Apostille

If you are asked to produce a legal document outside the UK you are required, under the Hague Convention, to produce an Apostille.

An Apostille certificate authenticates the signature of the UK public official who has signed a document you hold and deems the document to be a legal entity. The Apostille certificate is attached to the original document and is dated, numbered and registered.

Whilst the Apostille is a recognised certificate for member states of the Hague Convention, many of countries that are not members recognise the authentication of the Apostille.

Procedure

The procedure varies from country to country. The United Kingdom legalisation is carried out by the Legalisation department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Our procedure is as follows:

• A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation is created by a Solicitor or Notary.
• It is sent or delivered for same day service to the Legalisation department
• The document and Apostille are collected or returned from the Legalisation department
• We send you the document and its Apostille certificate.

The Apostille consists of the following:

• Name of the country from which the document emanates;
• Names of person signing the document;
• The capacity in which the person signing the document has acted;
• In the case of unsigned documents, the name of the authority which has affixed the seal or stamp;
• Place of certification;
• Date of certification;
• The authority issuing the certificate;
• Number of certificate;
• Seal or stamp of authority issuing certificate;
• Signature of authority issuing certificate.

Fees

The charges included in our £65 fee (postal service) or £250 fee (same day service) are the charge of £27 levied by the Legalisation department of the Foreign and Commonwealth office for the Apostille and the solicitor and Notaries charge (£5 – 50) for creating a certified copy of the document.

If you require an overseas delivery there will be an additional charge for DHL or Royal Mail Swift Air Services.