ACRO Police Certificate Online Application

If a foreign authority has asked for your ACRO police certificate with an apostille, the legalisation rules come from the FCDO Legalisation Office. An apostille is a stamped official certificate: after comparing the signature or seal with their records, officials there attach the apostille to the document.

Why ACRO certificates need the paper route

Some UK documents qualify for the electronic option, but not this one. ACRO police certificates covering England and Wales cannot receive an e-Apostille. The same exclusion covers certificates of birth, death, marriage or civil partnership, adoption certificates and other General Register Office documents, DBS certificates covering England and Wales, disclosure certificates covering Scotland and Northern Ireland, and fingerprint certificates. For all of these, the paper-based apostille is the route.

The two ways to apply

Both kinds of apostille are applied for online. The paper-based one is sent by post, though registered businesses can also apply in person. The e-Apostille is a PDF that carries the electronic signature of a notary or solicitor in the UK — an option ACRO certificates cannot use, as explained above.

What a document must be to qualify

A document can be legalised when it came from a UK public official, or when it has been certified by a notary or solicitor. The official page gives examples such as a power of attorney, a contract, or a qualification certificate copy that a solicitor has certified.

Fees for the paper-based apostille

Per document, the official fees are:

Courier costs apply to the paper-based options. If a document turns out not to be suitable for legalisation, there is no refund of the fee.

How long legalisation takes

For an ACRO certificate, only the paper-based timings matter, and the postal journey in each direction adds further waiting.

One check before you rely on a PDF

For documents that do qualify for the electronic option, the official guidance warns that some receiving authorities still want the paper-based version even if an e-Apostille is available. Before choosing a format, confirm what the authority abroad will accept.

This page gives general information and is not legal advice. Apostilles come only from the FCDO Legalisation Office, and this website is not connected with any government body.