Legalisation
Legalisation is the verification by the Consulate of the destination country or the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the signature and seal of the notary (or other public officer) on a document in order to evidence to the appropriate authorities in the destination country that the notary is indeed a notary.
Legalisation required for each country
For most countries, which have signed up to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, legalisation by apostille is sufficient. The apostille is issued in the United Kingdom by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They offer a next-day service through their office in Milton Keynes and our messengers take documents there every day. The FCDO fee for the apostille is currently £40 per apostille.
It is also possible for us to obtain an e-apostille in situations where documents will be accepted in electronic form only. This can usually be obtained the same /next day and the FCDO fee is currently £35 per apostille.
Select from the list below to find out what sort of legalisation is required for each country, and approximately how long it takes to obtain it. Times given are for obtaining consular legalisation only and are in addition to the time required to obtain the apostille, if required. The information provided is based on our own experience and may be subject to change.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 24 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1 week for consular legalisation. The consulate is open on Tuesdays.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1-4 weeks for consular legalisation. Documents can only be deposited for legalisation on Mondays and Tuesdays. A Portuguese translation of all documents is also required.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only - but legalisation is not usually required.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only, however, the Consulate will still legalise documents if necessary and the turnaround time is 24-48 hours.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 24-48 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Documents can only be deposited on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Consular legalisation can usually be obtained within a day.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1 week for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1 week for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1-3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. The Consulate is open to receive documents on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Allow 1 week for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular legalisation can be obtained within a day.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow one week for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1-3 days for consular legalisation. All documents should include a Spanish translation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular légalisation can be obtained on the same day.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only. In most cases, legalisation is not required if the documents have been certified by a notary.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation. Please note that if legalising a bill of sale, the consulate will charge a percentage of the sale price as legalisation fees.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 2-3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 24 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow one week for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3 days for Consular legalisation, however, legalisation through the Consulate is not guaranteed.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow one week for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow one week for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular legalisation obtained through the Jamaican High Commission or Paris. Documents must be in French.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 72 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 72 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus Arab-British Chamber of Commerce plus consular legalisation. Allow up to two weeks for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3 days for consular legalisation..
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 5-6 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Arab-British Chamber of Commerce plus consular legalisation for commercial documents. Allow 3-5 days for consular legalisation. Please note that if legalising a bill of sale, the consulate will charge a percentage of the sale price as legalisation fees. The consulate will not legalise U.S. documents. Degree certificates should be legalised by Apostille plus consular legalisation.
Consular legalisation only. Allow 48 hours.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation. Documents must be legalised separately.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. Allow 7 – 10 days for consular legalisation. All documents should include an Arabic translation and must be legalised separately.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 24 hours for consular legalisation. Documents should be signed in black ink.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1-3 weeks for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 2-3 days for the Consulate’s Premium service and 3-4 days for the Standard.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular legalisation can be obtained within 24 hours.
Apostille only.
Apostille only but legalisation not usually required.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Appointments required and allow up to 24 hours for consular legalisation following the appointment.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular legalisation can be obtained within one day.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Documents can only be deposited at the consulate on Mondays and Thursdays. Allow 2 weeks for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular legalisation can be obtained within 24 hours.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Consular legalisation can be obtained within a day.
Apostille plus Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. Allow up to 8 days.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation.
No legalisation required if documents notarially certified.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. An appointment is required and allow 48 hours for consular legalisation following the appointment.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 1-3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow up to 24 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. Allow 2-3 days for consular legalisation. Please note that if legalising a bill of sale, the consulate will charge a percentage of the sale price as legalisation fees.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow up to 2 weeks for consular legalisation. The consulate will only legalise documents emanating from England and Wales.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. The consulate is closed on Fridays.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3-5 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 5 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. The Consulate has a next day service and a 10 day service. The consulate is closed on Wednesdays.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 3 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 7-10 days for consular legalisation. Please note that company documents are charged at £475 per document and each document must be legalised separately. Bills of sale must be legalised through the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. A percentage of the sale price may be charged.
Apostille required only for the following states: Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Wyoming
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille only.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. The Consulate has a same day service or a 5 day service.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 48 hours for consular legalisation.
Apostille plus consular legalisation. Allow 5 days for consular legalisation.
Apostille only.