Apostille for the United Kingdom

How to get an Apostille on Irish and UK documents for use in the United Kingdom?

Docsbase Consular Services with an office in Dublin Ireland and London UK is specialising in legalisation of all types of commercial, vital, government documents from Ireland and the UK for official use in the United Kingdom. We can arrange reissuance of documents in the UK and Ireland, notarisation and apostille legalisation of Irish and UK documents as well as the Embassy legalisation in London and Dublin. We are familiar with the requirements of English authorities and can prepare your documents in a way that they will be accepted by the English authorities without any further legalisation. Docsbase Translation is our in-house translation department specialising in preparing a certified translation of English documents into English appropriately certified for use in the United Kingdom. We also have reliable partners in London that can provide legalisation of English documents for use abroad, in particular in the Republic of Ireland and the UK.

UK APOSTILLE AND CONSULAR LEGALISATION

DocsBase Apostille & Consular Legalisation Services can arrange UK Apostille authentication of British documents, for use overseas. If you want an official legal, business, or education document from the UK to be legally acceptable and recognised in another, it is necessary to have it legalised in the UK. You cannot use a government document of one country in another country, without a certification from the country where the document originated. DocsBase Apostille & Consular Legalisation Services will present your original documents to our associate UK solicitor firm (recognised by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office) to certify the copy of the original if required. We can also arrange duplicates and reissue of many UK Educational, Business, and Vital Records if you have lost the originals or simply need another copy to be used for legalisation. Your documents will be submitted to the UK Legalisation Office, for verification by our in-house courier. To legalise the genuine document, an official government-issued Apostille stamped certificate will be issued and attached to the reverse side. This verification is accepted for legal and international use in all countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. In the UK, legalisation time is around one week, but since we are approved FCO agents we can also provide same-day service. Same-day procedure is normally more expensive. The government fees are 75£ instead of 30£ normal fees, plus we have to send our employees to do this in person which takes almost 5 hours, depending on how busy they are on that particular day.

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE TO OBTAIN A UK APOSTILLE CERTIFICATE?

In UK and Ireland there are two ways in which a document can be ‘recognised’ and certified for overseas use. If the document is to be used between nations that are signatories of the Hague Apostille Convention, the process known as Apostille is the easiest option for verifying and legalising your documents. Apostille authenticated documents can only be used in countries that accept such documents without the requirement of any further authentication. The Apostille certificate will be attached to the validated UK documents that you need to use in a foreign country. The authority receiving the Apostille document will accept the seal and signatures as genuine and valid. Apostille certificates bear a seal stamp and serial number, as well as the date of issue, but do not include an expiry date. An Apostille is generally accepted at any time after the issue date. Under certain Visa authority circumstances, a document may require an Apostille that has been issued within 3 to 6 months. It is also possible to have a document legalised and issued with an Apostille at the same time. All the signatures and stamps found on the document must be validated as genuine. By issuing an Apostille certificate, the document becomes exempted from legalisation. If the document must be legalised, as well as certified by an Apostille certificate, the British embassy and other governing authorities will permit the process. In the UK Apostille legalisation is not country-specific. Therefore you may use Apostilled documents multiple times, as opposed to for example, in the Republic of Ireland, where the Apostille can only be done for a specific country.

WHAT ARE CONSULAR LEGALISATIONS?

Many African and Gulf countries require an additional layer of legalisation on top of the FCO Apostille. Countries that are not part of the Hague Convention are required to undergo a more involved process known as Consular Legalisation. Presenting an official document in such countries can be a complex matter that requires legal representation to speed up the process. You will be required to verify and authenticate whether the Notary’s signature and seal on the documents are genuine. Legalisation of British documents can only be done at an embassy or consulate, of the country in which the document will be used. The authenticated document must include a signature, seal and/or stamp of a Notary Public. Government agencies are required to review all Notary acknowledgments or signatures on the official documents. Our company is based in Central London and we are providing Consular Legalisation daily. We are familiar with the process and can help you avoid expensive delays or rejections. Most of the embassies only accept cash, deal with walk-ins as a priority, and only give updates in person. It is very complicated and confusing to do this service, if you are not based in London. We can guide you through this process and ensure your documents are done on time and on budget. Every embassy has its own specific requirements for legalising an official document. After checking that the documents and requirements have been correctly met, the embassy or consulate will verify the authentication stamp of Foreign Affairs, and will stamp, seal and sign the document. Your document is now valid for legal purposes in the country where it was legalised. At DocsBase Apostille & Consular Legalisation Services, our experts take great care of your requirements, from start to finish. Once your documents have been legalised, they will be swiftly returned to you by post or courier service. You can also have documents authenticated by Notarisation. This is done by an internationally recognised legal professional who ensures the authenticity of the documents, including signatures, affidavits, facts and declarations, and power of attorney. After affirming the document, the Notary Public will sign and stamp the document once you have signed it to verify your identity.

WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE COMMONLY USED FOR APOSTILLE LEGALISATION?

Documents that can be legalised through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) include: Government documents such as passports, Visas and naturalisation certificates, Civil documents like birth, marriage and death certificates and divorce decrees, adoption papers, powers of attorney, property deeds, incorporation papers, contracts, corporate legal documents, affidavits, government identification cards, employment certificates, and education transcripts, diplomas, and degrees. If a document has been translated, you will also need to legalise the translated document.

IS THE TRANSLATION OF UK APOSTILLE DOCUMENTS ALSO AVAILABLE?

Docsbase Translation Services – certifiedtranslations.ie is our sister company handling any Notarised translations required as part of the process of legalisation – can assist in authenticating your documents. It is important that you are using a registered translation service provider if your translation must be notarised and legalised by the Apostille or by the embassy. The translated document can be easily rejected even if the translation is perfect, simply because the Notary, FCO, or the Embassy personnel cannot verify the stamp and signature of the translator, or if the translator is not registered with the government-approved body. Our highly skilled in-house translators have experience in dealing with these situations and can offer you great deals on translation of commonly used documents. We as an agency are fully insured and certified in the UK and EU, and our work is generally accepted without any further legalisation. We will ensure that your documentation information is conveyed in an accurate, consistent, and professional manner. The DocsBase Apostille & Consular Legalisation Services can be commissioned to meet your needs and deadlines.  Our specialist team of Apostille and legalisation experts is based in the UK and Ireland and offers guidance, advice, and assistance, no matter where you are in the world. Contact us today for a personalised quote.