Apostille for Working Abroad: UK Employment Documents You Will Need
The Complete UK Guide
Most overseas work visa applications require an apostilled UK degree certificate and an apostilled ACRO Police Certificate. Some applicants also need apostilled academic transcripts, professional qualifications, employment reference letters, DBS certificates, or passport copies. Hague Convention countries accept the FCDO apostille alone (plus solicitor certification first where required). Non-Hague countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, will require further embassy attestation after the apostille.
Quick Links
Apostille for Working Abroad: Employment Documents You Will Need
A job offer abroad almost always comes with a document checklist. Understanding what’s on it – and how to get it done quickly – is the priority. This guide walks through every UK document commonly required for a work visa or employment abroad, tells you exactly what needs to happen to each one, and explains what changes depending on where you are going.
Most countries require UK employment documents – particularly your degree or qualification certificate and a criminal record check – to be officially authenticated before a visa will be issued. For countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, that authentication is an apostille issued by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). For non-Hague countries – including the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar – the process is longer: an apostille is the first step in the process followed by attestation at the respective embassy.
This page covers the documents most commonly required for work visas, the degree apostille process, how ACRO differs from DBS, the attestation process for non-Hague countries, and a country-by-country guide to the destinations UK workers go to most often – including Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa, the UAE, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Bulgaria, and Saudi Arabia.
This guide is provided as a general reference for UK nationals and UK residents preparing documents for employment abroad. Requirements vary by country, visa category, employer, and professional regulator. Always confirm the exact document checklist with your employer, immigration adviser, embassy, or visa authority before ordering.
Why Foreign Employers Require Apostilled UK Documents
When you apply for a work visa abroad, the destination country’s immigration authority – and in most cases your employer’s HR department – cannot call your university to verify your degree or check UK police records to confirm your clean criminal record. The apostille is the mechanism that makes this possible without those direct checks. It is a certificate issued by the FCDO that authenticates the signature or official seal on a UK document, making it legally valid for use in any Hague Convention country without further verification.
In practical terms, almost every professional work visa and employment contract abroad will require at minimum an apostilled degree certificate and an apostilled criminal record check. Depending on the destination country and the specific role, you may also need apostilled professional qualifications, employer reference letters, academic transcripts, and a notarised copy of your passport. The sections below walk through each document and tell you exactly what to do with it.
Which Documents Are Required for a Work Visa?
The exact list depends on your destination country and the type of role, but a standard set of UK documents appears across almost every professional work visa application. Most employers will hand you a checklist – the table below maps the most common items to what you need to do with each one.
| Document | What to Do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Certificate | Solicitor certification & Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Most commonly requested document. |
| Academic Transcripts | Solicitor certification & Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Check with employer, not always required. |
| Professional Qualification Certificate | Solicitor certification & Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Often needed for medical, legal, accountancy, engineering and teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) roles. |
| ACRO Police Certificate | Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Most commonly requested form of criminal record check – not the same as a DBS certificate. |
| DBS Certificate | Solicitor certification & Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Not accepted in all countries, check with your future employer to confirm which type of criminal record check they require. |
| Employment Reference Letter | Solicitor certification & Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Not always required, check with your future employer. |
| Certified copy of passport | Solicitor certification & Apostille – Further embassy attestation for non-Hague apostille countries. | Not always required, check with your future employer. |
Send us your employer or visa checklist and we can confirm which UK documents need an apostille, which need solicitor certification, and whether embassy attestation is required.
Send Us Your ChecklistApostille for Degrees and Qualifications
A UK degree certificate is the most commonly apostilled document for work visa purposes. For Hague Convention destinations, the process is straightforward: the degree is certified by a UK solicitor or notary public and the FCDO issues the apostille to authenticate that legal signature. The apostilled document is then accepted by the employer, the destination country’s immigration authority, and any professional licensing body that needs to verify the qualification. Further embassy attestation may also be required if the document is being used in a country that is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention.
