What is legalisation?

Legalisation is the official confirmation that a signature, seal or stamp on a document is genuine. But having a document legalised doesn’t mean that its contents are accurate, and it does not carry any sort of official approval by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

And all we can do is legalise documents – we can’t translate them or offer any other services.

How do we legalise documents?

First we check the signature, seal or stamp on the document against our database. Then we attach an apostille (the legal term for the legalisation certificate) to confirm that it is genuine.

Why do documents need to be legalised?

If you are going to use British documents overseas, for business or personal reasons, you’ll probably be asked to have your documents legalised before they can be accepted. The FCO stamp of authenticity gives the person you’re dealing with complete confidence that it’s the genuine article.

What documents do I need to legalise?

We can’t tell you that, because it depends on the local requirements. Only the authority or organisation you’re dealing with can give you that information. But you may be able to get advice from the Embassy, Consulate or High Commission of the country you’re travelling to.

The embassy can legalise most documents as long as the bear an original signiture, seal or stamp. All you need to do is bring it into the consular section where it will be varified and stamped (if varified). We expect this normally to be done while you wait.

Please refer to our consular fees page for information on the cost of this service.