Not every document follows the same route to UK legalisation. Some, like birth and marriage certificates, must always be originals issued by a government office. Others – like academic degrees, company records or legal papers – often need to be certified first by a solicitor or notary before the FCDO apostille can be issued.
Below you’ll find the main types of UK documents that can be legalised with an apostille. This list covers the most common examples used for study, work, travel, and business abroad. If your document isn’t listed, just contact us and we’ll confirm what’s required.
Academic & Educational Documents
Degree certificates, diplomas, and transcripts often require solicitor or notary certification before the apostille can be issued by the FCDO. We arrange full UK degree authentication and legalisation, ensuring your academic records are accepted by universities, employers, and authorities abroad. Learn more about academic document legalisation.
Legal Documents
Legal papers such as powers of attorney, affidavits, and statutory declarations often require authentication by a solicitor or notary before an apostille can be issued. We handle the full process of legal document authentication and UK legalisation, ensuring your papers are accepted for official use overseas. Learn more about legal document legalisation.
GRO & Civil Documents
Civil register certificates such as birth, marriage, and death certificates must always be originals issued by the General Register Office (GRO) before they can be legalised. We handle the full process of UK apostille and legalisation for GRO certificates, ensuring they’re accepted by foreign authorities for official use. Learn more about GRO and civil document legalisation.
Police & Criminal Record Documents
We arrange apostille legalisation for ACRO, DBS, and Disclosure Scotland police certificates, ensuring they’re officially recognised abroad. These certificates must be originals issued by the relevant authority before the UK FCDO can attach the apostille. Learn more about legalising police and ACRO certificates.
Court Documents
Court-issued papers such as Decree Absolutes, High Court orders, and probate documents can be legalised once properly certified. We manage the full process of UK court document legalisation and apostille, ensuring they meet the FCDO requirements for use abroad. Learn more about legalising court documents.
Company & Commercial Documents
We arrange apostille legalisation for Companies House records, including Certificates of Incorporation, Good Standing, and Articles of Association. Our service ensures your company documents are correctly certified and legalised for international use, saving time and preventing rejections. Learn more about company and trade document legalisation.
Government & Official Documents
We legalise a wide range of UK government-issued documents, including Home Office letters, HMRC certificates, and DEFRA export documents. Our service ensures each file is correctly prepared for apostille legalisation through the FCDO, so it’s officially recognised overseas. Learn more about legalising UK government and official documents.
Personal Documents
We arrange apostille legalisation for personal and identity documents such as passports, driving licences, medical letters, and employment references. Our service ensures your UK personal documents are correctly certified and legalised through the FCDO for official use overseas. Learn more about legalising personal documents.
Not sure if your document can be legalised?
This list covers the most common document types, but every case is different. If yours isn’t shown, don’t worry — we’ll confirm whether it can be apostilled and explain the exact steps required.