Get a UK Apostille for a Last Will and Testament

Apostille process overview:

We can apostille both the original and a certified copy
Our solicitors must receive the original to certify a copy
If the original no longer exists, further proof is required to authenticate the Will.
Most testaments require certification by an FCDO-registered solicitor or notary to be eligible for an apostille.

If the signatures need to be verified:

A copy must be taken if the signatories need to be verified. The signatories must sign the copy before the solicitor, and we would apostille the certified copy.

This is done to ensure that the solicitors do not invalidate the original will inadvertently.

How to process works:

Step one:

Check if the will & testament was witnessed by an FCDO-registered public official (notary, solicitor, etc).

We can help organise getting your Last Will certified for the apostille.

Step two:

Contact our office.

When emailing, please provide the following information:

In which country will your Last Will be used?
How soon do you need the apostille?
Do you also require embassy legalisation?
How will the Last Will 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:

As soon as your Last Will 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 given by the courier.

Note that we return documents by DHL and 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.

Call +020 8038 2970

Send your enquiry via email

Do a will and testament need an apostille?

The last will and testament only need an apostille if overseas authorities have requested for the documents to be government legalised. Some countries that are not part of the Hague treaty may further request that your will and testament be legalised via their Embassy in London.

Does a last will and testament have to be notarised?

The last will and testament must be witnessed when signed to ensure that it is a valid legal and enforceable document. Often a solicitor or notary public is involved in writing the will, so your will would already be ‘notarised’.

However, anyone over 18 and not related to you can witness the will, so if no solicitor or notary has witnessed your testament, or if the probate office has not stamped the will and you need to use the document abroad, you would need to notarise the will. [2]

Last will and testament document examples / Image copyright: apostillelondon.com

I have several documents that need to be apostilled – can you help?

We can help with getting all your documents certified and apostilled. The last will and testament can be ‘bundled’ with other documents such as a death certificate, coroners certificate, grant probate and affidavit.

Check with the requesting authorities that bundling documents is allowed. Sometimes documents must be legalised individually.

The same is true if embassy legalisation is required. Not all embassies and consulates allow for documents to be bundled. [3]

Last will and testament apostille service (UK GOV approved)

We offer an all-in-one service to legalise your documents with the UK government apostille.

Everyone’s circumstances are different, so please contact our office to discuss your requirements.

Here is an example of what is included in our all-in-one service:

We advise and check that your documents meet the legalisation criteria
If documents need to be certified, we get a solicitor
We submit your documents to the FCDO for the apostille certificate
We arrange and complete the embassy attestation if required
We also arrange for the Arab Chamber of Commerce certification should it be required
Documents are returned by your preferred chosen method.
We are competitively priced with no hidden fees
We have a service guarantee! If we can’t get your documents legalised, we will refund our fee. *

Call +020 8038 2970

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.