<p><strong>TL;DR – Who can apostille a document in the UK</strong></p><p><br></p><p>The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) is the competent authority in the UK that can apostille a document. No other organisation in the UK can issue a valid apostille certificate.</p><p>The international treaty that established the apostille process is the Hague Apostille Convention. The convention requires signatory countries to designate competent authorities to issue apostilles for use in member countries.</p><p>While the FCDO is the only body in the UK that can issue an apostille, it works with registered third-party agencies that facilitate the process. These specialist apostille services act on your behalf to ensure documents are correctly submitted, significantly speeding up the process and avoiding rejections.</p><p>We are London Apostille Services Ltd, an FCDO-registered apostille facilitator (agent) with 15+ years of experience. Book a free consultation with our team today to get your documents apostilled in 24 hours.</p><p>FCDO Plaque at King Charles Street</p><p><br></p><p>What does it mean to apostille a document in the UK?</p><p>When you want foreign authorities and institutions to recognise and accept your UK documents legally, you must ‘legalise’ them for international use.</p><p>Legalisation involves validating the documents’ stamps and signatures to ascertain that legitimate authorities issued them.</p><p>Various countries, including the UK, adopted the Hague Apostille Convention to streamline document legalisation processes. The convention replaced several complex processes with a single certification, an apostille.</p><p>As the convention required, the UK designated a competent authority, the FCDO, to issue apostilles. The FCDO legalises documents for international use by attaching an apostille certificate to them.</p><p>You can submit your documents directly to the FCDO or through authorised agents and facilitators.</p><p><br></p><p>How does FCDO authorisation work?</p><p>The UK FCDO Legalisation Office checks the signature/stamp/seal on your document against its records and—if valid—issues an apostille (this is “FCDO authorisation”).</p><p>There are two ways you can get your documents apostilled:</p><p><br></p><p>Route 1 — Apply directly via GOV.UK (paper apostille by post only)</p><p>How it works: Apply online, pay, then post your document to the FCDO. If the signature/stamp cannot be verified, the FCDO will not legalise it, and you will not be refunded.</p><p>Typical timeframe: Expect roughly 15–21 days end-to-end (the standard postal service is commonly quoted as 2–4 weeks, depending on workload and post/courier time).</p><p>When to choose: You’re confident the document is in the exact format the FCDO accepts (correct original/certified copy, correct UK public official, no missing dates/seals). Mistakes lead to rejection and no FCDO refund.</p><p><br></p><p>Route 2 — Use an FCDO-registered apostille agency</p><p>How it works: A specialist agency (registered as an FCDO business customer) pre-checks your paperwork, arranges any UK solicitor/notary certification needed, submits it to the FCDO, and manages collection/return.</p><p>Typical timeframe: Frequently 1–2 working days once documents are in order (subject to FCDO capacity and agency cut-offs).</p><p>Why choose this: Faster logistics, expert pre-screening to avoid FCDO rejections, and one point of contact. (Many reputable apostille agencies offer their own refund/resubmission guarantees if the FCDO rejects—this is the agency’s policy, not the FCDO’s.)</p><p><br></p><p>Note: There is also a separate e-Apostille route for eligible digitally-signed documents (apply online, upload the file). Acceptance varies by recipient/country; paper apostilles remain widely used.</p><p><br></p><p>Additionally, when you choose Route 2, it’s best to work with an apostille agency with reliable solicitors and notaries in its network.</p><p>Access to a reliable network of notaries and solicitors is essential because many UK documents cannot be sent to the FCDO for an apostille before certification.</p><p>The FCDO can only verify the authenticity of stamps and signatures already in the government’s database. Therefore, documents not issued by a public authority or that are copies of the original will first require an ‘authenticity verification’ by a third party. The third party is usually an FCDO-registered notary or solicitor.</p><p><br></p><p>Notary vs solicitor: who should certify my document for an apostille?</p><p>A document can be certified by a notary or solicitor. Under UK law, the two are competent legal professionals, but their primary focus and authority differ.</p><p>A solicitor: Is a legal professional providing a broad range of legal services, primarily focusing on UK law. They can certify copies and declarations for legalisation.</p><p>A notary: Is a legal professional whose primary role is to deal with documents for international use. They verify the authenticity of documents, signatures, and facts.</p><p>Notarial certification is often preferred—and in some countries required—because a notary provides independent, higher-level verification and impartiality.</p><p>London Apostille Services Ltd can confirm if your destination requires notarisation and guide you on the correct apostille route.</p><p><br></p><p>Who can apostille a document in the UK?</p><p>Only the FCDO Legalisation Office issues UK apostilles.</p><p>Notaries and solicitors don’t apostille—they certify documents so the FCDO can legalise them. Agencies like ours manage checks and submissions, but the apostille is always issued by the FCDO.</p><p>You can apply for an e-Apostille or a paper apostille, and anyone can verify a UK apostille on the official GOV.UK checker.</p><p>The Legalisation Office operates from Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes. All applications start online; once you’ve paid, GOV.UK gives you the correct postal address.</p><p>There are no public walk-ins.</p><p><br></p><p>Access is for registered business users only. The Premium Service is limited to registered business users who regularly submit documents (like us).</p><p>Important service update</p><p>The London same-day “Premium” service closed on 29 December 2023; processing is now handled via Milton Keynes.</p>