What is legalisation?

 

Legalisation simply means confirming that a signature, seal or stamp appearing on a document is genuine. It does not mean that the content of a document is accurate or that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) approves of the content.

 

Why do documents need to be legalised?

 

If you are going to use British documents overseas, for business or personal reasons, you will probably be asked to have your documents stamped by the Legalisation Office of the FCO before they can be accepted.

 

What documents do I need to legalise?

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO cannot advise you on which documents you need to legalise. If you are not sure, you should contact the authority that requires the documents to obtain this information. Advice can often be found at the relevant embassy in London.

 

How are documents legalised?

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO checks the signature, seal or stamp that appears on the document against their database and then attaches an apostille (certificate) which confirms that it is genuine.

 

What type of documents can be legalised?

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO can legalise most UK documents as long as they bear an original signature, seal or stamp from a UK public official.

 

Examples of documents that can be legalised:

 

*UK birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates

*Certified copies of birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates issued by the 

  GRO

*Certificates of no impediment

*Death Certificate issued by a UK coroner

*County Court documents

*Change of Name Deed poll (signed by a UK solicitor or notary public)

*Powers of Attorney (signed by a UK solicitor or notary public)

*Certificates of incorporation (signed by an official of Companies House)

* National Identification Certificates – singed by an official of NIS

 

Photocopies

 

Photocopies of UK documents can only be accepted if they have been signed by a practising UK solicitor or notary public. Make sure the solicitor signs the document with their personal signature (not a company signature) with their name printed clearly below.

 

Educational Certificates

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO will only legalise academic certificates or documents, which are for qualifications from an accredited UK institution. These must also be signed by a UK solicitor or notary public.

 

Foreign documents

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO does not legalise foreign documents. If you have a foreign document, which requires legalisation, you should contact the relevant embassy in the UK for advice.

 

Translations

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO can legalise translations of UK documents issued in the UK. These documents need to be signed by a UK solicitor or notary public.

 

How to apply?

 

The Legalisation Office of the FCO is situated at:

 

Norfolk House (West) 

427 Silbury Boulevard

Milton Keynes 

MK9 2AH 

 

 

The Legalisation Office is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. No appointment is necessary. The Legalisation Office of the FCO aims to process your document(s) within 30 minutes of receipt. However, during busy periods waiting times may vary. If you submit 10 or more documents the Legalisation Office will agree a time for you to collect them.

 

 

Further information

 

Please visit the website of the Legalisation Office of the FCO:

www.fco.gov.uk/legalisation or call

0044 01908 295 111 between 10:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (UK time)

 

 

The Consular Section at the British Embassy and regional Consulates in Russia can receive affidavits and statutory declarations and witness signatures on legal documents for use in the UK, British Overseas Territories and some Commonwealth countries not represented in Russia.

British Consulates in Russia can perform a range of other notarial services, which are listed on our Consular Fees table. We cannot, however, give legal advice or provide a translation service.

 

The following is a list of the most frequently performed legalisation and notarial services:

 

We aim to perform notarial acts within 1 day of application if all the correct documentation is submitted.

 

Obtaining an Apostille

Foreign authorities sometimes need official confirmation that a British document, such as a birth or marriage certificate, is genuine. This is done by the Legalisation Office at the Foreign Office in London by means of attaching an Apostille (marginal note) or a legalisation certificate. Please note that this service incurs a fee. For further information please visit the Legalisation Office website.