Latest update as of 25/08/2022
In a previous article we outlined plans for the digital apostille in the UK. These plans came to fruition this week with the introduction of the e-Apostille.
It is important to note that the e-Apostille is not replacing the physical apostille; both means of legalisation will work in tandem for UK documents being presented in other countries.
How Will This Work?
The issuance of the e-Apostille depends on a PDF document being correctly certified by a UK solicitor or notary public. This electronic certification needs to be of a certain recognised standard, rather than a simple electronic signature that is used in everyday transactions.
When a document is electronically signed to such a standard, there is a clear audit trail that confirms the signatory’s identity and that the document has not been edited in any way post-certification.
What documents are not eligible for the e-Apostille?
At the time of writing, the vast majority of documents will be eligible for the e-Apostille. There are, however, some exceptions and the following documents cannot be issued with the e-Apostille –
- Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, or any other document from the General Register Office
- ACRO police certificates for England and Wales
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificates for England and Wales
- Disclosure certificates for Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Fingerprint certificates
- membership certificates for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Whilst all other documents are technically eligible for the e-Apostille, if correctly certified electronically, the e-Apostille is not yet universally recognised by authorities throughout the Hague Apostille Convention in the same way the physical apostille certificates are.
We always recommend contacting the authority to whom you will be presenting your documents to clarify if they will accept an e-Apostille
How can we help?
As the leading Apostille Service provider in the UK we will be working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to provide e-Apostille services. Our standard physical Apostille services will remain unaffected. You can find more information on our e-Apostille service here!
