedited service is only available via registered apostille agents like us. You cannot order a same-day service via the FCDO website yourself.

Can I get an electronic apostille for Home Office documents?

Not yet. The Legalisation Office of the FCDO has announced that you will soon be able to get an electronic apostille (called an “e-apostille“) for some Home Office documents that have been issued and signed electronically – but they have not yet given a date.

Although the Home Office can now issue eVisas (electronic visas) and eBRPs (electronic Biometric Residence Permits), these types of electronic signatures are not yet incorporated into the electronic documents issued by the Home Office.

It is also theoretically possible to submit an application for an e-apostille with an electronic copy (e.g., a PDF file) of your physical Home Office document that a UK solicitor or notary public has digitally signed. In reality, however, not many UK solicitors or notaries public are familiar with this procedure.

Before deciding which kind of apostille to get, you must ascertain whether e-apostilles are acceptable in the country where the apostille will be used.
(The personal application waiting time for issuance of an e-apostille by the FCDO can be the same as for a normal, paper-based apostille)

This article has been written by experts and fact-checked by experts. We only link to high-quality sources like government information & data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. Reputable publishers are also sourced and cited where appropriate to support the facts within our articles.

Home Office issued documents (Version 7.0)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1118761/Home_Office_issued_documents__V7_FOR_GOV.UK_publication_.pdf

Home Office issued documents (accessible) Updated 18 November 2022
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-issued-documents/home-office-issued-documents-accessible