A UK document means that it originated or has been executed in the UK. If
a UK solicitor or notary public is signing a document they should state clearly what exactly it is they are certifying in
relation to the document. They must sign in their own name and not use a company signature. They should clearly print their
name and their firm's name under the signature.
UK Birth, Death, Marriage and Civil Partnership Certificates,
ALL BMD Certificates purchased through us are suitible for Apostille. Original
or certified copies of certificates issued by Registry Offices in the UK, or British Diplomatic Missions overseas. Original
death certificates issued by a UK coroner can also be legalised.
Companies House
Companies House Documents can be legalised if the originals of these
documents have been signed by an official of Companies House. If the originals do not bear an original signature of a Companies
House official then they must be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being original documents. Photocopies of
Companies House documents can be legalised if they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being true copies
of the original document.
British Passports
Original British Passports cannot be legalised of any nationality.
Photocopies of the bio data page of British passports may be legalised if they have been certified by a UK solicitor
or notary public as being true photocopies of the original documents. We do not legalise certified copies of foreign passports
or ID documents.
Change of Name Deed Poll
All change of name deed poll documents (originals as well as copies) must
be certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being original, or true photocopies, before they can be legalised.
Religious Documents
The following religious documents can be legalised as long as they have been
certified by a UK solicitor or notary public and originated in the UK. The solicitor or notary public should certify original
documents as being genuine, and photocopies as being true copies of the original documents:
- Islamic Marriage and Divorce Certificates issued by UK mosques
- Jewish Divorce Certificates issued by a Jewish Court
- Baptismal Certificates of any denomination.
Documents relating to the Hajj or Umrah which originated in the UK must be
certified by an official of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, or an Arabic speaking UK solicitor or notary public before
they can be legalised.
UK Court documents
Original documents issued by UK courts can be legalised. Photocopies of these
documents can also be legalised if they have been certified by a UK solicitor or notary public as being true copies of the
original documents.
Powers of Attorney, Wills, Affidavits, Declarations and Notarial Acts
Originals of these documents can be legalised if they have been signed in
the UK by the individual(s) concerned and the signature(s) witnessed by a UK solicitor or notary public.
The solicitor or notary public should certify this clearly on the document.
Certificates of Incorporation and Other Documents Issued by Export Certificates
Export certificates can be legalised only if they have been signed by an official
of the relevant UK Government Department. Photocopies of export documents may be legalised if a UK solicitor or notary public
has certified them to confirm that they are true copies of the original documents.
Documents from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
Original documents from HMRC can be legalised if they are signed by an HMRC
official.
National Identification Certificates and Disclosure Documents
Only original documents issued by the National Identification Service (NIS)
and signed by an NIS official can be legalised. Original disclosure documents must be signed by a member of the Criminal Records
Bureau or a UK solicitor or notary public before they can be legalised. We cannot legalise photocopies of NIS or disclosure
documents.
Medical documents
Medical reports and letters issued by UK hospitals and NHS Trusts may be legalised
as long as they have been signed by a UK doctor who is registered with the General Medical Council. Letters concerning non-medical
issues, eg. job references or letters of employment, can be legalised if they are signed by a UK solicitor or notary public
confirming them to be true and genuine. We cannot legalise other medical documents, including Form Med 3 issued by doctors
for statutory sick pay and social security purposes.
Pet Travel Scheme
Documents to export pets overseas can be legalised . These must be original
documents and be signed by a qualified Veterinary Surgeon. Please note that we do not legalise any other documents for pets.
Documents from UK Crown Dependencies
We cannot legalise documents originating or executed in the British Crown
Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey). Such documents should be legalised in the relevant Dependency and do not require
further legalisation by the Legalisation Office in order to be accepted by foreign authorities.
Documents from British Overseas Territories
Documents originating or executed in a British Overseas Territory can only
be legalised if they have already been legalised by an official of the Government in the Territory concerned. The British
Overseas Territories are:
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antartic Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland
Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and Dependencies, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos
Islands.
Foreign Documents
If you have a foreign document which requires legalisation you should contact
the relevant Embassy, Consulate or High Commission in the UK for advice.
If you have been advised that your document needs to be appended to a notarial
cover sheet containing a certification from a practising UK solicitor or notary public, the cover sheet must refer specifically
to the document, and the document should be properly bound to the cover sheet.
