An FCDO-registered solicitor or notary is one whose professional details and specimen signature/seal are registered with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Legalisation Office).
This lets the FCDO instantly recognise and verify that person’s certification when issuing an apostille.
Not all solicitors or notaries are registered.
So, getting an apostille and legalisation from an FCDO-registered solicitor or notary helps prevent delays, rejections, and possible loss of submission fees.
Unfortunately, there is no official database that can be checked to see if a solicitor or notary is FCDO registered.
Worse still, the official UK government website makes no mention of this. It only says to use a solicitor or notary, but it does not specify that you should use a solicitor or notary who has their seal/stamp/signature registered with them to avoid ejections and delays.
We only use FCDO-registered solicitors and notaries.
