Yes, a photocopy of a document can be apostilled in the UK, but it requires an extra step:
Certification by a UK FCDO-registered solicitor or Notary Public. The FCDO does not apostille photocopies directly.
Here’s the process and the key considerations:
Why certification is required:
- The FCDO apostille documents that have a UK public official’s recognised wet-ink signature and/or seal.
- A photocopy, on its own, doesn’t have this.
- Therefore, a UK FCDO-registered solicitor or a Notary Public must certify the photocopy as a “true copy of the original“. They do this by examining the original document, comparing it to the photocopy, and then adding a signed and sealed statement confirming its accuracy.
Which documents can be apostilled as photocopies?
Many documents are commonly apostilled as certified photocopies, including:
- Passports
- Driving licences
- Educational certificates (degrees, diplomas, transcripts)
- Bills, letters, P60, HMRC documents etc
- and many more ..
e-Apostille: All electronically apostilled documents are copies, so a solicitor or Notary public must certify them with an electronic signature.
The apostille itself:
It’s important to understand that when a photocopy is apostilled, the apostille does not verify the content of the original document.
Instead, it verifies the signature and seal of the solicitor or Notary Public who certified the copy.
The apostille confirms that the certification is genuine, allowing the photocopy to be accepted in countries that are part of the Hague Convention.
Photocopies can be apostilled and always require certification by a UK solicitor or Notary Public first.
The FCDO apostilles this certification, making the photocopy valid for international use.
