document legalisation
Legalisation is the process of attaching an apostille certificate to a UK document, to confirm that the original ink signature of the UK public official, and/or the original embossed seal/ink stamp of a UK public office, on the document are genuine. In the UK, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is the sole government entity responsible for issuing apostilles. For other countries it will vary, depending on their rules and regulations.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office was previously called Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The merger was announced by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2020, announcing the FCO and Department for International Development (DFID) to be one.
It is often a requirement by foreign authorities that documents are legalised before they can be used for official purposes in their country.
Legalisation does not certify the authenticity of a document or give foreign and commonwealth office approval of its content.
The legalisation office is the only competent authority in the UK to provide an apostille service according to the requirements of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, and to deliver a legalisation service to those countries not party to the Hague Convention.
You can submit your documents by posting directly to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Please note, the premium service is only available for registered businesses. The standard service may take from 10-15 working days. You will need to make payment online for the standard service (£30), include a return envelope and print the cover letter. We advise sending your documents via special delivery if you wish to do this service yourself.
Obtaining the apostille stamp is a form of document legalisation. Countries not within the Hague Convention will require further embassy legalisation in order for your document to be used in that country.
We work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in order to obtain the Hague apostille. There are some documents that require solicitor certification. Public documents such as Birth, Marriage and Death certificates do not require certification as they are signed by Public Registrars.
apostille stamp
An Apostille is a form of confirmation issued to documents verifying the genuineness of the signature and/or seal of a public officer.
This certificate is usually requested by foreign governments and organisations to use overseas. Once an Apostille has been affixed to your document, it will be valid in member countries of The Hague Convention. We can assist you with UK and Ireland Apostille stamps.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office was previously called Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The merger was announced by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2020, announcing the FCO and Department for International Development (DFID) to be one; now known as FCDO.
It is often a requirement by foreign authorities that documents are legalised before they can be used for official purposes in their country.
Legalisation does not certify the authenticity of a document or give foreign and commonwealth office approval of its content.
The legalisation office is the only competent authority in the UK to provide an apostille service according to the requirements of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, and to deliver a legalisation service to those countries not party to the Hague Convention.
To verify your apostille, you will need to visit the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/verify-apostille
You’ll need:
The date the Apostille was issued
The Apostille number
The Apostille Convention facilitates the circulation of public documents executed in one Contracting Party to the Convention and to be produced in another. With this, it replaces the formalities of a full legalisation process between the parties in the convention.
The countries in the Hague Convention as follows:
Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Servia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zimbabwe
Irish apostille
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are the only government body responsible for issuing Irish apostille/authentication stamps. There are offices based in Dublin and Cork.
Authentication Section
Consular Division
Department of Foreign Affairs
80 St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
D02 VY53
The fee is €40 per stamp issued
You can verify an Irish apostille through the following link:
https://www.authentications.dfat.ie/eseries/uiid770489409/aps301.xsp?t=1669826935483
You will need the following information:
Date issued:
Apostille number:
Yes, embassies across the UK will accept Irish documents bearing the apostille/authentication stamp from the DFA.
UAE PCC
Aspire Attestation can apply for a UAE Police Clearance/Good conduct certificate. Alternatively, you can do this yourself:
You can apply for the certificate online through the Ministry of Interior’s website here: www.moi.gov.ae/en
You can also visit one of the Ministry of Interior’s service centres. Once you have provided all the relevant documents (list found below) they will issue you with the certificate
If you are based in Dubai, the service is available through the Dubai Police website here: www.dubaipolice.gov.ae
You can also visit one of the offices of Dubai Police to obtain your certificate
Alternatively, you can download either the MOI UAE or Dubai Police app, via the Apple store or Google Play and apply through your mobile phone.
