Apostille for a UK Degree Certificate After a Name Change

If you have changed your name since graduating, you may be wondering how to get an apostille for a UK degree certificate that shows a different name from your current passport or ID. This is a common situation, particularly after marriage, divorce or a deed poll name change, and the good news is that it does not prevent your degree from being apostilled.

The key point to understand is that an apostille certifies the authenticity of the document’s signature or seal, not the identity of the holder. Your degree certificate will be apostilled exactly as it was issued by the university. However, the authority abroad may require a separate apostilled document, such as a marriage certificate or deed poll, to evidence the link between your old and new name.

In this guide, we explain the full process step by step, including what supporting documents you may need and how solicitor certification fits in.

An apostille is a certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that confirms a document is genuine for use abroad. It is attached to the document and recognised by all countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.

When you apply for an apostille on a degree certificate, the FCDO verifies the signature of the solicitor or notary public who certified the document. It does not verify or comment on the name of the degree holder. This means your degree is apostilled in its original form, regardless of whether the name on it matches your current legal name.

The apostille itself will not contain any reference to a name change. If the receiving authority abroad needs proof that the person named on the degree and the person presenting it are the same individual, you will typically need to provide a separate supporting document with its own apostille.

Because requirements vary by country, employer, university and visa office, we always recommend checking with the requesting organisation before placing an order. You can view our full apostille service page for more details on how the process works.

Follow these steps to ensure your degree certificate and any supporting name change documents are correctly prepared for use abroad.

1. Check what the receiving authority requires. Contact the organisation requesting your documents and ask whether they need the degree certificate alone, or the degree certificate plus a name change document such as a marriage certificate or enrolled deed poll. Ask whether apostilled copies are acceptable or whether originals are needed.
2. Arrange solicitor or notary certification of the degree certificate. UK degree certificates are issued by universities, which are not government bodies. This means they cannot be apostilled directly. A solicitor or notary public must first certify the document as a true copy. We can arrange this certification as part of our service.
3. Prepare any supporting name change documents. If the receiving authority requires evidence of the name link, you may need to have your marriage certificate, decree absolute or enrolled deed poll apostilled separately. Some of these documents may also require solicitor certification before apostille, depending on their format.
4. Submit your documents for apostille. Once certified, each document is submitted to the FCDO for apostille. Most orders are completed within one to two working days once we receive your documents.
5. Check whether embassy attestation is also needed. If your documents are destined for a country that is not a member of the Hague Convention, you may need embassy attestation in addition to or instead of an apostille.

For a clear breakdown of fees, visit our apostille prices page.

The table below summarises the most common name change scenarios and the supporting document that is usually required. Remember, the exact requirements depend on the receiving authority abroad.

In most cases, each supporting document will need to be apostilled individually. A single apostille only covers the document it is physically attached to; it cannot cover additional documents bundled together.

If you are unsure which documents you need, please contact us for free advice. We handle name change situations regularly and can guide you through the process.

One detail that often catches people off guard is that a UK degree certificate cannot be sent directly to the FCDO for apostille. The FCDO can only apostille documents that bear a signature it can verify. Since university registrars’ signatures are not held on file by the FCDO, an intermediary step is needed.

A solicitor or notary public examines your original degree certificate, produces a certified true copy, and signs and stamps it. The FCDO then verifies the solicitor’s or notary’s signature and issues the apostille on that certified copy.

This is standard practice for all privately issued documents, including degree certificates, transcripts and professional qualifications. If you also need a university transcript apostilled, the same certification step applies.

We include solicitor certification as part of our service, so you do not need to arrange it separately. Simply send us your original degree certificate along with your order number, and we take care of the rest.

Requirements can vary depending on the destination country, requesting authority and document type. We can advise on the apostille and legalisation process for UK documents, but you should confirm the exact requirements with the organisation requesting your document before placing an order.