Apostille for a deed poll.

Overseas authorities can request an apostille for your deed poll to verify you have changed your name legally.

However, only a solicitor or notary public-certified copy of your deed poll can have the apostille certificate attached. Once your deed poll is certified, the UK government verified apostille process could start.

We can help with all aspects of getting your deed poll certified and legalised so it can officially be used in over 100 countries. [1]

What it is:  

A UK deed poll is a legal document that proves that you have legally changed your name.

Frequently used for:

A deed poll may be requested:

• When getting married abroad
• When you emigrate to another country
• When you want to apply for a visa
• When you want to apply for an overseas residency card

Original or copy:

The apostille can only be applied to the certified copy of the original.

This is due to UK regulations that prevent private documents from being apostilled directly.

Good to know:

Deed polls can be either unenrolled or enrolled, and we can legalise both types.

Replacement documents:

Since there is no deed poll register in the UK, you must draw up a new, original deed poll with a solicitor or notary public or get a free deed poll via the official UK government online service. [4]

How much does it cost?

You can have your UK deed poll legalised using our standard service that starts from £79.

Additional costs will depend on what service you choose (same-day service) if you need certification by a UK solicitor, embassy fees or translation fees and what return delivery method you choose.

How to order:

Order a straightforward apostille for a UK deed poll online via our website. You can choose additional options on the order page. If you have questions, please call our head office, and speak to one of our trained advisors.

Legalising a deed poll is the process of the UK government authenticating the signatures on the deed as genuine. Using the document in a country other than the UK, the document must be legalised as per the Hague Convention. [2]

Additional legalisation steps are required if the country is not part of the Hauge Convention.

You must legalise the deed poll if you need to use it outside the UK or if an overseas authority has requested legalisation.

Legalising the deed poll means the UK FCDO verifies the signature, seal, or stamp on the solicitor-certified deed poll document. However, the FCDO attached apostille only confirms the signature, not that the deed pool document is genuine.

The deed poll must be certified by a practising UK solicitor or notary public. The person changing their name must have their signature witnessed when signing the document.

Anyone can be a witness, but if you intend to get the document legalised, we recommend signing the document in the presence of a UK solicitor or notary public. [3]

Suppose the document was already witnessed by an individual who is not a legal official, which means it was signed by ‘private signatories’. In that case, the document should be countersigned by a solicitor or a notary for the apostille to be issued.

Whoever signs your deed pool, that signature must be registered with the UK FCDO office. Often UK solicitors or notary public are registered with the FCDO; hence we recommend you use their service.

If you are already in a foreign country and would like to have our deed poll legalised, there are two options:

Note that if your deed poll were originally executed outside the UK, you wouldn’t be able to have it legalised in the UK.

Changing your name is, in most cases, used for legitimate reasons, but there are instances where changing names can aid fraudulent activities.

Changing your name in the UK is FREE, so be wary of those that charge a fee. [4]

Our solicitor and notary public will perform their due diligence for ID verification as UK law requires to prevent fraud. [5]

Yes, deed polls, statutory declarations, and affidavits are often used together, and customers wishing to have them legalised together should contact us for discounts offered.