Notarisation:

Notarisation in the UK refers to the
process performed by a Notary Public. The role of a Notary Public is to verify
and authenticate documents, administer oaths, and witness signatures. Notarisation
involves the Notary Public confirming the identity of the signatory, ensuring
their capacity to sign, and establishing the authenticity of the document. The
Notary Public then adds their official seal and signature to the document.
Notarisation in the UK primarily serves as evidence that the document is
genuine and can be relied upon in legal matters.

Legalization:

In the UK, the term “legalisation” primarily
refers to the process of authenticating or verifying documents to be legally
recognised and accepted in a foreign country. It is a legal requirement when
presenting official documents in foreign jurisdictions. Typically this would
refer to a document being issued with an apostille for countries that are
members of the Hague Convention of 1961.

For countries that are not members of
the convention, a further legalisation steps may be required, usually from the
respective embassy. This process is also referred to as “attestation”.

Attestation:

 In the UK, attestation refers to the act of
witnessing the signing of a document and adding one's signature and seal to
confirm its authenticity. Attestation is commonly performed by a solicitor or a
notary public. Primarily this term will refer to a document being legalised by
an embassy.

Authentication:

Authentication in the UK involves the
process of verifying the authenticity and validity of a document or the
identity of an individual. The specific procedure for document authentication
may vary depending on the purpose and requirements of the requesting authority
or organization. Generally, authentication may involve obtaining a notarial
certificate from a Notary Public or obtaining an official certification from
the relevant issuing authority, such as a government department or agency. The
purpose of authentication is to establish the reliability and integrity of the
document or the identity of the individual.

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 the government’s website to check if your document needs additional certification prior to the apostille: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised/apply-for-legalisation

Your documents can be certified by either a UK solicitor or a Notary Public. If you intend to use your document abroad, you will most likely need to use a Notary Public for the certification
as they have undergone a certification process training for use across various jurisdictions.

*Please check with the receiving party what certification they will accept before certifying your document to avoid any delays or additional costs.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office may reject a document if the signature / seal on the document is not currently held on their database. This can be rectified in various ways depending on the nature of the document. In case of rejection, we will assist you with the process of resolving the matter free of cost.

*Kindly note that if additional certification is required to rectify the rejection, a fee will apply.

We appreciate that the legalisation process may be very costly, which is why we aim to give reasonable fees and do
offer discounts for a batch of documents (over 5 documents). If you have a large number of documents to be legalised and would like to get a personalised
quote, please email us on admin@fasttracklondon.co.uk with the following information:

 - Type of the documents;

- Number of the documents;

- Country of issuance;

- Desired turnaround time;

- Where you are currently based;

- Your phone number

 Once we receive this information, a member of our staff will be in touch to give you a tailored price for your purposes.

Yes you can, however it is important to note 3 things.

Firstly, not all documents can be e-apostilled and paper-based
originals must be presented to FCDO in order to get an apostille. Please find some of the excluded documents below:

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

Secondly, your documents must be electronically notarised prior to the submission for apostilling.  

And finally, please be aware that a document that has been e-notarised / e-apostilled will be valid ONLY in its electronic format and CANNOT be presented as a printed copy.

If you would like to get your document e-apostilled, kindly send us an email to admin@fasttracklondon.co.uk and we will walk you through the
process beginning to end.

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

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 notarisation, 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.

Yes we are able to dispatch your documents to an address abroad via Royal Mail Signed and Tracked or DHL. You will be given the option to choose your preferred service provider on checkout, once you place an order on our website.

We have three options available for apostilling based on the processing time:

1. 3-5 Working Days - this standard service will allow you to have your document ready within 3-5 working days
2. Next Day - this expedited option guarantees your document to be legalised and ready for collection or postage by 16:00pm on the following working day
3. Premium Same Day - this premium option ensures apostille service by 5pm on the same day we receive the documents

*Kindly note that the processing time does NOT take into account any additional time needed for postage, notarisation or any additional tasks required to complete the legalisation. If, for example,  FCDO rejects the document, depending on the complexity of the issue, the processing of your document may face additional delays.

*If you opt for Same Day or Next Day services, we will need to receive the documents before 11am

Generally, yes, your documents can be certified by either a solicitor or a notary public. However, if you intend to use your documents abroad, it is advisable to have them certified by a notary public because the solicitor’s authority is usually only within England and Wales and although the documents can be apostilled in the UK, there is a high chance it will be rejected once presented abroad. Always double check what the receiving party will accept as valid.

The FCDO may reject your document if the signature on the document is not on their database. In that case we will require the person who has signed the document to register their signature with the FCDO. Alternatively, we can assist with notarisation of the document.

Firstly, the documents will have to be
electronically notarised. To check if your document can be electronically
notarised, please follow the instructions on the government’s guidance page:

https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised/apply-for-legalisation

If your document cannot be
electronically notarised, it cannot be electronically legalised.

If your document can be electronically
notarised, then it can also be electronically legalised. In that case, please
email us at admin@fasttracklondon.co.uk and the Manager will provide you with
further information.

You can either place an order and pay on our website or opt to pay on site. You will also have the option to both place the order and pay at our office.

No, our fees are only for the apostille or notarisation service and does not take into consideration any postage fees. When you place an order online, you will be given the opportunity to choose the postage service you would like to use and the fees for it accordingly.

Yes we are able to dispatch your documents to an address
abroad via Royal Mail Signed and Tracked or DHL. You will be given the option to choose your preferred service provider on checkout, once you place an order
on our website.

We have three options available for
apostilling based on the processing time:

 

3-5 Working Days – this standard service
allow you to have your document ready within 3-5 working days

Next Day – this expedited option
guarantees your document to be processed by 15:30pm on the following working
day

Premium Same Day – the premium option
ensures apostille service by 5pm on the same day we receive the documents.

 

Please note that this timeframe does not
take into consideration notarisation and postage. Additionally, if the FCDO
rejects the document, depending on the complexity of the issue, the processing
of your document may face additional delays.

 

If you opt for Same Day or Next Day
services, we will need to receive the documents before 11am.

Yes, we are more than happy to send you scanned copies of
your documents. Please send us an email to support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk to let us know and we will put a note on your order.

Firstly, we will need a valid copy of your passport and a proof of address dated within the last three months. Therefore, when you place the order, please send us these on support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk

Then, we will verify the authenticity of the documents and you may be required to provide further information depending on the type of document you have. We will need to see the document in advance either in person or a scanned copy sent to our email provided above.

When you prepare the documents please
ensure that you have either printed out the order confirmation or the order
number is written on the envelope so that we can locate you on our system.

 

You can either send the documents by post or drop them off at our office. Please note that we have a letterbox and
you can post the documents at any time. Our office is based at 59 Leighton Road, London NW5 2QH.

We unfortunately do not have a private parking on site currently, but you can park on the closest street to the office, which is Lady Margaret Road, located just around the corner. Parking charges will apply.

Yes, we are happy to provide comprehensive support with embassy legalisations. Please email us your query and contact details on support@fasttrackapostille.co.uk and our Manager will be contact you
with further information regarding the process and pricing.

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.