How long does it take to get an apostille?

Our standard processing time for getting an apostille is 2-3 days. Here is what 2 to 3 days mean: If your documents arrive by 10 am , it will take 2 days If your documents arrive after 10 am , then it will take 3 days (+ next-day return delivery if required) We also offer a same-day apostille service. Documents must arrive before 10 am for the same-day service. Documents can be collected around 3 pm the same day. Same-day service assumes you can drop off and collect your documents on the same day at our London office. If a mailing or courier service is utilised, the same day becomes a 24-hour service. Read: how the same-day apostille service works .

Get a UK Apostille for a Certificate of Naturalisation

Apostille service overview:

We usually certify and apostille a COPY of the original
An FCDO-registered solicitor or notary must certify the certificate of naturalisation before getting an apostille.
You can post the original or drop it off at our office

3-4 day apostille service from £120
1 day (next business day) from £135
5 – 48 hours e-Apostille from £97

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

An FCDO-registered solicitor or notary must certify the certificates to get an apostille for a Certificate of Naturalisation (Naturalisation Certificate or British Citizenship Certificate). Certification is required for the original and a copy.

The solicitors must see the original even if you want a copy legalised.

If you do not have the original, the solicitors require proof that the copy is genuine. An email from the Home Office to our solicitors will be needed.

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:

Decide which version of your naturalisation certificate needs to be apostilled.

Your original certificate of naturalisation
A photocopy of your certificate of naturalisation
Electronic certificate of naturalisation produced from the original PDF

Step two:

Contact our office.

When emailing, please provide the following information:

In which country will your certificate of naturalisation be used?
How soon do you need the apostille?
Do you also require embassy legalisation?
How will the certificate 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, we will send an invoice to be paid, and the process of getting an apostille starts.

Step three:

Once your naturalisation certificate has been apostilled, we will send you a scanned copy via email.

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?

3-4 day UK apostille service from £120
1 day (next business day) from £135
5-48 hours e-Apostille from £97

Our comprehensive fee covers:

Solicitor certification
FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) Fees
Administration
VAT

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

We will always provide a full breakdown to see precisely what you’re paying for.

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Our fast-track apostille options

There are three options for getting an apostille in the UK.

Option one: 1 day (next business day)

Documents must arrive before 9:00 am for the next-day service.
Documents can be collected around 3:30 pm the next day.

Option two: 3 to 4 days:

If documents arrive after 9:30 am, it will take 3-4 days

Option three: e-Apostille 5 to 48 hours

If the document qualifies for an e-apostille, it is 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 documents off in person. Delivering in-person requires that you have an order number. Please make sure you contact our office first.

When should I get an apostille for a naturalisation certificate?

You should get an apostille certificate for your naturalisation certificate if you intend to use it outside the UK.

Retaining Spanish Citizenship. To declare your intent to keep your Spanish citizenship, you must apostille and translate your Certificate of Naturalisation.

Please note that the apostille should only be applied to the certified copy, not the original.

How do you replace a lost certificate of naturalisation?

If you lose or suspect that your naturalisation certificate has been stolen, you must notify the Home Office as quickly as possible. [2]

It is also good to notify the police that your certificate was lost.

If you’ve misplaced or had your naturalisation certificate taken, you must:

Fill out the online request form 2
Pay a £250 fine if the mistake was yours (The UK visa and Immigration services will advise you in writing if you need to pay)

Your naturalisation certificate can be ordered from the National Archives if you were granted British citizenship before September 30, 1986. [2]

How do I locate the naturalisation certificate number?

You can locate your naturalisation certificate number at the bottom of the certificate, above the reference number and to the left of the date.

How do I locate my naturalisation certificate reference number?

You can locate the reference number of your naturalisation certificate at the bottom of the certificate, just to the left of the date and immediately below the Certificate Number.

Which information does the naturalisation certificate contain?

The information contained in the naturalisation certificate provides information about the holder. Naturalisation certificates follow a standard format.

The certificate should typically include the following information:

Your date of birth, and if different, your name at birth
Your birthdate
Your geographical location and birth country
The naturalisation certificate number
The naturalisation certificate reference number
Your Bibliography
The date of issue

Verifying that the naturalisation certificate is issued with the correct information is critical because the UK government charges for changing documentation and granting duplicate certificates.

Example of a UK certificate of naturalisation (redacted)

Who can apply for a certificate of naturalisation?

Anyone who meets the required qualification criteria can apply for a certificate of naturalisation. In addition, according to the British Nationality Act of 1981 [3], anybody who is not a UK citizen can apply for British citizenship.

Once you are issued the certificate, you can live in the UK with the same rights as anyone born a British national. You can also apply for a British passport.

Applying for a certificate of naturalisation UK – requirements:

The main requirements for applying for a certificate of naturalisation are: [4]

Must be 18 years and over
Must be of ‘good character.’ This means that you should not have committed any serious crimes or immigration fraud
You must be currently living in the UK
You must meet the English requirement
You must pass the ‘Life in the UK’ test

Those are the most general requirements. In addition to that, the applicants must also meet the following:

They should have lived in the UK for at least five years, without an absence of more than 450 days
They should not have travelled outside the UK for more than 90 days in the last year
They should have a UK permanent residence or should have been granted an indefinite leave to stay in the UK and must have had this for at least a year

Call +44 (0) 207 0500 692

Enquire or order a UK apostille

References

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.