Apostille for UK company documents

An apostille is a stamped official certificate. A UK public document receives it when the FCDO Legalisation Office has checked the signature or the seal on the document against its records.

Which company documents can be legalised

A document can be legalised when a UK public official issued it, or when it has been certified by such an official — for example a notary or solicitor in the UK. The examples given on gov.uk are a power of attorney or a contract, together with a qualification certificate supplied as a certified copy.

Where a company has produced the paper itself — a contract it drafted, or a power of attorney it signed — the document becomes eligible once a UK public official has certified it.

Two types, both applied for online

Applications for both types are made online. For the paper-based type, the document is sent by post, or it can be brought in person by registered businesses. For the e-Apostille, the document is a PDF signed electronically by a notary or solicitor in the UK.

Documents the e-Apostille does not cover

Some documents are always outside the e-Apostille route:

• certificates of birth, death and marriage, together with certificates of civil partnership and adoption, and every other General Register Office document;
• ACRO police certificates issued in England and Wales;
• DBS certificates issued in England and Wales;
• fingerprint certificates;
• disclosure certificates issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

For these documents, the paper-based route is the one that applies.

Fees

A courier or postage charge is added for paper-based apostilles, and there is no refund when a document cannot be legalised.

How long each service takes

Before you apply

Before applying, ask the authority that will receive the document what it accepts: some of them still want a paper-based apostille when an e-Apostille is possible.