Does the Hague Convention set the cost for an apostille?

The straightforward answer is no. The Hague Apostille Convention does not regulate or set the fees that member countries charge for issuing apostilles.

The Convention’s primary achievement was standardising the apostille certificate and establishing the process for mutual recognition between member countries, dramatically simplifying authentication (as discussed in FAQ: How did the Hague Convention simplify legalisation?). It focused on the what and how of the apostille, not the how much.

Because the Convention leaves pricing decisions to individual member states, the cost of obtaining an apostille can differ significantly depending on the country issuing it. Each government’s designated Competent Authority (for the UK, the FCDO; see FAQ Who issues apostilles?) determines its fee structure, likely based on administrative costs, national policy, and offered service levels.

Here in the UK, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office currently charges:

• £35 per document for the electronic e-Apostille service.
• £45 per document for the standard paper apostille service. 

(The FCDO sometimes offers premium same-day service, subject to availability and additional cost, primarily for urgent cases requiring pre-approval.)

It’s important to note that when using our London-based legalisation agency, our service fee is separate from and in addition to the FCDO’s issuance fee mentioned above.

Our fees cover the value we provide: verifying your documents, ensuring correct preparation (including arranging certification or notarisation if needed), managing the application efficiently, liaising with the FCDO by attending their Milton Keynes Legalisation Office in person, covering our administrative costs, and offering options like our fast-track apostille service for clients needing an urgent apostille.

We are always transparent about the breakdown between the official FCDO fee and our service charge in our quotes.

So, while the Hague Convention introduced welcome standardisation to the process, the price remains a national matter.