1. A valid emirates ID card
2. A letter from the beneficiary stating that he/she does not have any pending convictions
3. A recent passport-sized photograph
4. A copy of the applicant’s passport
If you are no longer a resident of the UAE, you will need to obtain a fingerprint report card from the country you are residing in. A fingerprint report card is an official report from the police department concerned, which verifies the identity of a person based on his/hers biometrics and decimal fingerprint. At Aspire we can assist you with getting your fingerprints report attested by the UAE embassy in the UK.
Once you have this, you will need to have it attested by the UAE embassy in that country. You can then send your request for PCC online through the Ministry of Interior portal at: https://portal.moi.gov.ae or through the Dubai Police website: www.dubaipolice.gov.ae
China Legalisation
The legalisation process is a three step process:
1. Certification – this is usually carried out by a solicitor or notary public
2. Apostille Certificate – this is done by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
3. Legalisation – this is completed by the Chinese embassy
Submission of documents is done through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre as the embassy no longer deals with face-to-face applications.
Yes, an Apostille is a requirement in the legalisation process because without one you cannot have your document legalised by the Chinese embassy; it is a prerequisite.
Documents need to be submitted to the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre. This is because the Chinese embassy no longer handles legalisation services in person. The London branch is located in 12 Old Jewry, London, EC2R 8DU.
No, China is not a member of the Hague Convention of abolishing the requirement to legalise foreign public documents. This means that UK documents to be used in China require legalisation in order to be recognised in China.
UK documents that are desired to be used in a foreign country require legalisation unless the country of interest is party to the Hague Convention.
The purpose of this is to authenticate documents as genuine from the UK government along with the Chinese embassy consular department.
The attestation process can be completed yourself or by us on your behalf.
Egypt Legalisation
The Egyptian Consulate General in London is the only official body that can finalise the legalisation process of UK documents to be used in Egypt.
However, there are pre-requisites: certifying the document and then presenting to the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) to acquire an Apostille stamp.
This can be done by yourself or by sending your documents to us.
Documents like educational certificates may be required by an employer if you are looking to move to Egypt. In this case legalisation will be needed.
If you are a doctor from Egypt, you are required to attest a confirmation/employment letter from the hospital you work at. This is required by the health ministry in Egypt in order to continue your doctor’s license. This is a document that will need to be legalised by the Egyptian embassy.
If you are involved in any kind of business or legal transactions with entities based in Egypt, you will need to get your UK documents legalised by the Egyptian Embassy. This is necessary because the Egyptian authorities do not accept any foreign documents that have not been attested by their embassy in the country where the document was created.
It takes 5 days on average to complete the legalisation process. This includes having the document certified, authenticated by the FCDO, and Egyptian attestation.
£150 is the starting price for the attestation of UK documents from the Egyptian embassy.
The legalisation process is 3 steps:
1. Certification – this involves a solicitor or notary whereby they sign and stamp the document
2. Apostille – this consists of presenting the document to the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) for authentication
3. Egyptian Embassy – the final step includes submitting the document to the Egyptian Consulate General in London for the Egyptian stamp.
A power of attorney is a document that gives someone else the legal authority to act on your behalf. To use a power of attorney in Egypt, it must be attested by the Egyptian Consulate in London. The power of attorney can then be used to allow someone else to handle your affairs while you are unable to do so yourself.
The only requirement is the document itself. Other than this no other information is required to have documents legalised for use in Egypt.
Document legalisation is the process of verifying that a document is genuine and has been issued by a recognised body in the UK. This verification can be done by a solicitor, Notary Public or other authorised person prior to being legalised by the UK Foreign Office and Egyptian embassy.
We can attest UK documents for use in Egypt for you. All that is required from you is to send us your documents either original or scanned copies.
UK documents require attestation from London to be used in Egypt.
Egypt is not a member of the Hague Convention, so documents originating from the UK must be attested before they can be used there.
In order for UK documents to be recognised by Egyptian authorities, attestation is a requirement to authenticate a document has been issued by a recognised body in the UK.
Kuwait Legalisation
UK documents desired to be used in Kuwait will need to be attested by the Kuwait Embassy in London.
