UK Marriage Certificate Apostille | Apostille Service UK

If you need a UK marriage certificate apostilled, we handle the process for you from start to finish.

Send us your original certificate or official replacement copy, and we will arrange the apostille, keep you updated, and return your document securely by courier or post.

Whether you are dealing with immigration, residency, dual nationality, overseas registration, or another official requirement abroad, our marriage certificate apostille service takes the complexity out of the process.

As an FCDO-registered agency, we submit your marriage certificate directly to the FCDO Legalisation Office, and most orders are completed within one to four working days.

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At a glance: Apostille for marriage certificate

Accepted documents: Original marriage certificate or official copy issued by the General Register Office (GRO), a local Register Office, National Records of Scotland (NRS), GRONI, or a UK Overseas Registration Unit. Certificates issued by a place of worship on official watermarked paper with an original wet-ink signature are also accepted.
Turnaround: Next business day £97 | Standard 3–4 working days £87
Embassy legalisation: May be required if your certificate is being used in a country that has not signed the Hague Apostille Convention.
Translation: Some countries require a certified translation of your apostilled marriage certificate, along with the original. Check with the requesting authority.
Issued by: The FCDO Legalisation Office is the sole authority that issues an apostille for UK documents.
e-Apostille: Not available for marriage certificates. A paper apostille is required.

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+44 (0) 207 0500 692 +44 (0) 207 0500 692

Turnaround times

Next business day (1 working day). Documents must arrive at our office by 10:00 am. Your apostilled marriage certificate can be collected from approximately 3:30 pm on the following working day. £97 per document.
Standard service (3–4 working days) within 3–4 working days. £87 per document.
Direct FCDO application (for comparison). If you apply directly to the FCDO Legalisation Office by post, the current processing time is approximately 15–21 working days.
e-Apostille / electronic apostille: e-Apostilles are not available for marriage certificates. Marriage certificates require a paper apostille issued on the original document.

For official guidance on document legalisation, see Get your document legalised (GOV.UK).

If your deadline is tight, contact us before sending the document so we can confirm the fastest workable option.

Important

Signature verification!

The FCDO can only issue an apostille if the registrar’s signature or seal is registered on their database.

For marriage certificates issued within the last six months, this is usually straightforward. For older certificates — or those issued by a church — the FCDO may need to verify the signature with the issuing authority, which can add 1 to 5 working days to the turnaround time.

If verification is not possible, you may need to obtain a new certified copy from the General Register Office, or ask the Register Office or Church to send a signature confirmation directly to the FCDO. We will let you know immediately if this affects your order.

Cost

For marriage certificates, apostille pricing is as follows:

Standard 3–4-day service: £87 per document
Next business day service: £97 per document
3 or more documents: £79 per document (standard service, where no solicitor or notary certification is required)

All prices include our service fees, FCDO fees, and VAT.

Additional services (if required):

Certified & sworn translation: from £50
Notarisation by notary public: +£96
Return delivery (UK): +£12
Embassy legalisation / embassy attestation: from +£60

Prices are per document. We will make the full route and cost clear before work starts, so you know exactly what is needed. If you need multiple certificates apostilled, contact us for a combined quotation.

How to order

Getting an apostille for marriage certificate documents through our service is straightforward:

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Step 1: Place your order. You can order your marriage certificate apostille directly through our website or contact us by email or phone if you need guidance.
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Step 2: Send your document. Post your original marriage certificate or official copy to our central London office, or drop it off in person. We cannot accept photocopies, scans, or emailed documents.
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Step 3: We confirm the route and handle the FCDO submission. We check the document type, confirm whether the standard apostille is sufficient, and flag any likely extras such as translation, embassy legalisation, or a special route for unusual certificates. As an FCDO-registered apostille agency, we then submit your certificate to the FCDO Legalisation Office and manage the entire document legalisation process.
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Step 4: Receive your apostilled document. Once the apostille certificate has been attached, we email you a scanned copy and return the original by DHL or Royal Mail with a tracking number. You can also collect from our London office.

If you also need embassy legalisation or a certified translation, we can arrange these as part of a single order — so your documents are ready for use overseas without separate appointments or delays.

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+44 (0) 207 0500 692 +44 (0) 207 0500 692

What documents are accepted

To obtain an apostille for a UK marriage certificate, you must provide one of the following:

Accepted certificates:

Your original marriage certificate as issued on the day of your marriage (typically printed on green or red forms)
An official copy or replacement marriage certificate issued by the General Register Office (GRO)
A certified copy issued by your local Register Office
A certified copy from National Records of Scotland (NRS)
A certified copy from the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI)
A certificate issued by the UK Overseas Registration Unit
A certificate issued by a place of worship on official watermarked paper, bearing an original wet ink signature from the Rector, Vicar, Curate, Authorised Person for Marriages, Secretary for Marriages, or Registering Officer for the Society of Friends

UK marriage certificates are protected by Crown copyright, which means they cannot be photocopied. Only original documents or official copies from the issuing authorities listed above can be submitted for an apostille.

