FAQs

An apostille is an official certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to authenticate public documents for use in countries part of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. It confirms the authenticity of signatures, seals, or stamps, ensuring international recognition.

FCDO stands for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is a UK government department responsible for managing the country’s foreign relations, international development aid, and consular services. The FCDO works to protect the UK’s interests abroad, support global peace and prosperity, and assist British citizens overseas.

It was formed in September 2020 through the merger of two departments:

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
• Department for International Development (DFID)
  

The FCDO plays a key role in diplomacy, trade, humanitarian aid, and tackling global issues like climate change and poverty.

Eligible documents include:

• General Register Office (GRO) Certificates: Birth, marriage, civil ceremony, death certificates, or adoption certificates issued by the GRO. Must be originals or official registrar copies (e.g., green/red forms).
• Criminal Record Checks: ACRO, NPCC, ICPC, DBS, or Disclosure Scotland certificates signed by an official.
• Court Documents: Documents with a wet ink court seal, such as Decree Absolute/Nisi or Last Will & Testament.
• Government-Issued Documents: HMRC letters, Certificates of Residency, or Companies House documents (e.g., Certificates of Incorporation, Good Standing).
• Academic Documents: Degrees, Masters, PhDs, PGCE, A-Levels, GCSEs, or professional qualifications, often requiring solicitor/notary certification.
• Notarised/Solicitor-Certified Documents: Powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts, passports, driving licences, or Deed Polls signed by a UK notary or solicitor.
• Medical Documents: Certificates signed by a registered doctor with a wet ink signature (not copies). Documents must be UK-issued; foreign documents require legalisation in their country of origin.

No, the FCDO only apostilles original documents or official registrar copies. Photocopies or scans, even if certified by a solicitor or notary, are not accepted for documents like birth, marriage, or death certificates. For example, birth certificates must be originals or GRO-issued replacements on green/red forms.

Both short and long UK birth certificates can be apostilled, but the long version (including parents’ names) is preferred by most overseas authorities. Ensure you confirm with the requesting authority. The FCDO attaches the apostille to the original or official GRO copy.

Notarisation: A notary public verifies the authenticity of signatures, certifies copies, or witnesses document execution. It ensures a document is genuine or properly executed, often required for documents like powers of attorney or academic certificates before further legalisation.

Legalisation: The process of authenticating a document for international use. In the UK, this typically means obtaining an apostille from the FCDO for Hague Convention countries or additional embassy attestation for non-Hague countries. Legalisation confirms the document’s validity abroad.

Attestation: A broader term for certifying a document’s authenticity, often used interchangeably with legalisation. For non-Hague countries, attestation may involve further verification by foreign embassies after an apostille or notarisation. For example, Hague Apostille notes that countries like the UAE require embassy attestation post-apostille.

Authentication: The act of verifying a document’s signatures, seals, or content, forming the basis of notarisation or legalisation. The FCDO authenticates UK public documents via apostille, ensuring they are recognised internationally. In practice, notarisation often precedes legalisation (apostille), while attestation may follow for specific countries. Authentication underpins all these processes.

Important Information for Apostille Submission - Prevent Delays

Ensure a smooth and fast apostille process with Fast Track Apostille’s expert UK document legalisation services. To avoid delays, please follow these guidelines when submitting documents for apostille certification.

Certified Documents

For documents certified by a solicitor or
notary public, provide the signatory’s contact details, including:

• Full name
• Email address
• Place of practice (e.g., law firm or notary office). This information is crucial for verifying signatures with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). If your document includes a notarial or solicitor cover sheet, confirm that each underlying document meets the destination country’s requirements.

Medical Documents

For medical certificates signed by a
registered UK medical practitioner, include the signatory’s contact details:

• Full name
• Email address

Place of practice (e.g., hospital or clinic) These details enable us to verify the signature efficiently, ensuring compliance with FCDO standards for document legalisation.

Education Certificates

All UK education certificates (e.g., degrees, GCSEs, A-Levels) must be:

• Signed, certified, and dated by a UK solicitor, notary public, or British Council official.
• Original qualifications if certified by the British Council (not available at all locations; verify with your local British Council). Uncertified or improperly certified education documents will be rejected, delaying your apostille process.

