Documents that Cannot Have the e-Apostille
The e-apostille is a digital certificate, in PDF form, added to another digital document. At present, the apostille can only be added to a document that has been electronically signed by a solicitor or notary public. The e-apostille cannot be added to many public or government documents.
Why Can’t a Solicitor Sign Some Documents?
Under the rules set out by the FCDO Legalisation Office, there are many documents that should be processed on the original document. The apostille confirms the signature of an official or the seal of a government department.
For example, a UK birth certificate is always legalised using an official government certificate. This will be signed by a ‘registrar’ at a UK Register Office or sealed by the General Register Office (GRO). It should not be copied/scanned and should not be signed by a solicitor. Following these rules, a UK birth certificate is not eligible for the e-apostille for two reasons –
- It MUST be processed as an original, it cannot be copied, scanned or converted to PDF!
- E-apostilles are added to documents with a solicitor’s digital signature. Solicitors should NOT sign birth certificates.
Adding a digital signature to a scan of a birth certificate, is pointless, as it cannot be processed that way.
What Documents are not Eligible for e-apostilles?
The following documents cannot have an e-apostille and must have a printed apostille certificate added to the original document.
- Birth Certificates
- Marriage Certificates
- Civil Ceremony Certificates
- Death Certificates
- Certificate of No Impediment
- ACRO, NPCC, DBS Certificates
- Disclosures and Police Checks
- Medicals Notes Signed by a Doctor
- Health Documents Signed by a Doctor
- Fit to Work Documents Signed by a Doctor
- Finger Print Documents
- Ink Signed Solicitor Documents
- Notarised Documents
- Court Documents with Ink Stamps
- Other Government Issued Certificates
This list is by no means exhaustive. It is provided as a sample of common documents that cannot have the e-apostille.
The Future of e-Apostilles
In the future, it is very likely that the UK government will introduce new digital versions of public documents. These will have some form of secure digital seal or signature. At that point, the e-apostille may be suitable for secure digital public documents. Until then, the paper version will be the only way to legalise many official documents.
Conclusion
The e-apostille is a fast and secure way to legalise a lot of documents. When a document is signed by a solicitor with an advanced digital signature, it can be legalised in just a few hours. For other documents, that cannot be electronically signed by solicitors, the paper version of the apostille will need to be added.
Whatever your document the Hague Apostille service can assist with your e-apostille or printed apostille certificate on all UK documents. Contact us for free advice.
