Apostille United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
Apostille on British documents is issued by a single authority — the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office). We obtain an apostille on documents from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland without your visit: preparation and notarisation by a British notary public or solicitor, submission to the FCDO, translation and courier delivery.
What is a British apostille?
A British apostille is a stamp (certificate) of a prescribed form, the content and purpose of which are defined by the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. The apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature and the capacity of the person who signed the document, as well as the authenticity of the seal of the issuing authority — but not the content of the document itself.
The United Kingdom is one of the three founding countries of the apostille system: it ratified the Convention on 21 August 1964, and the Convention entered into force on 24 January 1965 — from this date the British apostille is valid. It was the deposit of the British ratification (together with Yugoslavia and France) that brought the Convention into operation.
The British apostille is issued in English and French — as required by the Convention (mandatory heading “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)”).
Who issues an apostille in the United Kingdom?
Unlike Spain, the Czech Republic or Germany, where the competence is divided among several authorities, in the United Kingdom only one authority issues the apostille — the FCDO Legalisation Office. Neither a court, a notary, a local council, nor a UK consulate can issue an apostille.
- FCDO Legalisation Office, PO Box 6255, Milton Keynes, MK10 1XX — accepting documents by post from all over the country;
- helpline phone number: 03700 00 22 44, official service page — gov.uk/get-document-legalised;
- expedited channels (next working day and urgent «same-day» service) are available only to registered business clients of FCDO — that is, through a professional representative, not through regular submission by a private individual;
- documents from Gibraltar, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and other British Overseas Territories are apostilled by their own designated authorities, not by the FCDO in Milton Keynes.
Important about Scotland: there is no separate «Scottish apostille». Documents issued in Edinburgh or Glasgow (including certificates from the National Records of Scotland and diplomas from Scottish universities) are apostilled by the same FCDO.
Deadlines and cost of apostille in the UK (relevant for 2026)
| FCDO Service | State fee per document | Processing time |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (by post) — available to all | £45 + post/courier | usually up to 25 working days + delivery |
| e-Apostille (electronic apostille) | £35 | up to 2 working days |
| “Next working day” (registered business clients only) | £40 | next working day |
| Restricted Urgent service (business clients only) | £100 | same day |
Only official FCDO fees are shown. The following are paid additionally (if required): notary/solicitor certification, obtaining the document itself (e.g., ACRO certificate or Companies House extract), sworn translation, courier delivery.
Pay attention to the actual timeframe. The standard postal service is officially stated as «up to 25 business days» — that’s about 5 weeks, and during peak season (summer) the wait is even longer. Therefore, when a document is needed by a specific date (visa, court, transaction, enrollment), we work through the FCDO business channel and complete it in 1–3 business days instead of a month.
Which documents FCDO apostilles and which it does not
The apostille is placed on UK public documents: birth, marriage, civil partnership, death and adoption certificates (General Register Office / National Records of Scotland), criminal record checks ACRO Police Certificate and DBS, diplomas and transcripts (with prior confirmation from the educational institution), extracts and constitutional documents from Companies House, HMRC documents (including Certificate of Residence), medical certificates from registered doctors (GMC), court orders, powers of attorney and constitutional documents certified by a notary public or solicitor.
The apostille is not placed directly on private documents without UK official certification: contracts, powers of attorney, copies of passports, employer certificates, translations. Such a document is first certified by a notary public or solicitor, and the apostille then confirms the signature of that notary/solicitor — a specimen of which is held in the FCDO database.
Electronic Apostille (e-Apostille) in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom issues electronic apostilles — a digital certificate attached to an electronic document with a qualified signature. Fee: £35, processing time: up to 2 working days, which is many times faster than the paper postal procedure. More about this technology on the page: Electronic apostille. E-apostille.
Two limitations you need to know in advance:
- e-Apostille cannot be obtained for birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates (and any other General Register Office documents), as well as for ACRO, DBS certificates and fingerprint certificates — only paper apostille;
- electronic apostilles are accepted by not all countries: some authorities abroad still require a paper document with a physical seal. Before ordering, we check the requirements of the receiving authority — otherwise the fast and cheap e-Apostille would have to be redone as a paper one.