The attestation process, however, can be fulfilled by anyone.
Yes, you can. But our team’s expertise will save you time and money by avoiding common mistakes. This is because companies are given priority, for example, getting the Apostille stamp from the FCDO takes 1-2 days, whereas individuals may be required to wait up to 3 weeks.
Yes, you can courier your documents or send scanned copies of certain documents to us and we can get your documents attested for you.
The process of legalising UK documents for use in Kuwait takes up to 5 days.
The first step is to have the document certified by a UK solicitor or notary public (does not apply for all documents), which is done in day 1.
The second step requires the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) to authenticate the UK document and to affix an Apostille stamp on the document. This takes 1-2 days.
The final step includes the Kuwait embassy where they stamp the document, which is done in 1 day.
£120 is the starting price for a document to be legalised by the Embassy of Kuwait in London.
Generally, the legalisation process is 3 steps:
1. Certification – this is when a UK solicitor or notary signs a document and declares if it is an original or true copy of an original
2. Apostille – this step involves the UK Foreign Office as they authenticate a UK document for use in a foreign country
3. Embassy Legalisation – the last step is to have the document presented to the Kuwait Embassy in London whereby an official will attest the document.
This is the full process of having a UK document legalised for use in Kuwait.
Document legalisation may be required by you from an official in Kuwait, often an employer. The main purpose of this is to authenticate UK documents to be valid in Kuwait. For example, your employer in Kuwait may ask you to have your degree legalised so it is recognised in Kuwait. Another example could be if you are looking to move to Kuwait with your family; you may need to have the birth certificates of your children legalised along with your marriage certificate.
The legalisation process is a requirement to authenticate a UK document has been issued in the UK. Without the Kuwait embassy stamp a UK document will have no value in Kuwait.
We understand that time is often of the essence when you are getting your paperwork taken care of, so we will do whatever it takes to make sure that things run smoothly from beginning to finish. We work diligently with a network of embassies across London so we can process your documents with ease.
The only requirement is your document/s. The legalisation process does not involve any other details.
The legalisation of documents is the process of authenticating that a document has been issued in the UK. This is then further attested by the Kuwaiti embassy to enable the document to be recognised in Kuwait.
You can get your UK documents attested at the Kuwaiti Embassy in London.
There are many documents that you can legalise to use in Kuwait. Examples of these documents include birth certificates, marriage certificates, educational certificates, etc. The list of document that can be legalised is exhaustive. An official in Kuwait will typically notify you of which documents will require legalisation.
Qatar Legalisation
Yes, document legalisation can be done when you are overseas. You have two options; The first option is by couriering your original documents to our office based in London. Alternatively, a cheaper and easier option would be to send a scanned copy of your original documents via email which can be processed as true copies of the original document. Although, public documents can only be legalised on the original so if you require a birth certificate to be attested, for example, you will need to send us the original document.
Yes, it is possible to get the documents attested by yourself. But we would advise against this in case of any errors or omission while getting the documents attested by yourself. To avoid any hassle all you need to do is provide us with the documents and we will complete the legalisation service for you
Yes, however Masters’ and PHD qualifications are the only acceptable certificates that can be legalised by the Embassy of Qatar. Other distance learning qualifications are not recognised in Qatar.
Yes, you would have to provide a letter of attendance from the educational institute along with a transcript of the qualification attained. Ultimately, 3 documents would be required to have an education certificate legalised. Please note that this is only applicable to educational certificates that are Level 5 or higher.
The legalisation process is a three-step procedure. The steps include:
1. Certification - this can be done by a UK solicitor or notary public (public documents do not require this step). Simply put, it is a stamp confirming if a document is an original or a true copy, followed by the signature of the solicitor/notary and the date.
2. Apostille Certificate – this involves the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) whereby the document is authenticated as a UK issued document. A small paper certificate is affixed onto the back of the document if approved.
