Ukrainian police certificate for adoption, guardianship and fostering

What an apostille is

An apostille is a stamped official certificate that the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) attaches to a UK public document. Before attaching it, the Office checks the signature or seal on the document against the records it holds.

A document is legalised when it was issued by a UK public official, or when a UK public official has certified it — for example, a UK notary or solicitor. The official guidance gives a few examples of such documents: a power of attorney, a contract, and a copy of a qualification certificate.

The two types of apostille

Applications for both types are made online.

• Paper-based apostille: handled by post, or in person where the applicant is a registered business.
• e-Apostille: an electronic certificate for a PDF that a UK notary or solicitor has signed electronically.

Where adoption certificates and police certificates fall

An e-Apostille cannot be issued for certificates from the General Register Office — including adoption certificates and those recording a birth, a death, a marriage or a civil partnership. The same restriction covers ACRO police certificates (England and Wales), DBS certificates (England and Wales), disclosure certificates (Scotland and Northern Ireland), and fingerprint certificates.

For any document on this list, the paper-based apostille is the route that remains. Because the point matters in practice, it is worth repeating: before applying, check what the receiving authority wants — some of them ask for paper even when an e-Apostille exists for the document.

Costs per document

Courier charges apply to paper-based apostilles. There is no refund when a document cannot be legalised.

How long each option takes