Apostille services in Manchester and Bristol

An apostille is a stamped official certificate that the FCDO Legalisation Office attaches to a UK public document after checking the signature or seal against its own records. People in Manchester, Bristol or any other part of the country use the same central process: apostilles are not issued locally, the certificate is added by the FCDO Legalisation Office wherever the document was signed or certified.

What counts as a public document

A document can be legalised when it was issued by a UK public official or certified by one, such as a UK notary or solicitor. Examples include a power of attorney, a contract, and a copy of a qualification certificate that has been certified.

Two types of apostille

Both types are applied for online:

• Paper-based apostille — the document is sent by post, or handed in in person by a registered business.
• e-Apostille — an electronic certificate for a PDF file that has been electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor.

Before choosing, check what the receiving authority wants: some authorities want a paper-based apostille even where an e-Apostille exists.

Documents that cannot get an e-Apostille

You cannot get an e-Apostille for:

• birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, or other General Register Office documents;
• ACRO police certificates (England and Wales);
• DBS certificates (England and Wales);
• disclosure certificates (Scotland and Northern Ireland);
• fingerprint certificates.

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

Fees per document

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

How long it takes

Because costs and waiting times differ by route, check the details on gov.uk when you apply rather than relying on a figure you read earlier.

Where local services fit in

The apostille itself is a central FCDO step, but people in Manchester and Bristol typically handle two things locally first. A document issued by a UK public official — such as a General Register Office certificate — can go straight to the Legalisation Office, while a private document needs to be certified by a UK notary or solicitor before it is eligible. Order replacement certificates from the register office if the original is missing, since a fresh official certificate avoids the question of copies. Whether a receiving authority will accept a certified copy, and what it needs alongside the apostille, is something to confirm with that authority directly.