Attesting UK Documents (FAQs)

Yes - the United Kingdom is a member of the Apostille Convention.

UK documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When UK documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information about Apostille certification in the United Kingdom, see:
UK Apostille Services

Public documents that can be legalized in the United Kingdom with Apostille stamps include:

• UK birth, death and marriage certificates
• UK Criminal Record Certificates
• UK Divorce Decrees
• UK Corporate Documents
• UK Probate documents
• UK Change of Name Deeds
• UK Academic Certificates

It is also possible to obtain apostilles for documents that have been certified by a UK notary or solicitor, medical certificates issued by a UK-registered doctor and other documents issued by UK courts, HMRC, the Home Office and other public authorities.

To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in the United Kingdom, please Contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our UK apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of UK documents, see:
UK Apostille Services

Apostilles on UK documents are normally obtained in around one week (The Foreign Office no longer provides same-day Apostilles). Where additional attestation is required at the embassy or consulate of the recipient country (for example documents required for the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Taiwan or Vietnam), processing times vary depending on the embassy.

For further information about UK authenticating documents, please see:
UK Apostille Services

Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public UK document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a UK birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized.

Legalizing a document in the United Kingdom certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in the United Kingdom and confirms the capacity of that official.

• Because the United Kingdom is a member of the Apostille Convention, UK documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the Hague Apostille Convention
• If a UK document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by UK authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in the United Kingdom or non-resident embassy accredited to the United Kingdom).
  See: Document legalization - Wikipedia

Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in the United Kingdom including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
• ISAREY reviews on Google

UK Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of UK documents certified with Apostille stamps:

• ACRO Police Certificate with Apostille Stamp (PDF)
• UK university degree legalized at Qatar embassy (PDF)
• UK Birth Certificate attested by UAE Embassy (PDF)
• UK University Degree attested by the UAE Embassy (PDF)
• UK Certificate of Incorporation with Apostille (PDF)
• UK Divorce Decree with Apostille (PDF)
• UK Birth Certificate with Apostille Stamp (PDF)
• Scotland Birth Certificate with Apostille (PDF)

See What does an Apostille look like?

New original copies of Birth, Marriage, Death, Civil Partnership and Adoption Certificates suitable for apostille and authentication for use abroad can be obtained from:

• General Register Office (England and Wales)
• ScotlandsPeople (Scotland)
• NI Direct (in English) (Northern Ireland)
• General Register Office (Events registered with UK embassies)
• Details provided on UK certificates (PDF)

Certificates for birth or death registrations that have taken place within the last six months should be obtained directly from the local register office:

• Find a local register office

ACRO operates a step-down model, where certain offences are stepped down after a number of years and then not listed on an ACRO police certificate. However, while a clean criminal history will return "NO TRACE", a record with stepped-down convictions will return "NO LIVE TRACE". For further information, see:
ACRO Step-down Model (PDF)

There are essentially two types of criminal record certificate in the UK. The first is a Police Certificate from the ACRO Criminal Records Office, meant for people who wish to emigrate or who require a visa to live and work abroad. The second is a Basic Disclosure Certificate, valid for any purpose but not always accepted abroad. An ACRO certificate is required by Australia, Belgium, South Africa, the United States and some other countries. You should contact the destination country’s embassy, consulate or High Commission and ask them to confirm what they accept as a criminal record check.

ACRO Police certificates
Police certificates are available to anyone who has lived or worked in the UK. The certificate details whether or not you have a criminal record in the United Kingdom (including impending prosecutions and offences that are under investigation) and may also include foreign criminal history information where it has been disclosed to the UK. ACRO certificates can be issued within four working days, but can take up to 30 working days to process. They are delivered by post or international courier. Each application costs £55.

• Police Certificates Online Application (ACRO)
• FAQs - ACRO Police Certificates

Basic Disclosure Certificates
DBS checks contain details of UK convictions and conditional cautions considered to be ‘unspent’. These certificates are not always accepted by authorities abroad requiring a UK criminal record check and do not include a photograph of the applicant. Most basic checks will be processed within 14 days. DBS certificates must be certified by a solicitor or notary before they can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp.

If required for use abroad, you should apply according to where you live:

• Request a basic DBS check (England and Wales)
• AccessNI - Apply online for a basic check (Northern Ireland)
• Apply for basic disclosure (Scotland)

International Child Protection Certificate
If you require a certificate to work with children overseas, you can apply for an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC)

• ICPC Online Application

Criminal Records Certificates for use Overseas
Most authorities and embassies require a recently issued criminal record (often issued within the last 3 months). You many need to obtain separate criminal record certificates from other countries that you have lived in.