Photocopies

We cannot accept photocopies of the following UK documents for apostille:

• Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership, or adoption certificates
• Police or disclosure certificates (e.g., ACRO, Disclosure Scotland, Access NI, DBS) This applies even if photocopies are attached to other documents or certified under a cover sheet. Submit original documents or official registrar copies to ensure FCDO approval.

Marriage Certificates

For original marriage certificates signed by a Minister of Religion or Authorised Person, provide contact details for:

• The signatory, or
• The ceremony location (e.g., church or registry office) Include their email address to facilitate signature verification. This ensures your marriage certificate is apostilled quickly and meets international requirements.

Laminated or Hard-Backed Documents

Laminated or hard-backed documents cannot be legalised, as the apostille certificate cannot be securely attached. To proceed:

Remove the laminate or hard backing, or

Obtain a replacement document without these features (e.g., from the GRO or issuing authority) Our same-day apostille service can process replacement documents efficiently once compliant.

Incomplete Documents

Multi-page documents must include all pages referenced in the certification. Missing pages will result in rejection by the FCDO. Before submitting:

• Verify that all pages are included.
• Ensure certifications cover all relevant pages. Our team at Fast Track Apostille checks submissions to minimize delays, but complete documentation is essential.

Why Choose Fast Track Apostille?

With over 83 five-star Trustpilot reviews, Fast Track Apostille offers rapid, reliable, and FCDO-approved apostille services. Our same-day and next-day options ensure your documents are legalised quickly for international use. Order online at www.fasttrackapostille.co.uk or
contact us at support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk for expert guidance.

Prevent delays today: Follow these guidelines and trust Fast Track Apostille for seamless UK document legalisation.

Generally your documents do not need to be additionally certified if they have been issued by one of the following and have a wet ink signature / seal on them:

• court and sealed with a wet ink court seal
• public registry, such as birth, marriage or death certificate, or a company certificate issued by Companies House
• government department and signed by an official, such as a letter of confirmation of tax registration
• registered doctor, such as a medical certificate signed by a doctor

Please check if your document needs additional certification prior to the apostille: https://fasttrackapostille.co.uk/pages/all-documents

For certifying documents in the UK, you can use either a UK solicitor or a Notary Public. If the document is intended for use abroad, a Notary Public is typically required, as they are trained to certify documents for international jurisdictions. Always confirm with the receiving party which certification they accept to avoid delays or extra costs.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) may reject a document if the signature or seal is not in their database. The issue can be resolved in various ways depending on the document type, but resubmission will incur a cost. Additionally, any further certification needed to rectify the rejection will also involve a fee.

The legalisation process can be expensive, but we strive to offer reasonable fees and provide discounts for batches of over 5 documents. For a personalised quote on a large number of documents, email support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk with:

Type of documents

Number of documents

Country of issuance

Desired turnaround time

Your current location

Your phone number

A staff member will contact you with a tailored price.

You can get an e-apostille for certain documents, but note the following:

Exclusions: Not all documents qualify for e-apostilles, and paper-based originals must be submitted to the FCDO. Excluded documents include:

• General Register Office (GRO) documents (birth, death, marriage, civil partnership, adoption certificates)
• ACRO Police certificates (England and Wales)
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificates (England and Wales)
• Disclosure certificates (Scotland or Northern Ireland)
• Fingerprint certificates
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) membership certificates

Electronic Notarisation: Documents must be electronically notarised before submission for e-apostilling.

Electronic Format Only: E-notarised/e-apostilled documents are valid only in electronic format and cannot be presented as printed copies.

To proceed with e-apostilling, email support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk and we’ll guide you through the process from start to finish.

We offer three apostille service options based on processing time:

1. Express Service: Express service, with your document ready in 3 working days.
2. Next Day: Expedited option, ensuring your document is legalised and ready for collection or postage by 4:30 PM the next working day.
3. Same Day Service (Restricted Urgent Service): Restricted Urgent Service, requiring pre-approval from the FCDO, with apostille completed by 4:30 PM on the day we receive your documents. Learn more about Restricted Urgent Service.

Note: Processing times exclude additional time for postage, certification, or other tasks required for legalisation. If the FCDO rejects a document, processing may face delays depending on the issue’s complexity. For Next Day services, documents must be received by 10:30 AM. For Same Day Service, documents must be received by 9:00 AM at the Kentish Town office or by 11:15 AM at the Milton Keynes office.

Generally, your documents can be certified by either a UK solicitor or a notary public. For use abroad, a notary public is recommended, as a solicitor’s authority is typically limited to England and Wales.

