What is FCO Legalisation?

Asked by: Tyler Young

Legalisation is the process by which the signature and seal of the Notary Public are authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and/or the embassy or consulate of the country in which the document is to be used.

What is a FCO document?

legalised by the Foreign. and Commonwealth Office. (FCO) Documents we can legalise. The FCO can legalise most UK documents as long as they bear an original signature, seal or stamp from a UK public organisation or official.

How do I Legalise a foreign document in the UK?

You can get certain official UK documents ‘legalised’ by asking the Legalisation Office to confirm that the signature, stamp or seal is from a UK public official. You might need to do this if an official in another country has asked you to provide a UK document and they’ve said it must be legalised.

How long does it take to get Apostille UK?

Most apostilles are issued in just 1-2 days. If you document has been signed by a UK solicitor or Notary Public it is advisable to check the document is certified correctly to prevent any delays in processing your document.

Who can do Apostille in UK?

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office is the only Competent Authority in the United Kingdom for issuing Apostilles. They sign and place their seal on the Apostille and attach this to the Notarial document or other public document which confirms its authenticity. It is a further layer of verification.

How much does it cost to legalise a document?

FCO Apostille London cost
The cost of the apostille is £30 if issued by the FCO in Milton Keynes. This is a postal service and the turnaround time is normally 4 days. The FCO also charge a return postal fee. This is £6 for addresses in the UK, £14.50 for addresses in Europe and £25 for worldwide.

Why do you need to legalise documents?

Legalisation shows that: the document was issued by an official authority. the signature, seal and/or stamp on the document are genuine. the document’s format is correct.

What is the difference between Apostille and legalization?

Legalisation of a document is the issue of an apostille so that the document may be used in an official capacity in another country. Once a document has the apostille, it has been ‘legalised’ for use in an overseas country that is a member of the Hague Convention.

Is Legalised the same as Apostille?

In case the country that you are presenting your documents to is not a part of The Hague Convention here, Legalization can be done instead. It is an almost identical process of Apostille but for countries that are not members of The Hague Convention. The validity of Legalization is just the same as Apostille.

Can a solicitor do an Apostille?

Your solicitor may be able to get an apostille for you. Some solicitors and notary publics understand the apostille process and may be able to legalise your documents. However, it is most likely that they will take a few weeks as they do not have the procedures in place to process documents quickly.

Who can certify a document for apostille?

Who Can Certify Documents For The Apostille?

• Doctors. As a medical professional, doctors can certify documents confirming an individual’s medical history. …
• Solicitor or Notary public. …
• Companies House officer. …
• HMRC officer. …
• Judge. …
• Government Registrar.

Is UK part of Apostille Convention?

United Kingdom is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention and any official document destined for this country requires an Apostille from the Secretary of State. United Kingdom joined the Hague Apostille Convention on January 24, 1965.