For us to help you get an apostille for a criminal background check, we need to establish which police certificate you have.
Some criminal record checks are issued with an official public signature, and some are issued unsigned. Unsigned documents, such as a DBS, must be solicitor-certified before legalisation.
We also need the original background check documents in our office.
We take care of the entire process. It usually takes only 2 to 3 days to get an apostille.
You can then collect the apostilled criminal record check from our central London office or instruct us to return your degree via post.
We use DHL or Royal Mail next-day return delivery, for all our documents, guaranteed and fully insured.
How to order:
Step one:
Check that your criminal background paperwork is not damaged or altered in any way. The Legalisation Office can not apostille damaged or altered police records.
Step two:
Contact our office to place an order.
When emailing, please provide the following information:
- What country will the criminal record check be used in?
- Do you need a translation?
- How soon do you need the apostille?
- Other relevant information for our team
Once we have all the information, the team will assess your enquiry and give you a personalised and detailed quotation.
If you accept the quotation, we send an invoice to be paid, and the process of getting an apostille for your criminal record check document starts.
We will take care of the entire legalisation process for you.
Final step:
As soon as your foundation degree has been apostilled, we will contact you, and you’ll receive a scanned copy via email. You’ll also be informed if the document has been couriered or when you can come to the office and collect it.
Note that we return documents with DHL or Royal Mail. DHL return deliveries – both national and international require the following details:
- A full name
- Full return address
- Contact phone number
How much does it cost?
A standard apostille certificate for a criminal record check starts from £87.
Depending on another service you need, there could be additional costs, such as solicitor certification, premium service, and return delivery.
How long does it take to get an apostille?
There are three options for getting an apostille.
Option one: 1 day (next business day)
- Documents must arrive before 10:00 am for the next-day service.
- Documents can be collected around 3:30 pm the next day.
- Documents are submitted and collected in person
Option two: 3 to 4 days:
- If documents arrive by 10:30 am, it will take 3 days
- If documents arrive after 10:30 am, then it will take 4 days
- Documents are submitted and collected in person
Option three: e-Apostille 1 to 2 days
If the document qualifies for an e-apostille, it is usually completed within 24 hours but can take two working days, depending on the FCDO’s workload.
Can you process criminal record checks that have already been solicitor certified?
Yes, we can process your ready-certified criminal record check with an apostille. The document must have been certified by a UK solicitor registered on the Legalisation Office database of recognised signatories.
The document will be rejected if the signing solicitor is not registered with the FCDO.
I am overseas, can I still get an apostille?
Yes, you can still get an apostille for your criminal record certificate even if you are not in the UK. You need to get the original documents to our office, either by post, private courier, friend, or family member. Apostilled certificates can be collected or posted to any address worldwide.
What are the common types of criminal record checks?
Your complete criminal record checks apostille service
The following are the services provided by our apostille service:
