ACRO certificate FAQ: fees, payment and refunds

If you plan to use an ACRO police certificate from England and Wales abroad, the legalisation options come from the FCDO Legalisation Office, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. This page lists what gov.uk confirms about that process, which documents qualify and what each service costs.

What an apostille is

An apostille is a stamped official certificate that the FCDO Legalisation Office attaches to a UK public document. Before attaching it, the office checks the signature or seal on the document against its own records. A document is legalised when it was issued by a UK public official or has been certified by one, such as a UK notary or solicitor. Examples given on gov.uk include a power of attorney, a contract and a copy of a qualification certificate.

Two application routes

Both types of apostille are applied for online:

• Paper-based apostille — you send the document by post, or hand it in in person if you are a registered business.
• e-Apostille — an electronic certificate for a PDF that has been signed electronically by a UK notary or solicitor.

Before choosing the electronic route, check what the receiving authority expects: gov.uk notes that some authorities want the paper-based version even when an e-Apostille exists.

ACRO certificates and the e-Apostille

An ACRO police certificate for England and Wales is on gov.uk’s list of documents that cannot receive an e-Apostille. The same restriction covers DBS certificates for England and Wales, disclosure certificates for Scotland and Northern Ireland, fingerprint certificates, and birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates or other General Register Office documents. For these documents, the paper-based route is the option that remains.

Fees per document

The FCDO charges per document:

Courier costs apply to paper-based apostilles. Gov.uk also states there is no refund if a document cannot be legalised, so it is worth confirming eligibility before sending an original certificate.

How long each service takes

For an ACRO certificate, the e-Apostille timing does not apply, since that route is closed to police certificates; the relevant figures are the paper-based ones.

In short