Not acceptable:

Photocopies (even if certified by a solicitor)
Scanned or emailed copies
Laminated certificates
Certificates with water damage, tears, or missing sections affecting the signature area
Certificates with unofficial alterations or corrections (unless validated by the issuing office)

Certificate condition matters: Your certificate needs clear signatures, visible seals or stamps, and no damage that affects the official details. Light wear is usually not a problem, but anything that interferes with the signature or seal can cause rejection.

If you do not have your original certificate, you can apply for a replacement through the General Register Office (GOV.UK).

Religious marriage certificates

If your certificate was issued by a place of worship on official watermarked paper with an original wet-ink signature from an authorised official, it may be accepted for the apostille directly without notarisation.

However, Islamic (Nikkah), Hebrew, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, and other Christian marriage certificates that were not issued through the UK civil registration system — or that do not meet the watermarked paper and wet-ink signature requirements — must be notarised by a notary public before the apostille can be attached.

If you are unsure whether your certificate qualifies, send us a scan, and we will review it free of charge.

Translation and embassy legalisation guidance

Certified& sworn translation

Whether your marriage certificate needs to be translated depends on the requesting authority and the country where it will be used. If the certificate is required for official legal proceedings, a certified translation — sometimes called a sworn translation — is almost always necessary.

We recommend that you get the apostille first and arrange the translation afterwards. Most countries want both the original apostilled certificate and the translated marriage certificate.

Check with the requesting authority whether the translated version also needs to be apostilled separately.

We can arrange certified translations as part of your order, starting from £50.

Embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries

The apostille certificate is accepted by all member countries of the Hague Apostille Convention. If your certificate is being used in a country that has not signed the Convention, you will likely need additional embassy attestation from that country’s embassy or consulate in the UK.

The embassy legalisation process varies by country in terms of time, cost, and specific requirements. Some embassies require apostilles to be recent — typically issued within the last three months.

We provide a full legalisation service that includes both the FCDO apostille and embassy attestation, so you can handle everything in one order rather than managing multiple appointments.

If your certificate is not a standard UK marriage certificate

This page is primarily for UK marriage certificate apostille cases. If your document falls into one of the categories below, the route may be different.

Non-UK marriage certificates

A UK apostille cannot be attached directly to a foreign marriage certificate. Documents issued outside the UK must be legalised in the country where they were issued.

The exception is certificates issued by a British Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission overseas — these are treated as UK documents.

If you need a foreign marriage certificate legalised through the UK FCDO, the original must first be presented to a notary public, who will notarise a copy. The apostille is then issued on the notarised copy, not the original.

Check with the receiving authority whether this method will be accepted — some embassies, such as the UAE Embassy, will not legalise non-UK marriage certificates at all.

We can arrange notarisation and the apostille as a combined service.

Crown Dependency marriage certificates

Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are not part of the UK and issue their own marriage certificates and apostilles through their own competent authorities. A Crown Dependency certificate cannot be apostilled by the UK FCDO in the standard way.

The Crown Dependency apostille is generally accepted directly by UK-based embassies without a separate UK apostille. Malaysia is a notable exception — the Malaysian High Commission requires both the local and a UK apostille.

British Overseas Territory marriage certificates

British Overseas Territories — such as the BVI, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, and Bermuda — issue their own marriage certificates and apostilles. The territory’s own apostille must be obtained first.

For embassy legalisation in the UK, some territories require both the local apostille and a UK FCDO apostille before the document can be attested. The document must already carry the territories’ apostille before we can assist with the UK stage.

Requirements vary by territory and destination country. Contact us for specific guidance.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Quick answers to common concerns about marriage certificate apostilles:

Can I apostille a marriage certificate issued before digital records existed?

Yes. The FCDO verifies the signature on the certificate, not the date of issue. If the registrar’s signature is in the FCDO’s database, older certificates can be apostilled without issue. If the signature cannot be verified — for example, because the registrar has since retired — a replacement certificate from the GRO may resolve the problem.

What should I do if my apostille is rejected overseas?

First, confirm whether the requesting authority needs embassy legalisation in addition to the apostille. Many rejections occur because the destination country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention and requires an additional embassy stamp. Contact us, and we can advise on the specific requirements for your destination.

Can anyone request a marriage certificate apostille UK?

Yes. Anyone — whether based in the UK or overseas — can request an apostille for a UK marriage certificate. In most cases, an overseas authority or organisation has requested that the certificate be legalised, but the request can also come directly from the certificate holder.

Can I get a replacement certificate first?

Yes. If you do not have the right official certificate, get the replacement first, then arrange the apostille. For England and Wales, GOV.UK directs applicants to the GRO ordering service. Post it directly to our office for processing if needed.

Do I need a certificate of no impediment as well?

A certificate of no impediment (CNI) is a separate document used when you are planning to marry abroad — it confirms you are free to marry. If you have been asked for a CNI, it will also need its own apostille. We offer the same fast apostille service for CNI documents. [See our certificate of no impediment apostille page for details.]