3. Qatar Embassy Legalisation – this is the final step where the document will be attested by the embassy; A small sticker will be affixed to the document confirming that the document has been legalised. Documents need to be stamped by the embassy to be accepted in Qatar.
This concludes the legalisation process for a document to be recognised in Qatar.
We aim to have your documents legalised in 9-10 working days from start to finish. Upon completion of the document legalisation, you have the option to have it sent to a UK address or to have it dispatched to Qatar via DHL.
The cost to legalise a:
• public document is £130
• personal document is £140
We offer a package to legalise educational documents for £390 (certificate, letter of attendance and transcript)
The cost of commercial document legalisation is £280 – these include business documents
To legalise an education document, three documents will be required:
1. Qualification Certificate – for example, degree, masters’
2. Transcript
3. Letter of Attendance, with the following criteria:
• Mode of Study: whether full-time or part-time
• Type of Study: whether distance learning (E-Learning) or Face to Face learning (on campus)
• Location of Study
• Location of Examinations
• The actual dates of study (start and end dates)
We offer a package for all three documents to be legalised for £360
A Qatar attestation is a sticker that is stamped and sealed from the Qatar embassy that confirms the authenticity of a document from the UK for it to be recognised in Qatar.
Generally, only the document itself is required for legalisation. However, for educational documents the embassy requests a passport copy of the individual whose document is being attested.
The process for getting UK documents legalised for Qatar is as follows:
1. Send your documents to us via post, courier or scanned copy (where applicable) .
2. We will check to see if your documents are in order and then will begin the legalisation process.
3. Once the legalisation process is complete, we will send you a soft copy along with the legalised documents via post (if in the UK) or via DHL (for international deliveries).
Documents issued in the UK that need to be attested for Qatar can only be done so from the Embassy of Qatar in London. This can be done yourself or to save time and effort, you can authorise us to process your documents on your behalf.
UK residents require document legalisation from the Embassy of the State of Qatar in order to ensure that your documents are valid for use in Qatar. The embassy will authenticate the documents for it to be recognised by the relevant authorities in Qatar. This will be necessary for UK citizens for purposes such as Qatar visa and residency when moving to Qatar.
Yes, all documents that are sent to us are returned at the completion of legalisation.
No, documents that are legalised do not have an expiry date and are therefore valid indefinitely.
No, because Qatar is not a member of the Hague Convention: an agreement that abolishes the need to legalise foreign public documents. Therefore, UK documents for use in Qatar require Qatar legalisation.
Once the legalisation process has been completed in the UK, the documents will require attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Qatar. This is the final step and in most cases this procedure is carried out by employers.
UAE Legalisation
Documents can be attested by yourself. This will require you to find a UK solicitor or notary public to have your documents certified. You will then need to submit the documents to the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) via post. Once completed by the FCDO, the documents will require postage to the UAE embassy who will then complete the attestation process. This can take up to 4 weeks if done by an individual. Alternatively, to save time and effort we can process the documents for you.
Yes, you can get the documents attested yourself. But it is always better and safer to use a professional attestation company like ours.
No, you do not need to have your documents translated to Arabic for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy legalisation in London. In fact, the embassy only accepts documents that are in English or Arabic. If a document is in another language, it will require translation to English.
No, you do not need to visit the UAE Embassy in London. This is down to the fact that the embassy no longer accepts a walk-in service; all the attestation is to be done via post. This provides both security and efficiency for customers and the embassy.
No. Evidence of the structure of your UK company is not required.
If you are planning to move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you will need to have your UK documents legalised by the UAE Embassy. This is required for situations such as applying for a visa or residency in the UAE. In most instance, employers will request the documents they need to sponsor employees.
The UAE Embassy may also require additional supporting documentation, so it is important to check their requirements before beginning the process.
We offer a timeframe of 8-9 working days to have documents legalised by the UAE embassy from start to finish. However, if the process is being done by an individual, it can take up to 4 weeks. This is because the FCDO prioritise agents over private clients.
