Apostille for an ACRO certificate: legalising it for use outside the UK

An apostille is an official certificate bearing a stamp, and the FCDO Legalisation Office is the body that attaches it to UK public documents. Before attaching it, the office first compares the signature, or the seal, against its own records. A document that has completed this process is described as legalised.

When a document can be legalised

A document qualifies for legalisation when a UK public official issued it, or when such an official has certified it — for example a notary or solicitor in the UK. The examples given on gov.uk are a contract, a power of attorney and a certified copy of a certificate for a qualification.

Two types, one online application

There are two kinds of apostille, and the application is made online for both.

• Paper-based apostille: the documents travel by post, although a registered business may instead bring them in person.
• e-Apostille: an electronic certificate for a PDF that a notary or solicitor in the UK has signed electronically.

Why an ACRO certificate follows the paper route

The exclusion list for e-Apostilles names ACRO police certificates covering England and Wales. Also excluded are fingerprint certificates, DBS certificates from England and Wales, certificates of marriage, birth, death, adoption or civil partnership, disclosure certificates covering Scotland and Northern Ireland, and anything else the General Register Office has issued. An ACRO certificate therefore has to go through the paper-based process, and courier or postage charges come on top of the fee.

Fees for one document

Courier charges arise on paper-based applications. If a document cannot be legalised, the fee is not refunded.

How long each option takes

What the receiving authority expects

Before choosing a route, check what the authority that will receive the document expects: some of them want paper even where an e-Apostille exists.