How to get an apostille for a letter of enrolment

The original & copy of the enrolment letter can be apostilled
Both the original and copy must be solicitor certified
Email, post, or deliver your proof of enrolment in person

To have a solicitor certify your Letter of Enrolment (also known as a Certificate of Enrolment, Proof of Enrolment, or an Enrolment Status letter), we need to see the original, wet-ink-signed letter or an email from the issuing person or institution verifying that the letter is genuine.

Once we’ve confirmed that your letter of enrolment is genuine, we can certify a copy or the original to get the apostille.

We can return the legalised documents via DHL or Royal Mail (next-day service), or you can collect them in person from our London office.

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The full order process 

Step one:

Contact our office.

When emailing, please provide the following information:

In which country will your letter of enrolment be used?
Should we legalise the original or a certified copy?
How soon do you need the apostille?
How will the enrolment letter be delivered and returned?

Once we have all the information, the team will assess your enquiry and provide you with a quotation.

Then, if you accept the quote, the process of getting an apostille starts.

Step three:

Once your enrolment status letter has been apostilled, we will email you a scanned copy.

If you are not collecting your apostilled document from our London office, we will provide you with the courier’s tracking number.

Note that we return documents by DHL and Royal Mail only. If you want to make other arrangements, please let us know.

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Your fast-track apostille options

Choose the turnaround that fits your deadline.

Option 1: Next business day

Your deed poll must arrive at our office by 9:30 am. It will be ready to collect from around 3:30 pm the following business day

Option 2: 3 to 4 day service

Documents arriving after 9:30 am are processed on the 3 to 4 business day track. This is our most popular option.

Option 3: e-Apostille in 5 to 48 hours

The e-apostille is a digital version of the apostille certificate. If your document qualifies, it is usually completed within 24 hours, but may take 2 working days, depending on the FCDO’s workload.

Most ink-signed deed polls require the paper apostille instead. Contact us if you are unsure which applies to you.

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Document receipt and return services

We have several ways documents can be delivered and returned like, email, in-person, post, or private courier.

Email:

Whenever possible, we prefer to receive documents by email. Email is instant and guarantees a fast service.

Post or courier:

When an email is not possible, we prefer to receive and return documents by mail or courier.

In-person:

You can deliver and collect documents in person too. Documents must be dropped off at the front desk and collected from the front desk – without seeing a staff member.

Appointments:

An appointment must be pre-arranged if you need to see a staff member, solicitor, or notary.

Can I get an apostille for an electronic copy of my enrolment letter?

You can only get an apostille for an electronic copy of your enrolment letter if the copy is a PDF file that has been electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor. Not all notaries and solicitors are familiar with electronic signatures.

The legalisation office of the FCDO will issue an e-apostille for an electronic copy of your enrolment letter.

You can also print out your electronic copy. The hard copy must be notarised by a notary public or certified by a solicitor before it can be submitted to the FCDO for a normal apostille.

Can I get an apostille for an enrolment letter issued by an online school or university?

Yes. You can get an apostille for an enrolment letter issued by some reputable online colleges and universities.

The letter must be from a college or university in the UK that is registered with the UK government’s Office for Students, which maintains The OfS Register.

The letter, or a copy of the letter, must also have been certified by a UK solicitor (or notarised by a notary public). See above.

Can I get a replacement if the apostille or enrolment letter is damaged?

Yes. In most cases, you can get a replacement for the letter of enrolment and the apostille.

The apostille is physically affixed to the original letter of enrolment or to a certified copy. If the apostille for the letter of enrolment (or its copy) has been lost, the letter or copy will also have been lost.

It is not unusual for a letter of enrolment to be lost or damaged. Most universities, colleges and training institutions are accustomed to dealing with this problem and have procedures in place to resolve it.

Reasons why your letter of enrolment and apostille may have been lost or damaged include:

Physical damage – fire, water, stains, pets, etc.
Mislaid, stolen, etc.
Age, wear and tear – deterioration rendering it illegible and difficult to verify
Accident or theft during travel or transport
Excessive handling
Long storage – especially if insecure

If your original letter of enrolment has been lost, you can usually request a confirmation of enrolment from the admissions department of the academic institution or training establishment that issued it.

Some institutions use different names for these documents (e.g., acceptance for studies/statement of student status/proof of enrolment). All of these documents serve the same purposes.

If only the apostille has been lost or damaged (but you still have the original letter intact), you can apply for a new one. This may be more difficult if you are already in another country when the apostille is lost or damaged.

However, in these circumstances, you can post the letter to us, and we can apply for a new apostille on your behalf. We can return it to you anywhere in the world.

Can I get an apostille for an enrolment letter that has expired or is no longer valid?

It is theoretically possible to get an apostille for an expired enrolment letter under certain circumstances. In practice, it is rather difficult.

For instance, if you need to demonstrate that you were enrolled at a particular college, university, or training establishment in the past (but are no longer enrolled there), you can have a notary public notarise your enrolment letter for that year. The letter of enrolment bears a date of issue and states the duration of the course.

However, before the letter can be submitted to the FCDO legalisation office, the notary will check with the relevant institution that you attended the course at that time and will add a notarial comment to that effect.

The Competent Authority in each country issues apostilles.

In many countries, the Competent Authority certifies only that the signatures, stamps or seals match their own records. Thus, in the UK, the FCDO holds records of approved notaries and solicitors together with their stamps, seals and sample signatures.

Moreover, for academic and professional qualifications, the UK’s legalisation office will also “… verify the validity of the issuing institution against a list of recognised institutions before issuing an apostille relating to the notarial certification”.

The FCDO therefore consults a number of government, academic, training, and professional registers to ensure that your letter of enrolment is from an accredited source.

These measures exclude bogus qualifications, but they also help you get an apostille for a letter of enrolment that has expired – provided it comes from a legitimate source.

Are there any countries where an apostille is not accepted for a letter of enrolment?

There are many countries where an apostille alone is not accepted for a letter of enrolment. In particular, countries that are not listed as signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention may require embassy attestation or additional verification.