HOW TO GET AN APOSTILLE

You can, of course, carry out legalisation/apostilles on your own.

DO IT YOURSELF

Here are just a few reasons why you'll benefit from using

THE APOSTILLES GROUP

step 1

DOCUMENTS

Prepare your documents, make sure you have the correct versions and be sure whether or not originals or photocopies are acceptable or need solicitor certification. Order replacements if necessary.

POTENTIAL COST

Between £10 and £50 (roughly)

POTENTIAL TIME

Days or even weeks

Answer a few questions about your documents to see what's needed, including solicitor certification and ordering replacements if necessary.

COST

All advice is provided for FREE.

Replacements are chargeable

TIME

A few minutes

STEP 2

SOLICITOR

Some documents need to be certified by a UK Registered/Practicing Solicitor before a UK apostille can be applied for. Arrange a meeting/visit with a solicitor local to you to potentially have your documents certified.

Find a solicitor here.

POTENTIAL COST

Between £5 & possibly even £50

POTENTIAL TIME

Days, possibly a week

Any documents that are to be presented to a solicitor will be certified on the day they are received and valid to do so.

COST

£10

TIME

Same/next day

STEP 3

APOSTILLE

If your documents don't need solicitor certification, you can cut straight to this part. If not, be sure this has been done correctly and make your application using the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office service found here.

POTENTIAL COST

£30

POTENTIAL TIME

up to 10 working days

Upon receipt of your documents and any certification that might be necessary, they will be presented for UK apostille using secure couriers and postal methods.

COST

from £65

TIME

from same/next day to up to 6/8 working days

STEP 4

EMBASSY

Once your documents have been returned, you may need a further legalisation from an Embassy whose country is not in the Hague Convention such as the UAE, Qatar or China. Some Embassies don't allow postal applications.

POTENTIAL COST

Between £15 and £00's (roughly) + P&P

POTENTIAL TIME

Days or even weeks

Further legalisation from an Embassy whose country is not in the Hague Convention once your documents have received their UK FCDO apostille.

POTENTIAL COST

Between £50 and £00's

(including applicable Embassy fee + P&P*)

POTENTIAL TIME

Days, up to 1-2 weeks

STEP 5

TRANSLATION

Your documents may need to be translated before they can be presented to the requesting authority. Indeed, the translations themselves may need to be apostilled as well. Usually, only certified translators are acceptable.

Once apostilled, legalised or even before these procedures, The Apostilles Group can present your documents for translation and receive certified translations within days.

POTENTIAL COST

Between £50 and £00's

COST

from £100

POTENTIAL TIME

Days, possibly a week

TIME

2-3 days

* Where this page mentions "+ P&P", this is purely in the context of getting the documents to the office that has to apply the apostille, legalisation or service.

It does not, under any circumstance, refer to return postage to the customer.

For more information on shipping options, please visit our Shipping and Postage page.

P&P