The fasted way to get an apostille is to engage with us, a registered FCDO apostille agent. We can get an apostille for urgent requests on the same day or in 24 hours.

Our standard processing time is 2-3 days for the entire process.

Of course, you can also do it via the UK government website, the FCDO. You still need to post the original. The process cannot be completed online, and you cannot attend in person.

Their standard processing times are 15-20 days if there are no issues.

Trust our experienced team. We apostille documents with the FCDO every day. We know the process and guarantee we can get your apostille certificate.

We also offer out-of-office hours drop off and collection service, weekdays from 7 am to 9 pm. Weekends by appointment.

Apostille service for a civil partnership

  1. We need the original civil partnership certificate in our office
  2. You can send it by mail/courier if you cannot bring it in person
  3. We legalise your civil partnership certificate with the apostille
  4. Your apostilled certificate is ready to be collected or couriered

Trusted help when legalisation is required

We’ll provide the support you need in the following common situations when foreign authorities will likely request an apostilled civil partnership certificate:

  • When opening joint bank accounts

  • When applying for family benefits, e.g., social security and pension benefits

  • When applying for a spousal visa, a dependent visa, or permanent residency

  • When registering a change in marriage or civil status in a foreign country’s records

  • For legal proceedings and transactions, such as property ownership, inheritance claims, and adoption

End-to-end apostille support for civil partnership certificates

We manage the entire apostille process on your behalf to ensure your civil partnership is apostilled correctly the first time. Here’s how:

  • Pre-submission checks: We do preliminary checks to prevent errors that often cause rejections and delays. We’ll confirm UK origin, original GRO copy issuance, and lack of tampering (no lamination, tears, writing, white-outs, etc).

  • Integrated services: Depending on your destination, you may need document translation and embassy attestation. We can arrange for both.

  • Physical submission and collection: Our team submits and collects documents from the FCDO Legalisation Office every business day in person. It’s how we are able to guarantee our next-day apostille service.

  • Tracked delivery: You can collect the fully legalised civil partnership certificate from our London office. Alternatively, we can courier it to you via trusted couriers like Royal Mail and DHL.

Infographic illustrating next-day apostille service for civil partnership certificates.

How it works:

Step one:

Ensure the document you have is the original civil partnership certificate issued by the General Register Office (GRO) or local Registry Offices. (Photocopies cannot be used!)

Original or official GRO copies of civil partnership certificates do not require solicitor or notary certification.

Step two:

Ensure that your civil partnership is valid (properly registered) or hasn’t been revoked. If the partnership is in the process of being dissolved, an apostille cannot be obtained.

Step three:

Contact our office via phone or mail.

When emailing us, please provide the following information:

  • How do you indent to deliver your original certificate
  • In which country will your documents be used?
  • Does your civil partnership certificate need translation?
  • How soon do you need the apostille?

Once you have answered the questions above, our team will assess your request and give you a personalised and detailed quotation.

If attending our office in person, we will email all the details with your order.

If you accept our quotation, we will send an invoice to be paid and commence legalising your document with an apostille certificate.

Final step:

Regardless of what return delivery method is chosen (in person, self-addressed envelope, DHL, etc.), we will inform you immediately as soon as the documents are ready to be collected or they are on their way back to you.

We will also email you a scanned copy of the completed document.

If you are not collecting your apostilled certificate from our London office – we will provide you with the DHL tracking number as soon as your forms have been given to the courier.

Fast UK legalisation to meet your deadline

Standard processing times for getting an apostille is 2-3 days.

Here is an explanation of the difference between the 2 to 3 day service times:

  • If your documents arrive by 10 am, it will take 2 days to process your documents + next day return delivery.
  • If your documents arrive after 10 am, then it would take 3 days to apostille your documents + next day return delivery.

We also offer a same-day apostille service.

  • Documents must arrive before 10 am for the same-day service.
  • Documents can be collected around 4 pm the same day.

Same-day service assumes you can drop off and collect your documents on the same day.

The same day becomes a 24-hour service if a courier service is used.

Read the full same-day apostille service explanation.

Infographic listing requirements for same-day apostille service with timing and drop-off requirements.

Transparent pricing for apostille services

We are committed to transparent and fair pricing. The prices listed on our website is what you’ll end up paying.

You’ll get a single quotation that will cover all necessary services. For instance, a quotation may cover our fees, FCDO fees, translation fees, and embassy attestation fees.

The difference our expert support makes

You can submit your documents directly to the FCDO. However, we advise against it as navigating the complex government bureaucracy alone can lead to delays and cause unnecessary headaches.

Our expert support makes a significant difference in the following ways:

  • A human-touch: Unlike the slow and robotic government helpline, our support is highly responsive and will address all your concerns throughout the whole process.

  • Risk mitigation: Our pre-submission checks ensures there are no errors that may lead to FCDO rejections.

  • Additional compliance: Does your destination need translation and/or embassy attestation in addition to the FCDO-issued apostille? We can advise accordingly.

  • Speed and certainty: We have a streamlined process that guarantees you get a fully-legalised civil partnership certificate the next business day or within three to four business days.

Hear from real clients we’ve helped:

We’ve helped many people prepare their UK documents for use abroad. You don’t have to take our word for it, though. Here are first hand accounts directly from our past clients.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Below are answers to some of the commonly asked questions about getting a civil partnership certificate apostilled in the UK.

Because some countries request that civil partnerships are certified and legalised to assure authorities of the legitimacy of your document.

No, in the UK, you cannot apply for an electronic apostille for your civil partnership certificate or other documents issued by the General Register Office.

To learn more about e-apostilles, please read our blog post- e-apostilles – what you should know.

This depends on the requesting authority. Some countries or authorities require a certified translation of your civil partnership certificate.

The authority requesting an apostille will usually tell you if your certificate needs a certified translation. If you need translation, we can take care of that for you.

The FCDO does not legalise civil partnership certificates that are not issued in the UK.

Civil partnership certificates not issued in the UK must be legalised in the country that issued the certificate.

However, some requesting authorities accept non-UK partnership certificates when a UK public notary notarises them.

Also note, if the requesting country is not part of the apostille convention, your certificate will also need embassy legalisation.

Not all embassies accept notarised civil partnerships! If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to contact our office.

To apostille your civil partnership the FCDO does not require any supporting documents. You only need supporting documents legalised if they are requested by the overseas authority.

A sample of a certified civil partnership certificate (with apostille)
A sample of a certified civil partnership certificate (with apostille)