Legalising a Birth Certificate
Birth Certificate
UK birth certificates can only be issued with the apostille on the original certificate or an official replacement provided by the government. We cannot process copies or email scans.
When the document has been checked and signature or official stamp confirmed, the apostille is attached to the back of the document.
How to Legalise a UK Document?
Reasons your document is requested.
About Birth Certificates
UK birth certificates can only be processed using original registrar issued certificates. You can send the original certificate that was issued at the time the birth was registered or you can provide an official certified copy from the GRO or a local registrar. We cannot process photocopies or scans sent by email.
There are two versions of birth certificates in the UK.
- Short version – This includes the persons name, place and date of birth.
- Long version – This includes the persons name, place and date of birth, but also includes the names of the parents.
We recommend that all customers send us the long version to be legalised. However, we will process the short version when this is provided so you should ensure you send the correct version for your requirements.
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25+ years
Fast Apostilles
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Order a Replacement Birth Certificate
We can order a new official replacement birth certificate for you and add the apostille to the new document. This can save you a lot of time if you are not in the UK. We take care of the entire process.
Order new certificate
Add apostille
Dispatch the document and apostille to you.
Visit the replacement birth certificate page.
Read Our FAQ’s
All countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention accept apostilles. Members of the 1961 Hague Convention both accept and issue apostilles. You can view a list of member countries HERE.
An apostille is an official certificate issued by the UK Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) that verifies the authenticity of a document for use in another country.
The apostille certificate confirms the signature, seal or stamp on a UK document to be genuine so that it will be accepted when presented in another country outside of the UK.
Most documents are completed in just 1 or 2 working days. 98% of documents complete in 2 working days. However, for clarity, we cannot guarantee processing times. Where this is not possible we will try to contact you with advice on your documents.
Every effort is made to complete all orders as quick as possible. Some documents get delayed and you can read more on apostille processing times page.
In the UK there is no same day counter service for the public to obtain the apostille certificate. Our service ensures your document is processed in just a few days. If you need an apostille urgently we can provide a next day apostille service. Please contact us for our price and processing times.
In some cases we can arrange for a UK apostille to be issued but it will depend on your document. If you have any doubts we recommend that you speak to your country’s embassy or consulate for more advice.
It is important that you understand we issue UK apostilles on UK documents. If you send us a non UK document and we are able to process your document it will be issued with a UK apostille. You should check if this is suitable in the country where your document is to be presented.
Nearly all UK documents can be issued with the apostille certificate. There are a few exceptions that include home office documents that are for use within the UK only. We will let you know immediately if your document cannot be legalised and provide a full refund for our service.
We do not issue apostilles on ‘purchased online’ degrees or false documents. We are a reputable legalisation service. We are pleased to issue the apostille on genuine qualifications but we do not support any individual or online retailer deliberately trying to mislead prospective employers. Sorry, but we have a reputation to maintain.
We do not add the apostille to company documents that ‘claim’ to offer degree level education.
If you have a document that was issued in a country that is a member of The Hague Convention and it is being presented in another country that is a member of The Hague Convention, then it is likely that you will need an apostille. If you have been asked to get an apostille then your document may not be accepted without one. You can find a list of Hague Countries that issues and request apostilles on our website.
If your document was created or issued in the UK then it will be accepted in the UK without the apostille. It is not necessary to legalise UK documents unless you are using them outside of the UK.
If your UK issued document is being used ‘outside’ of the UK, in another country, you may well need an apostille on the document.
