Legalisation is the official confirmation that the signature, seal or stamp appearing on a document is genuine.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the signature, seal or stamp that appears in the document.
The apostille certificate must contain the following information:
Country of issue
Name of the person who signed the document
The capacity in which the person signed the document.
Details of any seals or stamps in the document
Place of issue
Date of issue
Issuing authority
Certificate number
Stamp or seal of the issuing authority
Signature of the representative of the issuing authority
This is what an apostille looks like:
Why do documents need to be legalised?
If you are going to use British documents overseas, for business or personal reasons, you may be asked to have your documents legalised before they can be accepted by the foreign authorities concerned.
What documents do I need to legalise?
If you are not sure what documents need to be legalised you should contact the foreign authority or organisation which require the documents.
What documents can be legalised?
The Legalisation Office of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can legalise most UK documents as long as they bear an original signature, seal or stamp from a UK public organisation or official. These include registrars of births, deaths and marriages, solicitors or notaries public registered with the Law or Notaries Societies, doctors registered with the General Medical Council, veterinary surgeons, coroners, and members of the diplomatic corps (foreign diplomats) accredited to the UK.
In summary, the Legalisation Office will legalise UK educational documents; UK birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates; UK Certificates of No Impediment (CNIs) or ‘No Trace’ letters issued by the GRO; Deed Poll, some types of religious documents; UK court documents; Powers of Attorney, wills, affidavits, declarations and notarial acts; certificates of incorporation and other documents issued by Companies House; export certificates; documents from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC); national identification certificates and disclosure documents; medical documents; foreign language translations of UK documents. For more detailed information on the documents that can be legalised, visit the Legalisation Office website.
If you have a foreign document that requires legalisation you should contact the relevant Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in London.
How is a document legalised?
The Legalisation Office official will check the signature, seal or stamp that appears on the document against their database and then attach an apostille (legalisation certificate) which confirms it is genuine.
How can I have my documents legalised?
The document can be sent by post or taken in person to the public counter of the Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes:
The Legalisation Office Norfolk House (West) 437 Silbury Boulevard Milton Keynes MK9 2AH
You can do it yourself, or if you prefer, we can do it for you.
How much does it cost?
The FCO currently charges £28.80 per document. We charge only £40 including VAT for our service, plus the foreign office fee.
