Frequently Asked Questions About Ordering an Apostille

We hope the following FAQs are helpful, but please contact us if you need any assistance.



Ordering an Apostille Questions

We have numerous options available to our clients for payment to ensure the process is as simple as possible. All of our payment options are available for you to choose from on our application form, so please choose the most convenient option for yourself and we will be certain to proceed in this manner. Some of our payment options include our office calling or emailing you for payment, UK Cheque or Postal order, Bank Transfer or Credit/Debit card.

You will be asked this question when ordering online. Please review the following important notes:

  • - Some documents can only have the apostille on the original document (e.g, criminal record background checks)
  • - Birth, marriage and death certificates must be official certified copies issued by a registrar and not a photocopy or scan
  • - If you ask us to do the original you must send the original document to us, if you do not your order will be delayed while we request the original from you.
  • - For academic/training certificates if you ask us to do the original we will add stamps, signatures and glue certificates to the original document. This is done on the back where possible but is permanent.
  • - If you are not sure what is required ask the person who has told you to legalise the documents or contact us for help.

We are able to offer a Scan and Email service for our clients where an electronic copy of their legalised documentation is sent to them via email upon completion before dispatch. This service incurs a fee of just £12.00 per order and is highly recommended if you are experiencing a tight deadline with overseas authorities and wish to submit the electronic version to them before you receive the physical copy in the post. The scan and email service includes both the certification and Apostille stamp issued to your document.

When your documents have completed the legalisation process we are able to dispatch your order to any accessible location in the world. We have couriers available to ship documents abroad, our most secure and reliable option being the DHL Courier which sees documentation delivered in approximately 1-2 working days to most locations. Some destinations may take a few days longer. We also offer Airmail delivery but this is not recommended for deliveries outside of Europe.

As we are a registered business with the UK Foreign Office we can ensure a completion time of approximately 1-2 working days providing there are no unforeseen issues or delays. This is due to the fact that one of our team is able to personally hand deliver the documents to the UK government office whereas the general public cannot. When applying to the UK Foreign office directly rather than using our service the legalisation process can take approximately 2 working weeks for completion. If you need an apostille quickly, we can help.

When we certify your document it will be certified by one of our UK registered solicitors and not a Notary Public. For the purposes of the apostille the solicitor certification is perfectly acceptable. A notary is simply a solicitor with a few more qualifications. The only time you must use a Notary Public is if the document clearly states it is being signed by a notary or if the person requesting the apostilled document(s) from you insist on a notary certification.