How to get UK documents apostilled when you are already living abroad
You are already overseas. A foreign authority has just told you that a UK document needs an apostille before they will accept it. The document is back in the UK - or maybe you have it with you but there is no FCDO office where you are. Either way, you need to get a UK apostille without being in the UK. It happens more often than most people realise, and the solution is simpler than it sounds.
The FCDO only apostilles in the UK
The FCDO Legalisation Office is based in Milton Keynes. There is no overseas equivalent. A UK apostille can only be issued there - not at a British Embassy or Consulate abroad. This means the document must physically be in the UK for the apostille to be obtained. If the document is with you overseas, it needs to be sent back to the UK. If the document is already in the UK - held by a family member, a solicitor or a service provider - the process can begin without it needing to travel to you first.
Option one: someone in the UK handles it for you
A family member, friend or professional apostille service provider based in the UK can manage the process on your behalf. They receive or collect the document, arrange solicitor certification if required, submit to the FCDO, and post the apostilled document to you overseas. This is the most common route for people living abroad.
Option two: use a professional service
A registered apostille service provider can handle everything remotely. You send the document to their UK office - or have a family member drop it off - and they manage solicitor certification, FCDO submission and return shipping. Many providers offer international tracked courier for the return leg.
If the document needs solicitor certification
Documents that carry no government wet-ink signature - degrees, diplomas and commercial documents - must be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public before FCDO submission. This must happen in person in the UK. A solicitor cannot certify a document they have not physically examined. If the document is overseas, it must be sent to the UK first.
How long it takes from abroad
Allow for international postage both ways, plus solicitor certification if needed, plus FCDO processing at approximately ten working days, plus embassy attestation if the destination is outside the Hague Convention. Total timeline from abroad is typically four to six weeks. Express and next-day apostille services are available once the document reaches the UK. Call our team on +44 203 957 9800 and we will manage the entire process remotely - from receiving your document in the UK through to courier delivery wherever you are in the world.