About the FCO

Applications by post

We provide a service where documents needing to be legalised can be sent to us by post. 

Checklist

Before you send your document(s) please check the following:

  • do your documents meet the requirements listed in documents we can legalise section?
  • have you enclosed a postal order, a company cheque or an ePayment receipt (not the confirmation email), to cover the fee of £27 per document plus £6 for each document or batch of documents to be returned to you by Special Delivery (if you are in the UK) or International Recorded Delivery (if you are overseas)?
  • have you enclosed a self-addressed return envelope?
  • have you included a short covering letter with your name, address and telephone number(s)?
  • have you read the Avoiding Delays page?

Ensuring you meet the requirements listed there will help us to process your application as quickly as possible.

If you can answer yes to all of the above then you should post your documents by special delivery to:

The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House (West)
437 Silbury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2AH

Sending your documents to us

We recommend that documents are sent to us by recorded or special delivery.  Keep a note of the special or recorded delivery tracking number for your application. If the document has not been returned to you within 2 weeks (overseas customers should allow 3 weeks), please check its progress on the relevant postal company’s website before calling our office to enquire about the application.

You may also use a courier company to send documents to us if you wish. Again you should ensure you keep a note of the tracking number of the application. Please note that we are unable to arrange for your application to be returned to you by courier.

Please also note that we can only return documents to the individual or organisation who sent them to us, and that we are unable to forward them on to other individuals or organisations.

For DX Customers

If you subscribe to the Document Exchange (DX), please note that it is no longer possible to send or receive applications to/from us by DX.  You should send all postal applications to our new postal address (please see above).  If you are concerned about any potential delays this change may cause, please write “BUSINESS” on the top left corner of the envelope to help us prioritise you application.

To help avoid your important documents going astray, we recommend that you send them by Special Delivery and keep a note of the tracking number. And to ensure that your documents reach you quickly and safely, we can return them by Special Delivery.  If you choose this option an extra £6 should be added to the amount you pay for each application you send.   However, if you do not wish to pay this extra charge, it is still possible for your application to be sent to us and returned to you by ordinary First Class post (please note that this exception is only for business customers who would have sent their documents by DX otherwise).  Whichever option you choose, please enclose a self addressed envelope with your postal (not DX) address.  Those not paying the £6 should also affix adequate postage stamps to the envelope.

How do I pay?

Please do not send cash. We accept payment by the following methods:

  1. E-payment by credit/debit card:  Use the ePayment facility below to pay for your application on line.  Before completing your payment, please check that the ‘Payment Status’ page says SUCCESS not DECLINED, and print off this page to send with your application.  Then click on Complete Payment.  The last page of the payment process should then display the message PAYMENT COMPLETE.  
    You will also receive an automated email confirming the payment.  Please only send this if for some reason you did not manage to print the ‘Payment Status’ page.  If you are not able to print or send either the Payment Status page or the confirmation email, make a note of the Payment ID that you will find on the Payment Status page, or the Order Number on the ePayment confirmation email, and include this with your application instead.  Lastly, if the name on the credit card differs from the name of the person sending the application, please make a note of this in your covering letter so that we can match the ePayment with the application and avoid any delay. 

    After you have sent your documents to the Legalisation Office, you will also receive a further automated email confirming that "your order has been shipped". This means that your payment has been shipped from your account to the FCO account. This automated email does not mean that the your documents have been sent back to you. It is however an indication that the return of your documents is likely to be imminent.

    If you have technical difficulties whilst making an online payment please email  LegalisationOfficePostalE-Payments@fco.gov.uk or call 01908 295 166  (+44 01908 295 166  from outside the UK) from 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 15:00 UK time.
  2. UK Postal Order: Please make Postal Orders payable to the 'Foreign & Commonwealth Office'.
  3. UK Company or Business Cheque: Please make Company cheques payable to the 'Foreign and Commonwealth Office'. Please note we cannot accept personal cheques.
  4. Overseas customers can also pay using International Money Orders, Bankers Drafts or Postal Orders (payment in sterling only).

How much does it cost?

Whichever method you use, please ensure that you pay £27 for each document you wish to have legalised, plus £6 for return postage.  For example, for one document you should pay £33 (£27 + £6), for four documents you should send £114 (4 x £27 + £6)