UK police certificate for visa and immigration purposes

What an apostille is

The FCDO Legalisation Office issues the apostille: a stamped, official certificate that it attaches to UK public documents. Before attaching it, the office checks the signature or seal against its own records.

Documents that can be legalised

A document can be legalised when a UK public official issued it, or when a notary or solicitor in the UK certified it. Examples named on gov.uk are a contract, a power of attorney and a qualification certificate supplied as a certified copy.

Two kinds of apostille

You apply for either type online:

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

Police certificates without an e-Apostille

gov.uk excludes these from the e-Apostille:

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

For each of these documents, the paper-based apostille is the only route.

What the receiving authority expects

Before choosing the electronic option, check whether the body that will receive the document insists on paper; gov.uk notes that some do even where an e-Apostille is possible.

Fees per document

Courier charges are an extra that only the paper routes carry. When a document cannot be legalised, the payment is not returned.

How long each option takes