While solicitor-certified documents can be apostilled in the UK, they may be rejected abroad. Always confirm with the receiving party what certification they accept to avoid issues.

We can provide scanned copies of your documents for £12 per document. Please email support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk to request this, and we’ll add a note to your order.

To have your document notarised, we require:

1. A valid copy of your passport.
2. Proof of address dated within the last three months.

Please email these documents to support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk when placing your order. We will verify their authenticity. Depending on the document type, the notary may request additional verification or information. Please send a scanned copy of the document to the email address above or present it in person for review prior to notarisation. Any payment required for notary services must be made directly to the notary.

We are pleased to offer comprehensive support for embassy legalisations. Please send your inquiry and contact details to support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk, or visit https://fasttrackapostille.co.uk/pages/embassy-attestation for more details. Our manager will reach out with detailed information about the process and pricing.

Certain documents, including academic certificates, powers of attorney, and passports, typically require notarisation or solicitor certification prior to apostille to verify their authenticity.

In contrast, documents such as GRO (General Register Office) certificates, ACRO (Criminal Records Office) checks, and Companies House records usually do not need additional certification, as they are issued and signed by recognised UK officials.

Yes, Northern Ireland birth certificates can be legalised by the FCDO in England. Send the original or an official registrar copy to us with the order number

For non-Hague Convention countries (e.g., UAE), an apostille may be required as a first step, followed by embassy attestation. Confirm with the destination country’s authority, as some, like the UAE, use digital attestation services.

It depends on the requesting authority. You can get:

A single apostille for a group of related documents (e.g., academic records bound as a set).

A separate apostille for each document if required. Confirm with the recipient to avoid extra costs.

Verification: Recipients can verify an apostille’s authenticity at www.gov.uk/verify-apostille using the unique apostille number.

FCDO Legalisation Office: Visit ww.gov.uk/get-document-legalised or email for guidance.

Notary: Visit www.thenotariessociety.org.uk

Solicitor: Visit www.lawsociety.org.uk

Apostille Services: Visit www.fasttrackapostille.co.uk

Note: Always verify requirements with the foreign authority requesting the document to ensure
compliance

Non-UK residents can use our services , and we accept documents via secure courier (e.g., DHL) and return them internationally. Order online, send documents with the order number , and select DHL Express for return. Email scans are accepted for some documents (e.g., degrees, with verification fees).

You have 3 options to pay:

1. You can either pay online once you place the order through our website

2. If you would like to attend our office to drop your documents off, you can pay on site at our Kentish Town Office

3. For exceptional orders, we can send you an invoice or a payment link.

*Kindly note that we do not accept cash under any circumstances

No. Our fees are solely for the service provided, whether it is certification, legalisation or embassy attestation and do not take into account any postage fees that may incur. When you place an order through our website, you will be given the option to choose your desired postage service and will be able to see the fees for each one.

You will be informed about each stage of the process. To illustrate, you will receive an email confirming receipt of the documents, you will be notified once the documents are being processed and finally when they have been shipped (with tracking number attached) or ready for collection from our office.

Do you have parking available?

Unfortunately, we do not have private parking on site at the moment. However, there are several nearby public parking options available:

• Kentish Town Office - Lady Margaret Road, London NW5 – just around the corner from our office.
• Holborn office - Next to Summit House – public paid parking is available.
• Milton Keynes Office – Next to the station/buss stop- public parking is available and payable.

These locations support cashless payment methods, including the RingGo service and other mobile options like Park by Phone. You can pay for parking using:

RingGo website
RingGo mobile app
RingGo phone line
Parking charges apply and vary by location. Please check signage or the RingGo app for the latest rates and parking codes.

You can deliver your documents in any of the following ways:

• at one of our locations
• using Royal Mail or a similar service
• such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, or any other reliable delivery provider
  Important:
  Please make sure to include a copy of your order confirmation or clearly write your order number on the envelope. This ensures we can quickly identify your documents in our system and avoid delays.

Yes, we are able to dispatch your documents to international addresses via Royal Mail (Signed and Tracked) or DHL.

You will have the option to choose your preferred delivery service during checkout when placing your order on our website.

Currently, we cannot return legalised
documents to Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus due to restrictions. You can have
documents sent to another country and forward them yourself or use the
e-Apostille service for digital delivery