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Comprehensive Guide to UK Apostille Certificate Services

  • Posted: May 26th, 2025

Comprehensive Guide to UK Apostille Certificate Services

When handling international documentation, UK Apostille Certificate services are essential for verifying the authenticity of official documents for use abroad. At our firm, we specialize in offering fast, reliable, and HM Passport Office-recognized Apostille services for individuals, businesses, law firms, educational institutions, and corporate entities across the globe.

What is a UK Apostille Certificate?

A UK Apostille Certificate is a form of authentication issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It confirms that a document bears the genuine signature, stamp, or seal of a UK public official. This certificate ensures that your documents are legally recognized in all countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961.

Whether you’re applying for a visa, starting a business overseas, studying abroad, or engaging in international legal matters, an Apostille is often mandatory for document validation.

Which Documents Can Be Apostilled in the UK?

We provide Apostille certification for a wide range of documents, including but not limited to:

  • Birth, marriage, and death certificates

  • Educational documents (degrees, diplomas, transcripts)

  • Power of attorney documents

  • Affidavits and statutory declarations

  • Corporate documents (Certificates of Incorporation, Articles of Association)

  • HMRC letters

  • Court documents

  • Police clearance certificates (ACRO or DBS)

If you’re unsure whether your document is eligible, our expert team will assess and guide you through the process promptly.

How Does the UK Apostille Process Work?

Our streamlined process ensures that your documents are handled with the utmost care and urgency. Here’s how it works:

1. Document Verification

We start by reviewing your documents to determine if they require notarization, translation, or legal certification before an Apostille can be applied.

2. Notarization (If Required)

Certain private or non-government-issued documents may require notarization by a UK solicitor or notary public before Apostille certification.

3. Apostille Certification

Once the documents are in the correct format, we submit them to the FCDO for official Apostille stamping.

4. Return Delivery

After certification, we securely return your documents via tracked postal service or a courier of your choice.

Our services offer both standard (5–7 working days) and express (same-day or next-day dispatch) Apostille options.

Why Choose Our UK Apostille Certificate Services?

With years of industry expertise, we are trusted by hundreds of individuals and organizations. Here’s what sets us apart:

  • Rapid Turnaround: Express same-day and next-day services available.

  • Fully Legalized: Recognized in all Hague Convention countries.

  • Professional Team: Experienced legal advisors and certified agents.

  • Worldwide Service: We assist clients from the UK, USA, UAE, India, China, and beyond.

  • All-In-One Solution: From notarization to translation and legalization, we cover all steps.

Legalization for Non-Hague Convention Countries

If your destination country is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, additional steps are required. This often involves:

  1. Apostille Certification

  2. Embassy or Consular Legalization

We handle embassy legalizations for countries such as United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, China, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia. Our dedicated agents ensure each requirement is fulfilled to avoid costly delays.

Apostille for Corporate and Business Use

Global trade and corporate operations frequently require Apostille certification for:

  • Certificate of Good Standing

  • Board resolutions

  • Financial statements

  • Shareholder agreements

  • Contracts and invoices

We act swiftly to help UK businesses expand into foreign markets with confidence and legal assurance.

Apostille Services for Education and Employment Abroad

Whether you’re applying to a university, job, or immigration program, educational and employment-related documents must be Apostilled:

  • Degree and diploma certificates

  • Professional qualifications

  • Employment references

  • TEFL certificates

  • Training certifications

Our education document services are trusted by students, teachers, healthcare workers, and professionals relocating to the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Asia.

Translation Services for Apostille Documents

We provide certified translation services to accompany your Apostilled documents in over 100+ languages, including:

  • Arabic

  • Spanish

  • French

  • German

  • Chinese

  • Russian

Certified translations are often required by immigration authorities and educational institutions to ensure full legal compliance.

Same-Day and Emergency Apostille Services

For urgent matters, we provide premium same-day Apostille services. Ideal for clients facing visa interviews, contract deadlines, or legal hearings, our team ensures immediate document processing.

Documents must be submitted before 10:30 AM to qualify for same-day service. Please contact us directly to confirm availability and pricing.

Secure Delivery and International Shipping

We offer next-day delivery within the UK and DHL/FedEx international shipping to over 200 countries. All deliveries are tracked and insured, ensuring your documents reach their destination safely and on time.

How to Order Apostille Services in the UK

Ordering is simple and can be done in three steps:

  1. Upload or Email Your Document

  2. Choose Standard or Express Apostille

  3. Receive Certified Documents at Your Door

We accept original documents via post or scanned copies depending on the document type. Our advisors are always available to guide you.