We provide a full service to get your degree legalised with the apostille. Degree certificates must be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public first. We handle the solicitor certification and the apostille; plus further embassy attestation where required. After ordering the solicitor certification and apostille service online you simply need to send the original document to us. If you plan on providing the document to us electronically, we also require some additional, direct verification from the University. We can advise on that when you place the order.
Professional qualification certificates – ACCA, CIMA, CFA, MRCGP, NMC registration, SRA certificate, and others – are apostilled in the same way as degree certificates, with the documents first being certified by a UK solicitor or notary and then being legalised with the apostille by the FCDO. Certificates of good standing or professional registration letters from UK regulators (the GMC, NMC, GDC, SRA and similar) are commonly required for healthcare, legal, and financial professionals working abroad.
If you have been offered a job teaching English as a foreign language overseas it is likely you will need to legalise the appropriate qualification. There are several different names for the teaching English qualifications. The most common are TEFL and TESOL;
TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
These documents require solicitor certification prior to the apostille being issued by the FCDO.
Employment reference letters and HR verification letters are private documents. Before the FCDO will apostille them, they must be certified by a UK practising solicitor or notary public. We handle the solicitor certification and the FCDO apostille as a single step. Verification from your employer will be required.
ACRO Criminal Record Check – Apostille or Attestation?
Almost every country that issues work visas requires a certificate of no criminal record for the country where you have been living. For UK nationals and residents, that certificate is usually the ACRO Police Certificate – issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office. It is the document that foreign employers, embassies, and immigration authorities typically accept as proof of a clean UK criminal record. It is not the same as a DBS check – see the next section.
Applying for Your ACRO Certificate
You apply directly through the ACRO Criminal Records Office website. Their standard service takes approximately 10–20 working days. An express (premium) service is available and takes approximately two working days. The certificate is issued on official ACRO letterhead and signed by an ACRO officer – which means it can be legalised with the apostille based on that signature without a further solicitor certification step.
Get your ACRO sent directly to us to save time
- 1Order our Apostille service online first to be given an order number
- 2When applying to ACRO, enter our office as the delivery address and include your order number in the first line of the address: Hague Apostille – Your Order Number, Union House, 111 New Union Street, Coventry, CV1 2NT
- 3
ACRO sends the certificate directly to us.
- 4
We complete the apostille and return the legalised certificate to your chosen address.
Most overseas authorities expect an ACRO Police Certificate to be recently issued, usually within the last 3 to 6 months. The apostille should also be obtained close to the date of use, so we recommend applying for your ACRO and apostille only when you are ready to move forward with your visa, employment, or immigration application.
ACRO Apostille for Hague Countries
For work visas in Hague Convention countries – Spain, South Korea, Bulgaria, China, Australia, EU destinations and many others – the ACRO certificate is submitted to the FCDO for apostilling immediately after it is issued. The apostilled ACRO is then accepted by the employer and the immigration authority as a valid UK criminal record certificate. For some destinations, including Spain, a sworn or certified translation of the ACRO into the local language is also required – we can handle the apostille and the translation together.
ACRO Attestation for Non-Hague Countries
For non-Hague destinations – the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and some other countries – the ACRO certificate must go through the full attestation process after it is issued. See the Non-Hague Countries section below for the full process for each country. Read more about our embassy attestation services for all countries we cover here.
DBS Certificate: Can It Be Used Abroad?
A DBS certificate is a UK-domestic document. It was designed for UK employment – specifically for roles involving children, vulnerable adults, or regulated activity in the UK. It is not the same as an international criminal record certificate and is not typically the accepted document for most work visa applications abroad. If your employer’s checklist says ‘criminal record check’, the document they usually need is almost always the ACRO Police Certificate.
That said, DBS certificates can be apostilled – and some countries, notably China, South Korea and Vietnam, do accept or request an apostilled DBS alongside or instead of an ACRO. There is an important difference in how they are processed: an ACRO certificate goes straight to FCDO apostille because it is an official government-issued document. A DBS certificate must first be certified by a UK solicitor before the FCDO will apostille it, which adds time and cost.
