How to check a Ukrainian police certificate is genuine

For a UK public document to be used overseas, the FCDO Legalisation Office can attach an apostille — an official certificate carrying the office’s stamp. Before doing so, staff check the document’s signature or seal against the records held by the office. A document qualifies for legalisation when a UK public official issued it, or when an official such as a solicitor or notary has certified it; examples given on the official page include a power of attorney, a contract and a certified copy of a qualification certificate.

The two kinds of apostille

Both are applied for online:

• Paper-based. The documents go by post, though registered businesses may also hand them in at the office.
• e-Apostille. A PDF that carries the electronic signature of a UK solicitor or notary.

The type matters for police certificates. An e-Apostille cannot be obtained for ACRO police certificates covering England and Wales, nor for DBS certificates in England and Wales, disclosure certificates in Scotland and Northern Ireland, fingerprint certificates, or certificates of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption and other General Register Office documents. For any of these, a paper-based application is the available route.

Costs and timing

Courier charges come into play for paper-based applications, and there is no refund when the office turns out not to be able to legalise a document.

What to check before applying

The requirements of the authority that will receive the document come first: even where an e-Apostille could be obtained, some receiving bodies want a paper-based apostille instead.