Apostilles for City & Guilds vocational qualifications .

For us to be able to solicitor certify your City & Guilds vocational qualification, the solicitors need to see the original certificate. The same goes for NVQ, ESOL, QCF, RQF etc.

Let us know if we should apostille the original or a certified copy.

If you only have a COPY, or a digital download (PDF), our solicitors will require proof that your copy/PDF is genuine. This can be achieved by asking the issuing university to send an email to our solicitors directly. 

Originals do not require proof for the solicitor or notary. 

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.

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

The full order process

Step one:

Make sure that your National Vocational Qualification(NVQ) can be legalised with an apostille. Your certificate should not be damaged or altered in any way.

Step two:

Contact our office.

When emailing, please provide the following information:

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

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

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

Step three:

Once your City & Guilds qualification has been apostilled, we will send you a scanned copy via email.

If you are not collecting your apostilled document from our London office – we will provide you with the tracking number given by the courier.

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.

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

Yes. City & Guilds vocational qualifications are recognised in more than eighty countries worldwide [1].

You need to certify and apostille the qualification to get them legally recognised. Hague member countries only require an apostille, whereas non-members might also require embassy legalisation and notarisation.

Yes. Some ESOL qualifications are designed to be recognised internationally. ESOL International qualifications are not the same as ESOL Skills for Life.

ESOL Skills for Life are primarily intended for speakers of other languages who wish to live and work in the UK or another English-speaking country.

ESOL International qualifications are intended to be evidence of English language proficiency in any country.

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) was the national transfer system for education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales until October 2015 [3].

The QCF has now been replaced by the Regulated Qualification Framework or RQF [4].

The aim of these frameworks is to indicate which qualifications are at a similar level because they require similar time and work. The RQF recognises that, although qualifications may be at a similar level, they are not necessarily directly equivalent [5].

Overseas authorities can request that you legalise your qualifications with an UK apostille from the FCDO. Here are a few circumstances when an apostille may be required or requested:

Apostilles for vocational qualifications are usually requested by prospective employers when you apply to work overseas. They may also be requested for the purposes of study or further training.

No. The FCDO provides apostilles only for qualifications issued by a recognised authority in the UK.

Apostilles for foreign qualifications are issued in the country from which the qualification was obtained.

Yes. The FCDO will accept copies of your qualifications provided the copies have been certified by a solicitor or notarised by a notary public.

Authorities and employers in some countries may require notarisation of your original certificates by a notary public or may ask for other legal confirmations and embassy attestation.

Always check the requirements in the destination country.

No additional documentation or certification of your vocational qualifications will be needed to get an apostille if we are applying for the apostille on your behalf.

Yes. Provided your vocational qualifications were issued in the UK, you can get an apostille from the FCDO. The FCDO does not supply apostilles for qualifications obtained outside the UK.

We can deliver your documents and apostilles to you in any part of the world.