Apostille and Translation: Using UK Documents Abroad

A UK degree certificate for a job in Madrid, a birth certificate for a wedding in Tuscany, a company certificate for a subsidiary in Warsaw: each one has to convince a foreign official of two things. First, that the document is genuine. Second, what it says. The first is the job of an apostille or legalisation. The second is the job of a translation.

This guide brings both together for individuals and businesses using UK documents abroad, and for anyone bringing foreign documents into the UK. It covers what an apostille is, how to get one from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), how translation fits in, and the rules in the situations people ask about most. Each section summarises a detailed guide you can read next.

In this guide:

• What an apostille is, and when legalisation is needed instead
• How to get a UK document apostilled, with fees and timings
• The e-Apostille and when you can use it
• How translation and apostille fit together, and in which order
• Sworn translators in six European countries
• Marrying abroad, company documents and foreign documents in the UK

What is an apostille and when do you need one?

An apostille is a standard certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document so it can be used in another country. It confirms the signature, the capacity of the person who signed, and any seal or stamp, under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.

You need one when a foreign authority asks for it, which is common for civil status certificates, court documents, notarised documents and company records. The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) reports that the Convention has 130 Contracting Parties, with "several million Apostilles issued each year" (HCCH Apostille Section).

Every apostille follows the same model. Under Article 4 of the Convention, its title must appear in French as "Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)", even when the rest of the certificate is in English.

Apostille or embassy legalisation?

Whether an apostille is enough depends on the destination. If that country is party to the Convention, the apostille is the only authentication it may require. If it is not, the document goes through legalisation, a chain in which the destination country's embassy, and sometimes its foreign ministry, authenticates the UK apostille in turn.

Our article on apostille vs legalisation compares the two side by side, explains how to read the HCCH status table, and shows the three-step process GOV.UK describes for a non-Convention country such as Qatar.

How do I get a UK document apostilled?

In the UK, apostilles are issued only by the FCDO Legalisation Office. It checks the signature, stamp or seal against its records and, if they match, attaches the apostille. GOV.UK lists documents it can legalise when they are issued by a court with a wet ink seal, a public registry, a government department or a registered doctor, or when a UK notary or solicitor has certified them (Get your document legalised).

1. Ask the recipient whether they need the original or a certified copy, paper or electronic, and one apostille per document or one for a group.
2. Get the right version of the document, such as a fresh certificate from the General Register Office or a certified copy from Companies House.
3. Have private documents certified by a UK notary or solicitor, including contracts, powers of attorney and copies of passports.
4. Apply online for a paper apostille or an e-Apostille and pay per document.
5. Post the documents if you chose paper, or upload electronically signed PDFs if you chose the e-Apostille.
6. Share the result with the recipient, who can check it with the GOV.UK Verify an Apostille service using the issue date and apostille number.

How much does an apostille cost and how long does it take?

The FCDO charges per document, and fees are not refunded if a document cannot be legalised. Current options on GOV.UK are:

Courier return for paper apostilles costs £6 per 1.5kg in the UK, £32 per 1.5kg to most European countries and £42 per 1.5kg to the rest of the world. GOV.UK also notes that legalised documents cannot currently be returned to Russia, Ukraine or Belarus. All services may take longer if a signature needs to be verified.

What is an e-Apostille and when can you use one?

An e-Apostille is the electronic version of the apostille, issued as a digitally signed PDF. It costs £35 per document, takes up to 2 working days, and avoids posting documents in either direction. You upload PDFs that a UK notary or solicitor has signed electronically.

Not every document qualifies. Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, ACRO and DBS certificates and some others still need paper. The HCCH states that "An e-Apostille cannot be refused simply because it is issued in electronic form", but GOV.UK still advises checking what the recipient wants. Our guide to the e-Apostille covers eligibility, verification and how translations fit into an electronic workflow.

Does an apostille cover the translation?

No. An apostille authenticates the origin of a document, not its content. The HCCH puts it directly in The ABCs of Apostilles:

"An Apostille only certifies the origin of the public document to which it relates: it certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of the person or authority that signed or sealed the public document and the capacity in which this was done. An Apostille does not certify the content of the public document to which it relates."

That means the translation is a separate requirement, set by the receiving authority. Some authorities want a sworn translation made in their own country. Others accept a UK translation if a notary certifies it and the FCDO apostilles the notary's signature.

