Legalisation by the legalisation office

Legalisation is the official confirmation that the signature, stamp or seal on a document is genuine so that the document will be accepted when used overseas. Virtually all UK documents can be legalised and issued with an apostille.

How are documents legalised?

First the signature, seal or stamp on the document is checked against a database to ensure that the document is genuine. Once the document is deemed to be genuine an apostille certificate is issued. The apostille certificate is approximately six inches square and is permanently attached to the document. Once the apostille is attached it is then embossed with a permanent impression.

Why do documents need to be legalised?

Consider the following question – If someone gave you a document from France written in French how would you know it was genuine? The same statement applies to any other country that you may choose.

That is the reason for legalisation. If you are sending business or personal documents overseas then they may need to be legalized before they are officially accepted. Legalised documents provide confidence to overseas organizations that your documents are genuine.

What documents will need to be legalised?

This will depend on which country you are presenting the documents to. There are no set rules on which countries ask for apostilles on which documents. In some countries one organisation may request an apostille whilst another may not.  If you have any doubts then we recommend that you contact the organisation in the country that asked for the apostille. You may be able to get further advice from their UK embassy or consulate.

How can I get my documents legalised?

There are many apostille service providers and services vary. For a fast efficient service you could try the following organisations -

Apostille Service Provider or Legalisation Service