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- › The Legalisation Office (FCO) - The only competent authority in the UK to issue apostilles and legalisation certificates.
- › Frequently Asked Questions
- › What is meant by a straightforward and non-straightforward application?
What is meant by a straightforward and non-straightforward application?
A straightforward application means that your application is in order (including a completed application form, payment and correct return postage paid) and we can process your documents immediately.
A non-straightforward application means that your application is one that is unlikely to be processed within our next working day target.
Reasons for this can include:
- You did not complete, or include, your application form
- You did not include payment or proof of online payment
- Correct return postage was not paid
- Your instructions were unclear
- Your document was not suitable for legalisation
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Your application contains a document signed by a UK public official whose signature we cannot confirm. If we do not hold a specimen signature of the UK public official who has signed your document, we will contact them upon receipt of your application to confirm the signature's authenticity. Please note that some signature queries may take several weeks to resolve. As we are reliant on a third party to resolve signature queries, we cannot guarantee when we will receive a response to our request. You will be contacted by e-mail to advise you if your application is being held as a query.
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