How do I get a UK document legalised for use abroad?

An apostille confirms that the signature, stamp or seal on a UK document is genuine. Which documents can go straight in, which must be notarised first, and what to do for a country outside the Hague Convention.

Difficulty: intermediate
Time: 11 min
Read: 4 min

Short answer

Apply online to the Legalisation Office and post the document. Court documents with a wet ink seal, public registry certificates such as birth and marriage certificates, and letters from government departments can go directly. A power of attorney, a contract, a qualification certificate or a copy of a passport must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor first. There is an electronic apostille route for documents electronically signed by a notary or solicitor.

Legalisation is narrower than people expect: it confirms that a signature, stamp or seal matches the Legalisation Office's records. It says nothing about whether the contents are true. The practical decision is only whether your document is one they can check directly, or one that needs a notary's signature added first so that there is something to check.

Step by step

Check the document is a UK one.The Legalisation Office can only legalise documents issued in the UK. A document issued abroad has to be legalised in the country that issued it.
Work out which tier it falls into.Direct: court documents with an original wet ink seal, public registry documents such as birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates and Companies House certificates, letters from government departments signed by an official, and documents signed by a registered doctor.
Get the certify-first documents notarised.A power of attorney, a contract, a qualification or degree certificate, and copies of documents such as a passport or driving licence all have to be certified by a UK notary or solicitor before they can be legalised. Degree certificates catch people out — they are expressly in this tier.
Apply online and post it.Complete the application on GOV.UK, then post the document to the address you are given after applying. The standard postal service takes several weeks. Faster tiers and in-person submission are for registered businesses, not for individuals.
Consider the electronic apostille.Where a document is a PDF electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor, an electronic apostille is available with a much shorter turnaround. It cannot be used for registry certificates, police certificates or criminal record disclosures from any UK nation.
Budget for the return.There is a fee per document and a separate courier charge for return, which varies by destination. Some destinations cannot be used for return at all. The current fees are on the GOV.UK legalisation pages.
Check whether the destination is in the Hague Convention.If it is, an apostille is the end of the process. The list of member states is maintained by the Hague Conference and is the list GOV.UK itself links to.
For a non-Convention country, follow the three-step chain.Apostille from the Legalisation Office, then a stamp from that country's embassy or consulate in London, then approval by that country's ministry of foreign affairs. Each step has its own fee and timescale.
Do not rely on a British embassy abroad.British embassies, high commissions and consulates cannot legalise documents of any kind. The Legalisation Office is the only UK route.
Allow far more time than you think.Notarisation, postage, legalisation and any embassy step run in sequence. For a non-Convention country the whole chain can take months. Start as soon as you know you need it.
Verify it afterwards if asked.There is a GOV.UK service to verify an apostille using its number and issue date, which is useful when a foreign authority queries it.

Tips

Ask the receiving authority abroad, in writing, exactly what they need. 'Apostille' means different things to different consulates.
Order fresh registry certificates rather than legalising your only copy. They are usually retained.
Ask a notary about the electronic apostille before assuming you have to post anything.

Common mistakes

Sending a photocopy — The office checks a signature, stamp or seal against its records. A copy has nothing for it to check unless a notary has certified and signed it.
Starting a month before you need it — Notarisation, postage and legalisation run in sequence, and a non-Convention country adds two more steps abroad.

If it doesn't work

The document was returned unlegalised

Cause: Usually a photocopy, a printed rather than wet ink seal, or a document needing notarisation first — Fix: Check which tier it belongs to and get it certified by a notary or solicitor if it needs it. Then reapply — the fee is per attempt.

The foreign authority still will not accept it

Cause: The destination is not in the Hague Convention — Fix: You need the embassy stamp and ministry approval as well. Ask the receiving authority in writing exactly what chain they require before spending more.

You need it urgently

Cause: The standard postal service takes weeks — Fix: Ask a notary about the electronic apostille route, which is only available for documents they have electronically signed. It is the only fast option for an individual.

Questions people ask

Does an apostille prove the document is true?

No. It confirms that the signature, stamp or seal is one the Legalisation Office can match against its records. The contents are not checked.

Can I legalise a degree certificate directly?

No. Qualification certificates are expressly in the tier that must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor first.

Is there a same-day service for individuals?

No. The faster services and in-person submission are restricted to registered businesses. Individuals use the standard postal route or the electronic apostille where it applies.

Does it cover Scottish and Northern Irish documents?

Yes — the Legalisation Office is the single UK service and there is no separate Scottish or Northern Irish body. A Scottish document needing certification goes to a Scottish notary first.