Text of the UK Apostille
English language (original)
APOSTILLE
(Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)
1. Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
This public document
2. has been signed by ___________________________
3. acting in the capacity of ________________
4. bears the seal / stamp of ________________
Certified
5. at __________________ 6. the __________________
7. by Her/His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
8. No ____________________
9. Seal / stamp ________________ 10. Signature ________________
Translation of the British apostille into Russian
APOSTILLE (Hague Convention of 5 October 1961)
1. Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
This public document
2. Signed: __________________ (last name, first name)
3. Acting in the capacity of: _________________ (position)
4. Certified by seal / stamp: ________________
Certified
5. Place: __________________ 6. Date: __________________
7. By: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
8. No. ____________________
9. Seal / stamp ________________ 10. Signature ________________
(note from BUSINESS LIGA SRL: the British apostille is issued as a separate certificate sheet, attached to the document, and contains a unique number for verification with the FCDO.)
Is an apostille needed for British documents for EU countries?
Yes, it is needed. Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, which abolished the apostille between EU countries for certain civil status documents, does not apply to British documents after Brexit. Therefore, a birth certificate from England for use, for example, in Spain, Germany or Romania still requires an FCDO apostille. The reverse situation is on the page When an Apostille is Not Needed.
For countries not party to the Hague Convention (UAE before accession, Qatar, Vietnam, etc.), an apostille is not suitable — consular legalization is required: FCDO + consulate of the destination country in London.
Can an apostille be obtained at the UK consulate?
According to the Hague Convention, an apostille on British documents cannot be obtained at a UK consulate abroad. It does not matter where the consulate is located — in Moldova, Ukraine, Italy, or Germany: the apostille is only affixed by the designated authority within the country, i.e., the FCDO Legalisation Office. The British consulate may only certify a copy or signature (notarial acts), but this is not an apostille.
Frequently Asked Questions about the UK Apostille
Do I need to travel to the UK to get an apostille?
No. We work remotely: we receive the document (or order a duplicate from GRO/ACRO/Companies House), arrange certification by a notary or solicitor, submit to FCDO, and send the completed apostilled document by courier to any country.
How long is the UK apostille valid?
The apostille itself is indefinite — the Convention does not set a validity period. Restrictions are imposed by the receiving party: for example, a criminal record certificate or extract from the register is often required to be “no older than 3–6 months”, and the “aging” applies to the document, not the apostille.
Is the apostille affixed to the original or to a copy?
FCDO apostilles the original British public document or a copy certified by a British notary or solicitor. A plain photocopy without such certification is not accepted.
Should the document be translated before apostille?
As a rule, no: first apostille, then translation — together with the apostille. The translation is then certified according to the requirements of the destination country (sworn/notarised translation). If the requirement is the opposite — apostille on the translation — the translation is first certified by a British notary, and the apostille confirms their signature.
How to verify a UK apostille?
By the unique certificate number — via a request to the FCDO Legalisation Office; an electronic apostille is verified by digital signature and the link in the file itself. What to do if the apostille is still not accepted — read on the page Non-recognition of the apostille by members of the Hague Convention.
Order an apostille for UK documents
We obtain British documents and the FCDO apostille without your presence — including re-obtaining GRO certificates, ACRO/DBS certificates, Companies House extracts, notarization, and sworn translation into the required language.
Phone / WhatsApp / Viber / Telegram: +373 67 666 333 · write to WhatsApp · Order an apostille · contact form · contacts
See also: Apostille countries · What is an apostille · Frequent questions about apostille
Sources (official)
gov.uk — Get your document legalised (FCDO fees and processing times) · HCCH — table of participants of the 1961 Convention (date of entry into force for the UK — 24.01.1965). Data verified in July 2026; FCDO government fees change periodically — we confirm the current amount upon ordering.
Apostille in other European countries
Apostille Ireland · Apostille Portugal · Apostille France · Apostille Spain · Apostille Czech Republic · Apostille Poland · Apostille Belgium · Apostille Germany · Apostille Croatia · Apostille Slovakia · Apostille Serbia
BUSINESS LIGA SRL · apostille.expert · +373 67 666 333 — material has been checked and published in full.