Unless your employer specifically requests a DBS, apply for the ACRO certificate. It is faster, simpler, and more widely accepted abroad. If the destination is China, South Korea or Vietnam and your employer has specifically asked for a DBS, apply for that form of Criminal Record Check and we can then solicitor certify and apostille this for you.
Non-Hague Countries (UAE, Kuwait, Qatar): Attestation Also Required
The UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention. For these countries, a UK apostille alone is not sufficient – and documents bearing only an apostille will be rejected by immigration authorities, licensing bodies, and employers. Instead, documents must go through a longer legalisation process.
The UAE Attestation Process
The correct process for UK documents destined for the UAE is:
UAE Attestation steps
- 1Solicitor Certification where applicable – If your document does not already contain a signature of a recognised legal official, further solicitor certification is required. Degree certificates, for example, require solicitor certification. Contact us for advice if you are unsure if solicitor certification is needed for your documents.
- 2FCDO Apostille – The FCDO authenticates the signature on the document. This is the same step as for Hague countries, but here it is one step in a longer legalisation process.
- 3UAE Embassy Attestation – The UAE embassy in London add their legalisation to the FCDO apostilled document. This attestation is now issued electronically.
- 4UAE MOFA Attestation – The UAE MOFA will also add their digital attestation concurrently with the embassy attestation step.
We handle this full process from start to finish.
The Kuwait Attestation Process
The correct process for UK documents destined for Kuwait is:
Kuwait Attestation steps
- 1Solicitor Certification where applicable – If your document does not already contain a signature of a recognised legal official, further solicitor certification is required. Degree certificates, for example, require solicitor certification. Contact us for advice if you are unsure if solicitor certification is needed for your documents.
- 2FCDO Apostille – The FCDO authenticates the signature on the document. This is the same step as for Hague countries, but here it is one step in a longer legalisation process.
- 3
Kuwait Embassy Attestation – The Kuwait embassy in London add their legalisation to the FCDO apostilled document.
We handle this full process from start to finish.
The Qatar Attestation Process
The correct process for UK documents destined for Qatar is:
Qatar Attestation steps
- 1Solicitor Certification where applicable – If your document does not already contain a signature of a recognised legal official, further solicitor certification is required. Degree certificates, for example, require solicitor certification. Contact us for advice if you are unsure if solicitor certification is needed for your documents.
- 2FCDO Apostille – The FCDO authenticates the signature on the document. This is the same step as for Hague countries, but here it is one step in a longer legalisation process.
- 3Qatar Embassy Attestation – The Qatar embassy in London add their legalisation to the FCDO apostilled document.
We handle this full process from start to finish.
Qatar Degree Attestation Requirements
Processing higher education documents for use in Qatar can be confusing. Individual degree certificates and diplomas cannot normally be legalised on their own.
The Qatar Embassy requires applications for degree attestation to include all three of the following documents:
- Degree certificate or diploma
- Academic transcript
- A letter from the university or college confirming all of the required study details
The university or college letter must confirm:
- The authenticity of the qualification and certificate
- The mode and type of study, such as full-time, part-time, distance learning, e-learning, or face-to-face study
- The place of study and where the examinations were held
- The title of the qualification awarded, such as a BA, BSc, MA, MSc, or PhD
- The duration of the course
- The actual start and end dates of study
Applications may be rejected if any of these documents or required details are missing.
Digital Nomad Visas: Which UK Documents Do You Need?
Digital Nomad Visas – now available in Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, South Korea, the UAE, and a growing number of other countries – are designed for remote workers who earn income from clients or employers outside the destination country. The document requirements for a Digital Nomad Visa closely mirror those for a standard work visa: a degree or qualification certificate, a criminal record check (ACRO), and depending on the visa, proof of income or employment. Most applicants need two or three documents apostilled.
