Service Overview
An apostille is an official certification that authenticates the origin and legitimacy of a public document for use in another country. It is governed by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, which is recognised by over 120 countries. In the UK, apostilles are issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Common situations requiring an apostille include: overseas university applications requiring certified degree certificates, immigration applications requiring birth or marriage certificates, international business registration, overseas employment verification, and investment migration applications.
Worldwide Visas & Passport Services Ltd manages the apostille process for clients — from confirming which documents need to be legalised, to preparing and submitting the documents to the FCDO, and returning the authenticated originals to you. For countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention, full consular legalisation may be required; we advise on this where applicable.
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Golden visa and CBI applicants who need apostilled criminal records, birth certificates, and other documents.
Those applying to overseas universities who need degree certificates and transcripts authenticated.
Professionals presenting qualifications or identity documents to employers in foreign countries.
Those registering births, marriages, or property in a foreign country using UK-issued documents.
Preparation
Requirements vary by individual circumstances. This is a general guide — our team will provide a tailored checklist after your initial consultation.
How It Works
We confirm whether an apostille is sufficient or whether full consular legalisation is needed for your destination country.
We check that your documents are in the correct form (some documents need notarising before apostille can be applied).
We submit your documents to the FCDO Legalisation Office with the correct fee and tracking arrangements.
Once apostilled, we return your authenticated documents securely via tracked courier to your preferred address.
What To Avoid
The FCDO can only apostille original documents or notarised copies of originals. Plain photocopies cannot be legalised.
Some documents (particularly company documents or solicitor's letters) need to be notarised by a notary public before the FCDO will apply an apostille.
Countries outside the Hague Convention require consular legalisation — a separate, more complex process. We confirm requirements before proceeding.
Authorities in many countries require recently issued official documents. An apostilled document that is several years old may not be accepted.
A legalised English-language document still needs a certified translation if the recipient country does not accept documents in English.
FCDO processing typically takes 2–5 working days for standard service. If documents are needed urgently, tell us when enquiring.
Common Questions
An apostille is used for countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention. Consular legalisation is used for countries outside the Convention and involves an additional step where the destination country's embassy in the UK authenticates the document after the FCDO. We advise which process applies for your destination.
FCDO standard service typically takes 2–5 working days from receipt of documents. Express options may be available. Add delivery time in each direction when planning your timeline.
If your original birth certificate cannot be sent, a notarised copy (certified by a UK notary public) can often be apostilled as an alternative. We advise on the appropriate approach for your document type.
Degree certificates are typically issued as a single original by the awarding institution. You can submit the original for apostille (it will be returned) or obtain a notarised copy if you are uncomfortable sending the original.
Yes. We handle batch submissions for clients who need several documents apostilled for the same application (e.g. investment migration applicants). Contact us with a full list of your documents.
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