About our service.
We operate as agents. Our mandate is to receive your documents at our offices and then take them to the legalisation office in person.
The whole process takes between 1-2 working days starting from the moment that you present your documents to us. This is usually the case for all straightforward applications.
What is meant by straightforward application is that: when we are presented with the documents, they are ready for legalisation. In simple terms, they can be legalised as they are, and we can easily acquire the signature from the FCDO on your behalf.
However, this may take longer if you request that we obtain notary public or solicitor authentication before legalisation. The process will usually be completed in 4 -5 working days unless otherwise agreed.
If there are issues, we will quickly contact you and inform you why the document cannot be legalised or why it will take longer.
There are instances when we may advise on what needs to be done for the document(s) to be legalised faster.
Sometimes we may experience delays when:
- The solicitor or Notary’s public signature is not included in the official database.
The longer the notary public or solicitor takes to respond to this request, the longer the delay of the legalisation process. Other similar cases include all public officials’ signatures like registrars, doctors, and any other official with the authority to sign documents for this purpose.
The documents have not been certified according to the requirements of the legalisation office. - You present copies of GRO documents that are unauthorised.
- The document has not been sealed by the notary public.
- You do not have the original copies of a criminal record, as these are the only ones acceptable.
- A statement or declaration refers to an attachment that is missing.
Apart from the ones listed above, there are many other reasons why the legalisation office may refuse to legalise documents.
Fees
You can always get our current fees from our website. Our fees usually include VAT where applicable. Unless otherwise specified.
The prices displayed on our website do not include return deliveries.
Payment Terms
We require payment in advance for all apostille orders.
Our preferred form of payment is by bank transfer.
We also accept payment by:
- Credit/Debit card online
- PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay
- Invoices
Refund & returns
Note that your payment is 100% refundable after paying for your order in case your documents have not been processed with an apostille, translation, authentication, or notary public service.
When the shipping labels have not been utilised, we will refund ONLY the Apostille fee in case the documents cannot be legalised for a particular reason. This means that we will still charge you for our services.
Delivery
We always ensure that we return all the legalised documents to you through your chosen delivery method.
The most common delivery methods include: By private courier (DHL) and Royal Mail (Recorded Delivery or Royal Mail Signed For).
You can as well opt to collect your documents in person at our Central London office. The advantage of using a courier service like DHL is that it offers proof of posting, online confirmation of delivery, and signature on delivery.
With DHL, a majority of documents arrive the following day. However, one must note that this timeline is not guaranteed and might take longer.
Courier service
Private courier services.
How long it takes:
It could take up to 10 working days to process your documents using the standard service, plus courier or postage time.
Premium same-day business service
For the same day service, one must ensure that they place their order by 9 AM UK local time. As a result, we will be able to obtain your documents between 1.30 PM and 4.30 PM.
Courier costs
If you do not want to pay courier fees
In case you are not interested in paying the courier fees, then, we will not return your documents by courier.
If you are in the UK, you can get back your documents via Royal Mail (Recorded Delivery or Royal Mail Signed For)- not First Class! It is vitally important to write down a return address on the included A4-sized envelope.
Ordering
How to order.
We have made every effort to make ordering our services as easy and simple as possible for you. We offer several ways you can order your document apostille and legalisation services. Below is each option outlined.
As always, if in doubt, contact us.
We have ensured that you have an easy time applying online. Here’s a simplified process:
- Determine the apostille services you need (documents we legalise)
- Fill in the online order form (you can as well send an email enquiry or request a quote).
- Print the details of your order, and then send us your document as well as the order form.
- Our address can be accessed on top of the order form.
- When sending your documents, please use a secure delivery method.
- Most of the orders we get are processed within 1-2 working days.
- We will then use your preferred delivery method to send back the documents.
We obtain the Apostille for 99% of UK documents. Please reach out to us for help if you are not sure how to place an order or how much it will cost you for a particular document.
We legalise standard documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates. We can also legalise no impediment certificates and the more complicated documents for companies and international banks.
*During the Covid-19 crisis, processing timeframes were subject to FCDO.
Please complete the ‘request a quotation’ form if you need a personalised quotation.
You can place a request for documents obtained in the UK or Ireland. We will be ready and willing to prepare a personalised quote for you for all the documents obtained in any other country.
When requesting a quotation, please ensure that you indicate the type of document you have. This is necessary since different kinds of documents usually require different charges from embassies.
