Apostille for a UK Marriage Certificate

An apostille is a stamped official certificate attached by the FCDO Legalisation Office to a UK public document. This page sets out, from the confirmed gov.uk guidance, what that means for a UK marriage certificate: the service types, the fees and the processing times.

What an apostille is

The FCDO Legalisation Office attaches an apostille to a UK public document after checking the document’s signature or seal against its records. The result is the stamped official certificate.

What “legalised” means

A document is legalised when it was issued by a UK public official or certified by one, such as a UK notary or solicitor. The examples gov.uk gives include a power of attorney, a contract and a copy of a qualification certificate.

Paper apostille vs e-Apostille

There are two types of apostille, and both are applied for online:

• Paper-based — the application goes by post, or in person for registered businesses.
• e-Apostille — a PDF signed electronically by a UK notary or solicitor.

An e-Apostille is not available for birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates or other General Register Office documents. It is also not available for ACRO police certificates (England and Wales), DBS certificates (England and Wales), disclosure certificates (Scotland and Northern Ireland) or fingerprint certificates.

A UK marriage certificate is on that excluded list, so the paper-based type is the route that applies to it. And even where an e-Apostille does exist, check whether the receiving authority wants a paper-based document — some do.

Fees

Per document:

Courier costs apply to paper-based apostilles. If a document cannot be legalised, there is no refund.

Apostille processing times

Because a marriage certificate cannot get an e-Apostille, the paper-based times are the ones that apply, and courier or postage comes on top of them.

How to apply for apostille

You apply online for both the paper-based and the e-Apostille services. The paper-based route works by post, or in person for registered businesses; for the exact posting and return arrangements, check the current application instructions on gov.uk.

FAQ

Can a UK marriage certificate get an e-Apostille?

No. Marriage certificates are on the exclusion list, together with other General Register Office documents and certain police, DBS, disclosure and fingerprint certificates.

What does the paper-based apostille cost?

How long does it take?

What does the FCDO check before attaching the apostille?

The FCDO Legalisation Office checks the document’s signature or seal against its records, then attaches the stamped official certificate.

What this page does not cover

Replacement certificates, certified translation, embassy legalisation for individual countries and country-specific acceptance rules are not covered by the confirmed facts summarised here, so they need separate confirmation before you rely on them.

This page is for general information only and is not legal advice.