Contact Our Apostille Specialists

If you’re in need of fast and trusted UK Apostille certificate services, get in touch with our team today. We ensure your documents are processed with precision, speed, and care, fully compliant with international requirements.

📞 Phone: +44 (0) 207 183 8043
📧 Email: info@primeapostille.com
🌐 Website: www.primeapostille.co.uk

Contact Us

Prime Apostille
Building 3
297-303 Edgware Road
London
NW9 6NB
United Kingdom

+44 (0) 207 183 8043
Monday - Friday 09.00AM – 6.00PM
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IMPORTANT NOTICE

Please note that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is currently experiencing severe delays with issuing apostilles. It is currently taking around 20 - 25 working days to apostille a document through the FCDO and, as a result, our standard processing times are taking longer than usual.

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Translation Services
At Prime Apostille we offer a fast, accurate and affordable translation service. We can translate almost any document in any language covering over 200 languages. We understand the sensitivity of documents and the importance of having a true translation. Our translation service is personalised to cater to your every need and your document will be confidentially reviewed by specialist proof-readers. You will be given a Certificate of Certified Translation and, more importantly, the translators we use are members of the ATC (Association of Translation Companies). In order to offer you a quote, we will first need to see your document(s) to assess the number of words, the language it is currently in and the language you require the translation in. We will then get back to you within 24 hours with a quote. To get started click “Get a Free Quote” and follow the instructions.
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Have your document been certified in line with this guidance?

If your documents have not been certified by a Solicitor or Notary Public, please ensure that the documents you send to us are originals. Our in-house solicitors will create certified copies for you free of charge. Your original documents will subsequently be returned to you together with your legalised/attested documents.

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Where was the event registered?

Unfortunately, we are only able to assist with documents registered in England and Wales.

Unfortunately, we are only able to assist with documents registered in England and Wales.

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UK Armed Forces

Immgration History

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Past & Pending Convictions

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  • You must declare ALL convictions including those you believe to be spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

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Endorser Details

Your application must be endorsed by a suitable individual that meets the following criteria:

  • Must have known you for a minimum of two years
  • Must not be a partner or family member (no matter how distantly related)
  • Must be aged 18 years or over
  • Must be in one of the occupations or a similar occupation to those listed here

This individual can be of any nationality and can reside anywhere in the world.

Your endorser may be contacted to verify the authenticity of your application. As part of this validation we may need to send the photograph you submit to confirm that it is a true likeness of you.

Please provoide the Endorser's Details.

Without an Endorser, we are unable to accept your application for an {{ wc.wizard_selections.documents[0].title }}. We appologise for any inconveninence this may cause you.

List of Accepted Occupations

  • Accountant
  • Optician
  • Airline Pilot
  • Personal Licence Holders (Liquor/Alcohol)
  • Ambulance Service Official / Paramedic
  • Personnel Officer
  • Architect
  • Pharmacist
  • Bank / Building Society Official
  • Police Officer/Police Civilian Staff
  • Barrister
  • Post Office Official
  • Care Worker (Registered)
  • Prison Officer
  • Company Chairman
  • Probation Officer
  • Chemist
  • Salvation Army Officer
  • Civil Servant (Permanent)
  • Solicitor
  • Commissioner of Oaths
  • Surveyor
  • Councillor (Local or County)
  • Teacher
  • Dentist
  • Trade Union Officer
  • Director
  • Tutor
  • Doctor
  • Valuer or Auctioneer
  • Engineer
  • Veterinarian
  • Executive
  • Veterinary Nurse
  • Financial Adviser
  • Fire Service Official
  • Funeral Director
  • Insurance Broker
  • IT Specialist
  • Judge
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Lawyer
  • Lecturer
  • Legal Secretary
  • Magistrate
  • Manager
  • Medical Consultant/Specialist
  • Member of a Chartered Institute
  • Member of Parliament
  • Merchant Navy Officer
  • Minister of a Recognised Religion
  • Museum Curator
  • Notary Public
  • Nurse (SRN or other qualification)
  • Officer of the Armed Services (Active or Retired)

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Additional Information

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Proof of Address

A list of suitable proofs of address can be found here.

