Apostille for a letter of invitation (to work, visit or live in the UK).

Our FCDO-registered solicitors can certify and apostille all types of invitation letters.

Please note that we can not help with writing the letter or confirming the accuracy of the letter. Our solicitors will only certify your exiting invitation letter as an original or true copy for the apostille service.

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

Jump to: How much does it cost? ↓ How long does it take?

The full order process: 

If you have any questions, please call 0207 0500 692

Step one:

Ensure your UK invitation letter is complete and error-free before certification or apostilling to avoid paying fees and starting over.

Step two:

Contact our office.

Please provide the following information:

• How soon do you need the apostille?
• How will the letter be delivered and returned?

When we have all the information, the team will assess your enquiry and give you a detailed quotation.

Step two:

Once your letter of invitation 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 tracking number the courier gave.

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

How much does it cost? 

The price includes admin, solicitor, FCDO, and VAT. Business documents incur an additional processing fee.

There could be additional costs, depending on your chosen service and how many documents you wish to apostille. Additional cost examples are:

• Translations start from £30
• Notarisation by notary public (+ £96)
• Return delivery costs (+ £12)
• Embassy legalisation (from + £75)

There are 4 options for getting an apostille.

Option one: 10-12 days:

Your documents are “posted” to the FCDO in Milton Keynes and then posted back to our office – or your address. This process usually takes about 10 business days. (currently unavailable)

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: 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 four: e-Apostille 1 to 2 days 

Electronic apostilles are usually completed within 24 hours but can take two working days, depending on the FCDO’s workload.

No, you don’t need to attend our office in Westminster. Documents can be sent by courier or by post. We recommend using a tracked service if you send your documents by post. We return your documents in the same way.

You are, of course, welcome to drop the documents off in person. However, delivering in person requires that you have an order number. Please make sure you contact our office first.

You must get an apostille for your invitation letter if an organisation or agency requests it in your home country or the UK. Check if you also need to apostille supporting documents.

Several organisations might require an apostille for your invitation letter; these are:

Officials in your home country: Immigration, tax and other official agencies in your home country may ask for an apostille with your letter of invitation as part of their process for issuing exit visas or for other purposes related to your travel to the UK.

UK authorities, companies, and academic institutions do not usually require a UK apostille certificate for an invitation letter originating in the UK.

You can apply for an apostille if you are not in the UK. You can apply online via the FCDO website, or if you are unsure what you need to do, get help from an apostille agent like us to handle the entire process.

All invitation letters can be apostilled; the four most common letters are:

The original sponsorship letter, or if you use a copy, must be certified by a solicitor, or notarised by a notary public before being submitted for an apostille.

The specific requirements of the content of the invitation letter must be checked with the receiving authority. The apostille certificate does not certify the accuracy of the letter of invitation or its content.