Embassy Legalization and Apostille Certification
Once you have obtained your certificate, it needs to be attested so that it is valid for use abroad. Police checks and Disclosure Certificates can be authenticated at the UK Foreign Office by obtaining an apostille stamp; in some cases, additional certification is needed by the embassy representing the destination country. Embassy legalization is required to attest criminal record certificates for use in countries such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar

UK apostilles are not valid for certificates obtained in the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar. These need to be apostilled locally.

Isarey can assist in authenticating for UK Criminal Records for use abroad. We arrange Apostille stamps, embassy attestation and internationally accepted certified translations.

For further information and assistance, please see:
UK Apostille service

There is no set time that the ACRO Police Certificate is valid, but you should check with the authority that requested the certificate that they do not require a recent issue.

UK Diplomas can be legalized or apostilled when awarded by an institution accredited by one of the following bodies: UK Border Agency, Scottish Qualifications Authorit, OfQual, British Accreditation Council, Open and Distance Learning Quality Council, Association of British Language Schools, Sport England. Professional qualification certificates can be authenticated when they have been awarded by a Recognised Body or when the award is a recognised award.

• Higher education providers registered by the OfS (England)
• Recognised and listed bodies (Northern Irealand)
• Recognised bodies (Scotland)
• Recognised bodies (Wales)
• Recognised and listed bodies (Northern Irealand)

Certificates must be certified in the UK by a notary of solicitor before they can be submitted for an Apostille.

Higher Education and Further Education certificates requiring attestation by the embassy of Qatar in London must be accompanied by a cover letter and an academic transcript.

For further information about apostilles for UK Academic and Educational documents, see:
UK Academic Certificates

Certificates required for submission to the authorities of Qatar must be attested by the Qatari embassy in London. Before submission to the embassy, degree certificates must be certified by a notary and authenticated with an apostille from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Higher Education and Further Education certificates submitted to the Embassy of Qatar must be supported by a covering letter from the educational provider and an academic transcript. Each document (diploma, transcripts and covering letter) must be individually certified by a notary and authenticated with an apostille.

The Embassy of Qatar will not legalize any educational certificate obtained via distance learning or online learning (except for post-graduate MSC and PhD degrees).

The covering letter from the university must specify:

• the location of studies
• location of examinations
• start and end dates of studies
• the mode of studies – full-time or part-time
• the format of studies – distance learning (E-learning) or face to face (on-site learning)

The Academic transcript must specify:

• all the modules or subjects you studied in each year
• the marks or grades you achieved for each module
• the credit value and level of each module

The academic transcript should be stamped or signed by the registry of your academic institution and be on official letter-headed paper.

For further information about legalizing academic and professional qualifications issued in the UK, please see:
UK Academic Certificates

UK degree certificates needed for submission to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates must be attested by the UAE embassy in London. Before submission to the embassy, diplomas and transcripts must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The embassy will attest original degrees or true copies certified by a notary. Diplomas and transcripts (if required) should be authenticated by the Foreign Office separately and not bundled together.

Isarey can assist with the notarization and authentication of UK academic documents at the Foreign Office and UAE embassy. True copies, valid for legalization, can be made from a good quality scan of the degree certificate, so there is no need to send in the original copy.

UK degree certificates needed for submission to the authorities of Vietnam must be attested by the Vietnamese embassy in London. Before submission to the embassy, diplomas and transcripts must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The embassy will attest original degrees or true copies certified by a notary. Diplomas and transcripts (if required) should be authenticated by the Foreign Office separately and not bundled together.

Isarey can assist with the notarization and authentication of UK academic documents at the Foreign Office and Vietnamese embassy. True copies, valid for legalization, can be made from a good quality scan of the degree certificate, so there is no need to send in the original copy.

UK degree certificates needed for submission to the authorities of Taiwan (Republic of China) must be attested by the Taiwan Representative Office in Edinburgh (Universities from Durham, Cumbria, Scotland and the Isle of Man) or London (Universities in the rest of England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Before submission to the embassy, diplomas and transcripts must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The embassy will attest original degrees or true copies certified by a notary. Diplomas and transcripts (if required) should be authenticated by the Foreign Office separately and not bundled together.

Isarey can assist with the notarization and authentication of UK academic documents at the Foreign Office and Taiwan Representative Office.

UK degree certificates needed for submission to the authorities of Kuwait must be attested by the Kuwaiti embassy in London. Before submission to the embassy, diplomas and transcripts must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Isarey can assist with the notarization and authentication of UK academic documents at the Foreign Office and Kuwaiti embassy. True copies, valid for legalization, can be made from a good quality scan of the degree certificate, so there is no need to send in the original copy.

Since Saudi Arabia joined the Apostille Convention, UK degree certificates required for submission to Saudi Authorities do not require attestation by the Saudi Arabian embassy or Cultural Bureau. Diplomas and transcripts must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Apostille stamp should be recognised directly by Saudi authorities as confirming authenticity.