Our complimentary document review form is used by those individuals who are not sure of the service they need or doubt if their documents qualify to be legalised.
You can send us a short message containing an image of your document(s), and we will inform you whether or not the documents are okay and what step to take next.
Payments
How to pay for services.
We have several payment options to ensure the process is as simple as possible.
All payment options are presented to you on our application form and during the checkout process.
Payment options include:
- Credit Card / Debit Card
- Bank Transfer / Wire Transfer
- PayPal / Google Pay / Apple Pay
- Invoice or email request for payment
Preparation
What you need to prepare.
The original hard copy of the document
OR a copy which has already been certified by a UK solicitor/notary public.
Completed the online Order Form
- Payment (see payment options)
- Address you want your documents returned to
- A prepaid envelope to the return of your apostilled documents
- (If you are not collecting or don’t want to pay extra for our return service)
Translation
Process of translating documents.
It is a requirement for all documents in a foreign language to be translated into English by a translator who is certified and notarised.
Please use our email address to send a scanned copy of the document that needs translating.
You should also confirm the language required. We will prepare a quote for you.
Note that: We can translate your document for you even if you are not utilising our apostille or legalisation services.
Frequently asked questions (and answers).
No, we do not keep any copy of your documents. The only individuals required to keep a copy of your documents are the notaries and solicitors. The main reason for this is to provide affirmation of the documents signed in case the document is challenged in the future.
Our team can arrange a full range of notary services, apostille, as well as legalisation. We can make arrangements for you whether you need an apostille, a notary or simply want legalisation of your documents.
We offer straightforward as well as cost-effective services. In case your requirements seem out of the ordinary, we still got you covered. Our services are pretty flexible, so you do not have to worry. Please contact our team and let us know your personal needs.
On behalf of our esteemed clients, we are a service provider who arranges for documents to be legalised.
However, we have tight work relationships with law firms and notaries. As a result of these relationships, we are able to provide efficient, fast, and excellent services to our customers.
After confirming that the application you submitted is in the required order, we will proceed to check if we can oversee the process of legalising the document.
The FCDO will do this by comparing the signature, stamp or seal with an example found in their database.
In the case where the FCDO does not have an example of the signature, stamp or seal, the application will be rejected.
It is now your responsibility to make sure that the seal or signature is genuine by reaching out to the relevant person or authority. If you need assistance with this, please let us know.
If the FCDO rejects the application, as a result, the processing time for the document will most likely be extended.
We can proceed to arrange for the apostille to be attached to your document once the UK public official’s signature, stamp, or seal on your document has been verified.
A legalisation officer will then sign the apostille which will then be fixed with the institution seal of The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) after which the documents will be returned back to you.
For your records, we will also ensure that you get a copy of the complete document.
It is important to note that payments issued with an American Express card may only be shipped to billing addresses.
No. The only type of document that we can arrange for an apostille is a hard copy of UK public documents.
The document must also contain the original signature or seal of a UK public official. We cannot arrange an apostille against printed, scanned, or photocopied signatures. This also includes emails, facsimiles, and photocopies.
Your one stop shop for apostille & legalisations.
If you need advice on completing the application form or require additional information, get in touch with our experts.
DHL return shipping
Shipping is handled via DHL, domestic and international
We ship worldwide!
We ship all over the world, wherever you may live.
Email notifications
We keep you updated about your order via email
Premium services
Get a faster decision on your apostille application
Make sure that your documents don’t get rejected by the FCDO.
This list is NOT exhaustive and there may be other reasons for the Legalisation Office to refuse to legalise documents.
Make sure documents are accepted
Ensure your documents are clean and legible
Ensure documents that require a signature are signed
Your ID documents, like your passport is valid
Make your you send only original documents
Check the date, most documents require a date
Make sure your documents are not laminated
If required, make sure you include attachments
Remove staples, and don’t punch holes in your documents
Reasons why documents get rejected
Missing signatures on documents
Missing date or other important information is missing
Public documents for legalisation miss or have incorrect certification
Document not issued in the UK may not be suitable for the UK apostille
- Registrar/Solicitor/Signatory is not registered within the FCO’s database.
Laminated documents will be rejected for legalisation by the FCDO
Documents with missing numbered pages or missing attachments
- Notary Public has not sealed the document
Need help? Do you have questions?
Contact us. We’ll get back to you as soon as humanly possible. Usually within one working hour. Alternatively, you can call us on +44 (0) 207 0500 692.