The cost of UK document attestation for the UAE varies depending on the type of documents being attested. For example, if you need a personal document attested for the UAE, we charge from £130. Commercial documents, however, will cost £590.
Generally, UK documents destined for use in the UAE will need to be:
1. Certified by a UK solicitor or notary public
2. Authenticated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with an Apostille certificate
3. Submitted to the UAE Embassy in London for legalisation.
4. The final step would be to have it legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the UAE.
After all steps have been complete, the document will be recognised in the UAE.
The timeline for legalising documents for use in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is 8-9 days. As the UAE embassy in London does not offer an expedited service, there is nothing that can be done to speed up the process.
The cost of document legalisation at the UAE Embassy in London is AED150. The price in GBP is dependent on the exchange rate.
Generally, the documents that require legalisation when emigrating to the UAE include:
• The highest level of education certificate, for example, Diploma, Masters, Degree etc.
• Marriage Certificate (for those who are moving with their spouse)
• Birth Certificate (for those whose children will be involved)
These are the most common documents that are requested to be attested. However, other documents can be requested at the discretion of the employer to be legalised. These will be mandatory to obtain a residency visa in the UAE.
UK documents that are required to be used in the UAE can only be attested at the UAE embassy in London. For the attestation there are prerequisites: certifying the documents by a UK solicitor or notary public and having them legalised by the FCDO. The UAE embassy will only accept documents that have been attested by the UK Foreign Office.
The address of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in London is 48 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2QA, United Kingdom
UK documents need to be attested for use in the United Arab Emirates because the UAE does not recognize documents issued by foreign governments unless they are properly authenticated. The attestation process ensures that the document is genuine and has been issued by the competent authorities.
No. UK documents that have been legalised to be used in the UAE are generally valid indefinitely.
Yes, the UAE will require the Apostille stamp as it is a mandatory step of the legalisation process. The UAE however does not accept the Apostille stamp on its own as it is not part of the Hague convention, which is an agreement that abolishes the need to legalise foreign public documents. Therefore, documents will require legalisation by the UAE embassy in London to be recognised in the UAE.
Vietnam Legalisation
If you are planning to use UK documents in Vietnam, the embassy legalisation process is an essential step. This applies not only to business documents, but also to personal documents such as birth and marriage certificates, university degrees and professional qualifications. If you are applying for a visa or residency permit in Vietnam, the documents may need to submitted to the Vietnamese Embassy in London. In addition, if you want to open a business or register a property in Vietnam, all your documents must be legally recognised by the Embassy. Furthermore, if you are travelling to Vietnam with any kind of legal document - such as a court judgement or contract - it is advisable to have them recognised by the Embassy too. In all these cases, the embassy legalisation process is required if you want your UK documents to be accepted and approved in Vietnam.
It is possible to get documents legalised for Vietnam from the UK. Generally speaking, it can take up to a week for the process to be completed, depending on the document and its complexity. Documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates and educational certificates are usually straightforward and can be legalised in a few days. However, complex documents such as Power of Attorneys or contracts may take longer due to additional checks that need to be undertaken. It is also important to note that applications must be sent to the Vietnam Embassy in London and then processed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi before they can be fully legalised
Generally, UK documents destined for use in the Vietnam will need to be:
1. Certified by a UK Solicitor or Notary Public
2. Authenticated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with an Apostille stamp
3. Submitted to the Vietnamese Embassy in London for legalisation.
4. The final step would be to have it legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi.
After all steps have been complete, the document will be recognised in Vietnam.
Individuals looking to teach English in Vietnam will need to get their teaching qualifications attested. This can include a PGCE or a TEFL qualification.
Yes, if you live overseas, your documents can still be legally attested and legalised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK. This entails you sending your original documents to our office or scanned copies to our email. We can then process with the Vietnamese embassy, send you scanned copies and then courier the attested documents to you in Vietnam