Core Documents for Digital Nomad Visa Applications
Digital Nomad Destinations at a Glance
| Country | Hague Member? | Apostille Sufficient | Typical Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Yes | Yes | Criminal Record Check (ACRO), civil status documents, qualifications, certificate of good standing for UK company if UK company is the employer |
| Portugal | Yes | Yes | Criminal record check and family documents |
| Bulgaria | Yes | Yes | Criminal record check and supporting civil-status documents |
| South Korea | Yes | Yes | Criminal record certificate and family relationship documents |
| UAE | No | No, not alone. Full embassy attestation required | Usually limited legalisation requirements, check with visa authorities |
Common Work Visa Document Bundles
The exact documents required depend on the destination country, employer, and visa category. The examples below show common combinations we see for UK applicants preparing documents for overseas employment.
ACRO apostille and sworn translation; degree apostille where required; company or employment documents where required.
Degree solicitor certification, FCDO apostille, UAE Embassy attestation and UAE MOFA; ACRO or other documents where requested.
Degree apostille; ACRO or DBS apostille depending on employer requirements; TEFL or TESOL apostille where required.
Degree apostille and criminal record check apostille, usually DBS depending on the employer and visa option.
Degree certificate, academic transcript and university letter, prepared for Qatar attestation where required.
Country-by-Country Guides
The sections below give the apostille or attestation status for each country and the typical document requirements for a UK national taking up employment or applying for a work visa there.
Working in Spain (Including Digital Nomad Visa)
Spain is a Hague Convention member. UK documents are legalised by FCDO apostille. Spain also requires a sworn translation (traducción jurada) by a translator accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for most documents alongside the apostilled original.
Working in the UAE
The UAE is not a Hague member. All UK documents require the full attestation process: FCDO apostille, then UAE Embassy attestation and UAE MOFA attestation in London.
Healthcare professionals, engineers, and lawyers practising in the UAE typically also need attestation for professional body registration certificates and letters of good standing. These go through the same UAE attestation process.
Working in China
China joined the Hague Apostille Convention in November 2023. An FCDO apostille is now the correct and sufficient legalisation step for UK documents used in China. The previous embassy-attestation process is no longer required for work-visa purposes.
Chinese authorities typically require the criminal record check to be no older than three – six months from the date of issue – not from the date of apostilling. Time your police check application to fall within that window.
Working in South Korea
South Korea has been a Hague Convention member since 2007. An FCDO apostille is sufficient. Most English-language UK documents are accepted without any further translation.
Common visa categories requiring apostilled UK documents: E-2 (English teacher), E-7 (specially designated activities), D-8 (investment/corporate), F-4 (overseas Korean).
South Korea’s E-2 teaching visa requires an apostilled degree and apostilled criminal record check as standard.
Working in Vietnam
Vietnam formally acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 31 December 2025. The Convention enters into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026.
Vietnam joins the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 September 2026
If you are submitting documents before this date, you need the full attestation process (see below). From 11 September 2026, an FCDO apostille alone should be sufficient – but confirm this with your employer as full implementation guidance is still developing.
Before 11 September 2026, the correct process is: solicitor certification, then FCDO apostille, then Vietnamese Embassy legalisation in London. From 11 September 2026, the FCDO apostille should be sufficient for most document types (plus solicitor certification first where applicable).
Working in Australia, Canada or the USA
All three countries are Hague members. An FCDO apostille is sufficient and no translation is required for English-language documents.
Australia: apostilled degree certificates and ACRO Police Certificates are standard requirements for skilled migration and employer-sponsored visa routes.
Canada: most professional licensing bodies require an apostilled degree certificate. ACRO is the accepted criminal record certificate for immigration purposes.
USA: USCIS immigration typically requires originals rather than apostilles. However, US professional licensing bodies, state bars, and medical boards often require apostilled UK degree certificates – check the specific requirements of the body you are registering with.
Order Your Apostille Services
Fast apostille – 1 to 2 days legalisation service
We handle UK apostille services. You send us your original UK documents; we return them apostilled and ready to present to the visa authorities or your future employer.. Discounted rates apply to orders containing multiple documents.
Official References
The guidance on this page is based on our experience processing UK documents for use overseas. Requirements can change, so you should always confirm the latest requirements with the relevant employer, visa authority, embassy, or official government source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before ordering your document legalisation service.