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Acceptable documents providing proof of residence include:

  • Recent utility bill (e.g. gas, electricity or phone) or a certificate from a supplier of utilities confirming the arrangement to pay for the services on pre-payment terms (Please note that mobile telephone bills are not acceptable as they can be sent to different addresses). Utility bills in joint names are permissible*
  • Local authority tax bill valid for the current year**
  • UK full or provisional photo-card driving licene or a full old-style paper driving licence (if not already presented as a personal ID document). Old style provisional driving licences are not acceptable.
  • Most recent HM Revenue and Customs tax notification (i.e. tax assessment, statement of account, notice of coding) a P45 or P60 is not acceptable.
  • Financial statement (e.g. bank, building society, credit card or credit union statement) containing current address*
  • Most recent mortgage statement from a recognised lender**
  • Current benefit book or card or original notification letter from Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) confirming the rights to benefit (for example, child allowance, pension)**
  • Current local council rent card or tenancy agreement
  • Confirmation from an electoral register search that a person of that name lives at the claimed address*

*The date on these documents should be within the last three months and they must contain the name and address of the applicant.

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Passport Photograph

You may find guidance on the format of passport style photographs by clicking here.

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Passport Copy

Colour copies of passport(s) / travel documents must clearly show your photograph, personal information, expiry date, nationality, machine readable zone, extension pages and signature (if applicable). Copies of other official photographic identity documents should show as many of these features as possible. Black and white copies will not be accepted.

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Letter of Authority

In order for us to make an application for an ACRO Certificate on your behalf, we require you to complete and upload a signed Letter of Authority which we can send to the ACRO Service as confirmation of the fact that we are authorised to act for you.

You may download a blank Letter of Authority by clicking here.

Please complete the relevant sections of the Letter of Authority and sign/date it where indicated at the bottom. Once you have done this, please email a copy of the completed Letter of Authority to us on info@primeapostille.com.

We will not be able to process your application until we have received this document from you.

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The Qualifications Office of the Consulate General of Italy in London only issues "Dichiarazioni di Valore" (Declarations of Value, DV) of British qualifications - issued by recognised educational institutions (schools, colleges and universities) or professional bodies - that fall under the British education/university system.

Scotland and Northern Ireland fall within the jurisdiction of the Consulate General in Edinburgh.

The "DV" is neither an equivalent of an Italian qualification nor a comparability certificate. It will be up to the relevant Italian institutions (Ministry of Education, Uffici Scolastici Provinciali, Universities, etc.) to subsequently declare if a foreign qualification has a similar Italian equivalent: this is called "equipollenza" (equivalence/certificate of comparability). Please note that the "Declaration of Value" can only be requested for already-completed study cycles (e.g., A-level, Bachelor, Master, etc.).

If you wish for Prime Apostille to obtain a Declaration of Value on your behalf, please CLICK HERE.

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Once we have obtained all necessary information from you, we will be able to provide you with a quotation for our services and shall carry out your instructions swiftly.

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If the GRO are unable to locate your entry, a refund will be issued minus a £12.50 administrative fee.

Choose your Embassy

Do you need Embassy Attestation?

To get documents legalised for use outside of the UK, many countries ask that you get your documents attested by their UK based Embassy.

If you need your documents to be attested for use outside of the UK, please select the embassy from the list below.

Please note, the cost of our embassy attestation service is dependent on the specific embassy needing the attestation. Once you select the embassy our online ordering system will provide you with the total cost of service.

Choose your Embassy

The cost of our embassy attestation service is dependent on the specific embassy needing the attestation. Once you select the embassy our online ordering system will provide you with the total cost of service.

Please note, countries that are a member of the Hague Convention of 1961 do not typically require Embassy Attestation, therefore these countries are not listed as search options. If the Embassy you need is not listed please contact us for further assistance.

All Embassies

Please Note:

Special Instructions for {{ embassy.title }}

Do you need Apostille Services?

Before your documents can be attested by an embassy they often require to obtain a certificate by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) verifying the authenticity of that document.

If your documents needs this certificate, we can obtain this for your selected documents at no additional cost using our Apostille service.

When a document is required in an official capacity, it is often required to obtain a certificate by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) verifying the authenticity of that document.

If your documents needs this certificate, we can obtain this for your selected documents using our Apostille service.

Please note, this is set fee per document that will be added to the total cost of our solicitor attestation service.

Please note, this is set fee per document that will be added to the total cost.

Select Postal Delivery Service

We do not compromise on the safe delivery of your documents, we therefore use a premier service for returning your documents back to you. The cost of delivery is a set fee per order and not dependent on the number of documents.

Please choose from the list below indicating how you would like for us to return your documents:

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Terms and Conditions

By continuing you confirm that:

  • The information you have provided to us is correct; and
  • You agree to the Terms & Conditions which also contains our client retainer.

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