Should you translate before or after the apostille?

Where a local sworn translator is required, apostille the original first, so the translator can include the apostille if the authority asks. Where a UK translation is accepted, the translation comes first, then the notary, then the apostille. A third route is to bind the original and translation into one notarised bundle with a single apostille.

Our article on whether to translate before or after the apostille compares all three routes in a table, lists the questions to ask the recipient, and shows how the number of apostilles changes the cost.

Who makes an official translation in other countries?

In much of continental Europe, official translations are made by a sworn translator: a translator authorised by a ministry or court to certify translations that public bodies accept without further checks. The UK has no equivalent public office, which is why UK certified translations are not always accepted abroad.

The systems differ in important ways:

• Spain appoints traductores jurados through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and their translations have official status before courts and administrative bodies.
• Italy gives a translation legal value when it is sworn before a court or a notary.
• France uses translators registered as judicial experts with the courts of appeal or the Cour de cassation.
• Germany authorises translators under federal-state law and lists them in a joint justice database.
• Poland enters sworn translators on a Ministry of Justice list and requires an official seal.
• Romania lists authorised translators in a Ministry of Justice database, and notaries may legalise their signatures.

Our comparison of sworn translators in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland and Romania sets out the legal basis, certification format and official register for each country, with steps for using a sworn translator from the UK.

Which documents are needed in the most common situations?

Three situations account for many apostille and translation requests. Each has its own guide.

Marrying abroad

British nationals marrying abroad usually need a passport, a recent birth certificate, proof they are free to marry and evidence that any earlier marriage has ended. Proof of freedom to marry is often a certificate of no impediment (CNI), and the FCDO consular fee for issuing one is £50. GRO certificates need a paper apostille, and many registries want a local sworn translation.

Our guide to documents and translations you need to marry abroad includes a document table, a timeline that works back from the registry appointment, and what happens to the marriage certificate afterwards.

Setting up a branch or subsidiary abroad

A UK company opening an entity abroad typically needs certified Companies House documents, its articles, a board resolution and a power of attorney. Companies House documents can only be apostilled if they carry an official's original signature, so certified copies must be ordered rather than downloaded.

Our article on translating company documents for an overseas branch or subsidiary covers Companies House fees, the summary statement that replaced the good standing statement, notarising resolutions, and bilingual documents.

Using foreign documents in the UK

The process reverses for documents coming into the UK. The FCDO cannot apostille foreign documents, so any apostille must come from the issuing country. UK authorities then set their own translation rules: the Home Office under paragraph 39B of the Immigration Rules, HM Passport Office, register offices, and Companies House for overseas companies.

Our guide to using foreign documents in the UK compares those authorities in a table and explains who must certify each translation.

Who does what in the apostille and translation process?

Several different organisations are involved, and none of them handles every step. Knowing who is responsible for what avoids sending a document to the wrong place.

For questions about an application, GOV.UK lists the Legalisation Office's contact details as [email protected] and 020 4623 3100, a 24-hour service. You do not need to contact the office to get its postal address, which you receive after applying online.

Common mistakes with apostilles and translations

• Not asking the recipient first. The receiving authority decides whether it wants an apostille, which translator, and in what order. Get its requirements in writing.
• Sending uncertified copies to the FCDO. The Legalisation Office can only verify signatures it holds on record, such as a registrar's or a notary's.
• Translating too early. A translation made before the apostille cannot include it, which some authorities require.
• Assuming a UK certified translation works everywhere. Many civil-law countries want their own sworn translators.
• Ignoring validity periods. Some authorities only accept certificates issued in the last three or six months, so delays in one step can invalidate the whole bundle.
• Choosing the e-Apostille for excluded documents. Civil status certificates from the General Register Office need paper.

How TranslationWorks can help

TranslationWorks is a UK-based translation agency that translates personal, legal and corporate documents for use abroad and in the UK, using native-speaking linguists in 150+ languages. We are ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 registered and Cyber Essentials certified, and have served 300+ companies. Apostilles are issued by the FCDO, and some destination countries need a local sworn translator for the final filing. Our translation services and legal translation pages explain what we cover. Tell us where the translation will be submitted and what format the authority requires, and we will confirm what we can provide in your free quote.