How long does it take to get an ACRO police certificate apostilled?

If you have a visa appointment, an employment start date, or a residency application deadline, the most pressing question about your ACRO Police Certificate is not how to legalise it - it is how long it will take. The answer depends on three variables: whether you already have the original certificate, how quickly the FCDO processes your application, and whether your destination also requires embassy attestation.

If you do not yet have the certificate: 2 to 20 working days

The ACRO Criminal Records Office offers two service levels. The premium service takes approximately two working days and is the right choice for anyone facing an imminent deadline. The standard service takes approximately twenty working days. Only the original certificate with a wet-ink signature and a date can be apostilled - photocopies and digital copies are rejected because they carry no original signature or stamp for the FCDO to authenticate. If you are ordering a replacement because the original has been lost or damaged, factor the ordering time in before anything else.

FCDO apostille processing: approximately 10 working days

Once the original certificate is ready for submission, the standard FCDO postal service takes approximately ten working days at a cost of £45 per document. During peak periods - particularly summer - this can extend to fifteen or twenty working days. An original ACRO certificate bearing a wet-ink signature from an authorised official goes directly to the FCDO without any solicitor certification required. The FCDO authenticates the wet-ink signature, seal or stamp on the document and attaches the apostille - a physical paper certificate - to the back of the original.

For Hague Convention destinations: done at this stage

For countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention - which includes most of Europe, the USA, Australia and the majority of Commonwealth nations - the apostille is the final step. Total time from ordering a replacement certificate through to receiving the apostilled original is typically three to five weeks using the standard service throughout, or as little as two to three weeks using the premium ACRO service.

For non-Hague destinations: add 2 to 3 more weeks

For countries outside the Hague Convention - including the UAE, Qatar and others - embassy attestation is required after the apostille. The UAE Embassy in London, for example, processes attestations in approximately eight to ten working days with no expedited option available. This adds two to three weeks to the overall timeline. For the UAE specifically, MOFA digital attestation in the UAE follows the Embassy step. Factor all stages in when working back from a deadline.

The bottom line on timing

For a Hague destination with the original certificate already in hand: three to four weeks total. For a non-Hague destination requiring embassy attestation: five to seven weeks. For any situation where a replacement certificate is also needed: add two to twenty working days at the front. Call our team on +44 203 957 9800 as early as possible - the sooner the process starts, the more options there are. Our team can order a replacement ACRO certificate on your behalf and, where eligible, provide a next-day apostille service, significantly reducing the overall timeline.