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- › Additional information about legalisation, the Hague Convention and useful links
Additional information about legalisation, the Hague Convention and useful links
What is the Legalisation Office?
The Legalisation Office at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the only competent authority in the UK to provide an apostille service (according the requirements of the Hague Convention of 5th October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents) and to deliver a legalisation service to those countries not party to the convention. Please note that we issue the same certificate for both services.
What is legalisation?
Legalisation is the process by which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office attaches an apostille (certificate) to a UK public document. Legalisation is the official confirmation that a signature, seal or stamp on a public document is genuine. The legalisation does not certify the authenticity of a document or give Foreign and Commonwealth Office approval of its content. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not provide legal advice or translation services.
We are only able to legalise or provide an apostille service for UK public documents. Personal documents may therefore need to be signed in the UK by a practising UK solicitor or notary public before they can be legalised.
Why do I need to legalise my document?
If you need to use a UK public document in an overseas country, then you may find that the local authorities require it to be legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before they will accept it. Each foreign country will have its own legalisation requirements. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot advise on the specific requirements of a recipient country or state.
The apostille certificate and the Hague Convention of 5th Octobor 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
The apostille Convention facilitates the circulation of public documents executed in one State party to the Convention and to be produced in another State party to the Convention. It does so by replacing the cumbersome and often costly formalities of a full legalisation process (chain certification) with the mere issuance of a single apostille.
The Legalisation Office of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues the same certificate for both the legalisation and apostille service.
Documents for the UK
The UK does not require the legalisation of any documents destined to be used in the UK.
Useful Links
Find a Foreign Diplomatic Mission in the UK
Return to the Legalisation Office homepage
Click here to return to the home page
Click here to go to the advanced search page
Click here to leave the FCO website and look at the page in the National Archive