True copies, valid for legalization, can be made from a good quality scan of the degree certificate, so there is no need to send in the original copy.

Since China joined the Apostille Convention, UK degree certificates required for submission to Chinese Authorities (or Hong Kong Authorities) do not require attestation by the Chinese embassy. Diplomas and transcripts must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor and then authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Apostille stamp should be recognised directly by Chinese authorities as confirming authenticity. Note that apostilles are not valid for submission to the authorities of Taiwan.

True copies, valid for legalization, can be made from a good quality scan of the degree certificate, so there is no need to send in the original copy.

To apostille UK primary and secondary school records and certificates, including GSCE and A-level certificates, notarized copies must be submitted to the Legalisation Office. Notarized copies may sometimes be obtained from good quality scans or original documents may be required.

If you have lost your original exam certificates and need replacement copies, see:

• Get a replacement exam certificate

Documents not signed by a UK public official generally require certification by a notary or solicitor before they can be authenticated by a UK Apostille. Documents requiring solicitor or notary certification include Academic certificates, DBS checks, bank statements, certificates of naturalisation and Certified Translations.

Tax certificates and Companies House documents that have not been signed by an official also require notarization or certification by a solicitor before being submitted for authentication by an Apostille.

Powers of Attorney, Declarations, Deed Polls and Contracts and other private signed documents should be signed in the presence of a solicitor or notary who will witness the signatures.

Other documents can be authenticated as true certified copies, these include official documents such as passports and driving licences, and private documents such as employer letters, school reports, attendance letters.

Degree certificates and professional qualifications must be issued by a recognised body, otherwise they may be rejected, despite being certified by a solicitor.

Birth, death and marriage certificates, ACRO police certificates, certificates signed by registered doctors, and stamped or sealed court documents do not require prior certification and can be submitted directly.

If the Apostille is for a Power of Attorney, Declaration, contract, change of name deed poll or other document that needs to be signed, a notary or solicitor will need to personally witness the signature, confirming the signer’s identity and the authenticity of their signature. Depending on the requirements of the recipient authority, a solicitor’s certification may not be sufficient; in this case, the document should be notarised.

Other documents can usually be certified remotely. Depending on the document, the notary may agree to certify a copy based on a scan or may require the original. Please Contact us. We will confirm the best way to proceed, depending on the documents you need to apostille and arrange a secure courier to collect your documents if needed.

Documents must be properly certified to ensure eligibility for an apostille, and the notary or solicitor signing the document must have a valid practising certificate. The certifying notary or solicitor must:

• State the action they have taken (e.g. that they have witnessed a signature on the document, certified a copy as a true copy of an original and/or authentic document, confirmed a document as an authentic).
• Sign using their personal signature. The signature of the solicitor or notary on the document being submitted for an apostille must be an original “wet” signature.
• Add their name and address, and give the date of certification.

Documents certified by solicitors or notaries outside the UK are not eligible for a UK Apostille. Documents notarised by British Embassies and Consulates abroad can be authenticated in the UK, but embassies offer limited notarial services and will tend not to offer services where these can be provided by local notaries.

We work with notaries and authentication agents in many countries. If you need to notarize documents outside the UK, please Contact us.

For further information, see:
UK notary and apostille services

It is usually possible to make certified copies in the UK of documents issued abroad and then obtain UK Apostilles, but many authorities require an apostille to be issued in the country where the document was issued. In particular, official documents such as criminal record certificates, birth certificates and Academic qualifications should be authenticated in the country of issue.

Please Contact us for assistance. We offer notary and apostille services for documents issued in:

• United States
• India
• Hong Kong
• France
• Germany
• Australia

In the majority of cases, documents can be notarized for an Apostille without the document holder needing to appear in person before a notary. A visit to a notary or solicitor is generally only required when your signature needs to be witnessed and your identity confirmed (for example on a Power of Attorney or Change of Name Deed Poll).

Certified copies can usually be made from a digital scan, including Academic certificates

Translations certified in the UK that are required for use abroad can be authenticated with an Apostille stamp following certification by a UK notary.

To obtain an Apostille stamp on a certified true copy of a UK passport or driving licence, take the original document to a UK solicitor or notary. The notary will certify a copy of the original. This copy can then be authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth with an Apostille Stamp for legal use abroad. If using a solicitor to make the copy, check that the solicitor's signature is registered with the Foreign Office to avoid confirmation delays.

To find a notary or solicitor, see:

• Find a Solicitor - England and Wales
• Find a solicitor - Scotland
• Find a Notary Public - England and Wales
• Find a Notary Public - Scotland
• College of Notaries - Northern Ireland

Medical certificates and letters can be authenticated in the UK with an Apostille stamp when they have been signed by a doctor registered with the General Medical Council. Ensure that the doctor's signature is the original "wet" ink signature and that the doctor has included their contact details.