APOSTILLE & LEGALISATION

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To ensure that your documents to be used abroad are properly verified, we offer an efficient and reliable apostille and legalisation service.   T

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What is "Legalisation"?

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Legalisation verifies the signature of a public official such as a Notary Public.  The process has been modified by international agreements and the exact requirements may vary from country to country.

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Traditional or full legalisation reguires several steps: The document must be signed by a public official.  This signature must then be verified by a competent national authority, which in the United Kingdom is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO seal is then itself verified by the embassy, high commission or other diplomatic mission of the country where the documents are to be used.

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What is an "Apostille"?

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The United Kingdom is a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Abolition of Legalisation. If the country where the documents are to be sent is also a signatory, "full" legalisation, as described above, is not required.  Instead, verification by the FCO of the public official's signature is all that is required.  This is evidenced by affixing an "apostille" to the document.