The ‘certificate’ of residency is issued by HM Revenue and Customs (the UK tax authority). The certificate is simply a letter from HMRC confirming that the company is resident in the UK for corporation tax. Occasionally, the document may also reference any double taxation treaty that may exist between countries.

Companies can obtain a residency certificate from their corporation tax office. The request is normally made in writing by one of the company directors. It can take several weeks to get a reply, and you may need to provide supporting documentation or additional information. Alternatively, you can login to your HMRC tax service. This is where you would file VAT returns, corporation tax returns etc. From here, you may be able to request a certificate online

Individuals within the UK can also request a document from HMRC that ‘confirms’ they are registered for paying tax in the UK. This document has become more popular over recent years as EU residents move between countries. For example, Greek citizens working in the UK are often requested to provide a UK confirmation of residence to the Greek tax authorities to avoid paying tax twice.

We can legalise by apostille both types of residency documents in just one or two days. Unfortunately, we cannot obtain the documents for you. You need to contact HMRC directly. Once you have obtained the letter or certificate, we can assist you with the apostille service.