How to legalise a document in UK
Learn how to get apostilles
…and legalise a document in UK
The Hague Agreement & Apostilles
Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) has implied several conventions between many countries around the world, including UK and Spain. Since its inception, over 40 Conventions and instruments have been adopted under the auspices of the HCCH. Of these, a selected number, known as the core Conventions and instruments, are prioritised based on their recent adoption, popularity, or practical relevance.
Most of them are focused on:
- International Family and Child Protection Law
- Transnational Litigation and Apostille
- International Commercial, Digital, and Financial Law
But on this occasion, we will be focusing on The Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.
The need to produce public documents abroad has increased alongside cross-border mobility and interactions at the global level. In many cases, to ensure the authenticity of these public documents, they are subject to the costly and time-consuming process of legalisation, often requiring multiple steps and involving multiple authorities.
The Apostille Convention replaces the traditional and cumbersome legalisation process with a single formality; the issuance of a certificate called an Apostille. An Apostille, issued by the State of origin, authenticates the origin of a public document so that it can be presented abroad in another Contracting Party. This simplified framework facilitates the circulation of public documents internationally for individuals, families, and commercial operators.
The effect of an Apostille (among the 91 signatory countries)
The only effect of an Apostille is to certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, and the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears (Art. 5). The Apostille does not authenticate the content of the underlying public document.
The effect of an Apostille (specifically in Spain)
The Hague Apostille is a simplified procedure that has the same purpose as legalisation and is applied between the States party to the Convention of 5 October 1961It opens in new window, which abolished the requirement to legalise foreign public documents. All EU Member States, including Spain and Ireland, are signatories to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Countries of the European Economic Area are also parties to the Convention.
In general, unless a specific rule provides exemption from this obligation, all foreign public documents must be legalized or apostilled to be valid in Spain, and all Spanish public documents must be legalized or apostilled to be valid abroad.
Only original legalised or apostilled documents (or true copies issued by the same body that issued the original) are admissable. Legalised or apostilled photocopies cannot replace the original document.
The legalization or apostille has no expiry date, but if the document has a time-limited validity, that of the legalisation or apostille shall be equally limited.
You will need to legalise any official/public document you will want to be valid in one of the 91 signatory countries of The Hague Agreement. For example, applying for a Visa to Spain from UK, you will need to legalise your criminal background and birth or marriage certificates if required
How to legalise a document in UK
THE PROCESS
You can get certain official UK documents ‘legalised’ by asking the Legalisation Office to confirm that the signature, stamp or seal is from a UK public official.
You might need to do this if an official in another country has asked you to provide a UK document and they’ve said it must be legalised.
The Legalisation Office will check the document, including whether the signature, stamp or seal is genuine. They’ll legalise the document by attaching a stamped official certificate (an ‘apostille’) to it.
You cannot get documents issued outside the UK legalised using this service – get them legalised in the country they were issued.
What you will need
To use the service you’ll need:
- the documents you want to legalise
- a credit or debit card for payment
- the address you want your documents returned to
- access to a printer
If you do not enter any information for more than 30 minutes, your application will time out and you’ll have to start again.
How much does it cost?
Today (August 18, 2022) the standard service costs £30 per document, plus courier fees or postage.
| Country | Price |
|---|---|
| UK (including British Forces Post Office) | £5 per 1.5kg |
| European countries (not including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey) | £17.50 per 1.5kg |
| Rest of the world | £22.50 per 1.5kg |
If you do not want to pay courier fees: your documents will be returned by courier but if you’re in the UK you can have them returned by post. You must include an A4-sized envelope with the return address written on it. Attach enough UK postage stamps to cover the return postage.
How long does it take?
If your application is difficult to process – for example, it includes a signature that needs to be verified – it can take longer. The Legalisation Office will email you if this happens.
It can take up to 20 working days to process your documents using the standard service, plus courier or postage time.
You can proceed online
Please click on the following link to start with your documents’ legalisation process:
https://www.get-document-legalised.service.gov.uk/select-service
In case of doubt
Here you have the Legalisation Office details (UK):
Legalisation Office | [email protected] | Telephone: 03700 00 22 44| Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
