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FCDO Apostille Legalisation Office
The FCDO Apostille Legalisation Office is the UK government body responsible for issuing apostille certificates on UK documents for international use. The office is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) – formerly the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) before its merger with the Department for International Development.
Outside the UK, the FCDO is often referred to as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The Legalisation Office within the FCDO handles all apostille requests for documents originating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What Does the FCDO Legalisation Office Do?
The FCDO Legalisation Office authenticates UK public documents so they can be recognised and accepted in countries overseas. It does this by attaching an apostille certificate to the document – a standardised form of authentication under the Hague Convention of 1961.
The Legalisation Office will apostille documents including birth certificates, marriage certificates, degree certificates, company documents, Powers of Attorney and many other official UK documents. It does not authenticate the content of the document itself – only the signature, seal or stamp of the issuing authority.
The FCDO Legalisation Office is based in Milton Keynes and operates both a postal service and a business counter service for registered service providers like us.
Apostilles from the FCDO
One of the functions of this government department is the legalisation of documents for international use. The Legalisation Office issue the apostille on UK documents that need to be used outside of the UK in an official capacity. We are a registered service provider with the FCDO Legalisation Office. This enables us to provide a very quick apostille service for our customers. Using the business counter we legalise documents in just 24 hours (subject to arrival time and document checks). Hand delivering documents to the government office is safe and much quicker than using the public postal service.
FCDO Apostille Turnaround Times and Fees
If applying directly to the FCDO, the standard postal service typically takes approximately 10 working days, rising to 15-20 working days during peak periods such as summer. The FCDO also has a business counter service available to registered providers, which is significantly faster.
The current FCDO apostille fee is £45 per document for postal applications or £40.00 for business customer applications (correct as of March 2026 – verify on gov.uk as fees are subject to change).
As a registered FCDO service provider, we access the business counter directly, which allows us to obtain apostilles in 24 hours in most cases. Our service fee covers the FCDO fee, handling and return postage – there are no hidden charges
Which Countries Require an FCDO Apostille?
The apostille is recognised by all countries that are members of the Hague Convention (formally the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents 1961). There are now over 125 member countries.
If the country where your document is to be used is a Hague Convention member, an apostille from the FCDO is sufficient – no further embassy legalisation is required.
If the destination country is not a Hague Convention member, the document will need to go through embassy legalisation in addition to the FCDO apostille.
We can assist with both stages of this process.
Common destinations where an FCDO apostille is required include: Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the USA, Australia, China and many others.
Benefits of Using our Apostille Service
The following are just some of the many benefits for using our Apostille Service.
Cost – Transparent pricing – our service fee includes the FCDO apostille fee, no hidden charges.
Speed – We provide the apostille in just 1 to 2 days. The FCDO postal service typically takes around 10 working days and as much as 15-20 working days during peak summer demand.
Service – Customer support by phone, online chat and email. The FCDO reply to emails in around 3 to 5 days.
Real time updates – Our unique ordering system provides updates each step of the way. It automatically sends SMS and email updates when we receive your documents and as we move through each stage of the process, up to and including dispatch.
Extra Service
- We can get your documents signed by our solicitor
- We attest documents with many embassies in London
- We can order replacement documents for you
- We translate documents
- Discounts for bigger orders and regular customers
Instead of asking why choose our service, you should be asking why you would not use The Apostille Service! Do not hesitate to contact us for advice on getting your apostille.
