Key takeaways
- A UK e-Apostille is an apostille issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office as a digitally signed PDF, at £35 per document and usually within 2 working days.
- To get an e-Apostille, you upload PDF documents that a UK notary or solicitor has signed electronically, rather than posting paper originals.
- Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, ACRO and DBS police certificates, and some other documents cannot get an e-Apostille.
- The Hague Conference on Private International Law says an e-Apostille cannot be refused simply because it is electronic, but GOV.UK still advises checking what the recipient wants.
- Recipients can check any UK apostille, paper or electronic, with the GOV.UK Verify an Apostille service using its date of issue and number.
The paper apostille has a well-known drawback: you have to post your documents to the FCDO, wait, and then courier them abroad. The e-Apostille removes the post at both ends. For businesses closing a cross-border deal, or individuals in a hurry, the difference can be weeks.
This article explains how the UK e-Apostille works, what it costs, which documents are excluded, and how foreign authorities check it. It also covers a point many guides skip: how to keep a translation inside an electronic workflow. For the wider picture, see our guide to apostille and translation for UK documents used abroad.
What is an e-Apostille?
An e-Apostille is an apostille issued in digital form. It does the same legal job as a paper apostille: it confirms the origin of the signature, seal or stamp on a UK public document so that it can be used in another country that is party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
The FCDO explains the format in its announcement of the service: "The Apostille is issued as an attachment to a PDF, with the document/s the certificate relates to also attached." Both the overall PDF and the apostille attachment are digitally signed by the Legalisation Office, and the electronic signatures of the notaries or solicitors in the underlying documents are preserved. The first UK e-Apostille was issued on 15 December 2021 as part of a pilot.
How much does an e-Apostille cost and how long does it take?
A UK e-Apostille costs £35 per document and takes up to 2 working days. The standard paper apostille costs £45 per document and usually takes up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time, according to GOV.UK.
There are no courier fees with an e-Apostille, because nothing is posted. You are emailed when the legalised documents are ready, and GOV.UK says you can "download them multiple times and share them digitally, such as by email, memory stick or in person by showing your screen."
e-Apostille vs paper apostille: what are the differences?
| Feature | e-Apostille | Paper apostille (standard) |
|---|---|---|
| Fee per document | £35 | £45, plus courier or postage |
| Usual processing time | Up to 2 working days | Up to 25 working days, plus delivery |
| What you submit | PDF files electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor | Paper originals or certified copies, by post (or in person for registered businesses) |
| What you receive | A digitally signed PDF that you can share by email | A paper certificate attached to the document |
| Excluded documents | Civil status certificates, police and disclosure certificates, and others listed below | None of those exclusions apply |
| Delivery to Russia, Ukraine or Belarus | Possible, as nothing is posted | Not currently returned to those countries |
Which documents cannot get an e-Apostille?
Several common personal documents are excluded and must have a paper apostille. GOV.UK lists:
- birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, or any other document from the General Register Office;
- ACRO police certificates for England and Wales;
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates for England and Wales;
- disclosure certificates for Scotland and Northern Ireland;
- fingerprint certificates;
- membership certificates for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
In practice, the e-Apostille suits documents a notary or solicitor can sign electronically: powers of attorney, contracts, board resolutions, notarised copies of company records, and certified copies of qualifications. Documents for marrying abroad, by contrast, usually include a birth certificate, which still needs paper.
Will a foreign authority accept an e-Apostille?
Under the Apostille Convention, it should. The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) states on its Apostille Section:
"An e-Apostille cannot be refused simply because it is issued in electronic form. The same rules and procedures apply when issuing an e-Apostille as when issuing a paper Apostille. As a result, an e-Apostille is just as valid as a paper Apostille and must be accepted by all Contracting Parties to the Apostille Convention."
Even so, the receiving office may not be set up to handle electronic files, or may want a paper document for its own reasons. GOV.UK advises that you may need a paper-based apostille if "the person who has asked you for the document wants a paper-based apostille". Ask before you apply, and keep the HCCH statement to hand if an official is unsure.
How a recipient checks a UK e-Apostille
The recipient can open the PDF in a PDF reader to see the digital signatures. They can also use the GOV.UK Verify an Apostille service, which checks both paper and electronic UK apostilles using the date of issue and the apostille number.
How do I get an e-Apostille, step by step?
- Confirm with the recipient that an e-Apostille is acceptable, and whether they want one apostille per document or one for a group.
- Check eligibility against the excluded list above.
- Ask a UK notary or solicitor to sign the document electronically. The FCDO requires an Advanced Electronic Signature or a Qualified Electronic Signature.
- Apply online through GOV.UK and upload the signed PDF files, paying £35 per document.
- Download the e-Apostille when you are emailed, and send the PDF file itself to the recipient.
Can a translation go through the e-Apostille process?
Yes, if the translation is certified by a UK notary or solicitor who signs it electronically. The FCDO does not apostille a translator's own signature, so the notary or solicitor is the public official whose signature the e-Apostille authenticates. Our article on whether to translate before or after the apostille explains when a UK translation is acceptable at all.
At the destination, electronically certified translations are possible in some countries. In Poland, for example, the law on sworn translators allows a tłumacz przysięgły (sworn translator) to certify a translation in electronic form using a qualified electronic signature (Article 18, Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator). Our comparison of sworn translators in Europe covers other countries.
Common mistakes with e-Apostilles
- Uploading a scan without an electronic signature. A scanned paper document with a wet signature is not enough; the notary or solicitor must sign the PDF electronically.
- Printing the e-Apostille and posting it. The digital signatures can only be checked in the PDF file, so send the file.
- Applying for a GRO certificate. Birth and marriage certificates are excluded, so the application will fail.
- Not asking the recipient first. An official who has never seen an e-Apostille may hold up your case even though the Convention requires acceptance.
- Forgetting the translation timeline. A two-day e-Apostille does not help if a sworn translation abroad takes two weeks. Book the translator early.
How TranslationWorks can help
TranslationWorks is a UK-based translation agency that provides professional human translation by native-speaking linguists in 150+ languages, including contracts, powers of attorney and company records that often travel with an e-Apostille. We work remotely with clients everywhere and are ISO 27001 registered and Cyber Essentials certified for information security. Apostilles are issued by the FCDO, and notarisation is carried out by a notary. Our legal translation and translation services 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.
