FCDO Legalisation Office Price Rises for Apostilles
The FCDO Legalisation Office, responsible for authenticating/legalising UK documents to be recognised internationally, has announced an increase in their fees effective 1 January 2024. This change impacts individuals and businesses requiring legalisation services for various documents, including educational certificates, power of attorney, corporate documents, and more.
Background on Legalisation Services
Legalisation is a process whereby the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirms the authenticity of a document issued in the UK, so it’s accepted by authorities in another country. This is often necessary for educational, business, or legal purposes when documents need to be presented abroad. The FCDO charge a fee for this service, and it is reviewed periodically.
Fee Increase Details
Today we received an email from the Legalisation Office advising that their fees were increasing. The FCDO will be increasing their fees by £10 per document for registered apostille services (like us) and £15 for postal service customers (the general public). Our fees will therefore be increased in line with the new government price increases. The FCDO has justified the increase in charges as a necessary step to maintain the quality and efficiency of its services, which have seen a significant increase in demand in recent years.
Impact on Our Customers
As a direct consequence of the FCDO price increase, we will be adjusting our charges to reflect these changes. As of 1 January 2024, we will include an additional government fee of £10.00 per document.
This increase solely covers the increased governmental costs; our service fee remains unchanged. We want to assure you that we are not profiting from these government-imposed increases and strive to maintain a quick legalisation service at market-leading prices.
Conclusion
While the fee increase by the FCDO Legalisation Office may pose a financial challenge for some, it’s essential for the FCDO when maintaining the high standard of services provided. We have maintained our service charges and will continue to keep prices as low as possible.
