Apostille for UK Company Documents

What's included

• Check of what the receiving country or organisation needs
• Ordering the official Companies House certificate or certified copy where needed
• Certification by a solicitor or notary where the document needs it
• Submission to the FCDO Legalisation Office
• FCDO apostille fee
• Return of the apostilled document by post
• Progress updates by email
• Email and phone support

What an apostille is

An apostille is an official certificate added to a UK document by the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). It confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine. It does not confirm that the content of the document is correct.

Countries that have signed the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention accept an apostille as proof that a UK document is real. Without one, a foreign bank, notary or company register will often refuse a UK document.

Who needs it

You usually need an apostille when you use a UK company document abroad, for example to:

• open a bank account for your UK company in another country;
• register a branch or subsidiary of your UK company overseas;
• prove to a foreign authority who owns or runs the company;
• sign contracts, tenders or property deals abroad.

Which documents we can apostille

• Certificate of incorporation or Certificate of Good Standing issued by Companies House
• Certified copies of the memorandum and articles of association
• Certified copies of filings from the Companies House register
• Share certificates, registers, resolutions and certificates of incumbency — these are company documents, so they first need to be certified by a solicitor or notary

Companies House certificates can go straight to the FCDO. Documents signed only by the company, such as a share certificate, must first be certified by a UK public official such as a solicitor or notary. The £190 price covers one document; if notarisation is needed as a separate step, we tell you before we start.

How it works

1. Tell us which documents you need and which country they are for.
2. We check whether the receiving organisation needs an original, a certified copy or a translation.
3. We order the official documents from Companies House, or arrange certification.
4. We submit the documents to the FCDO Legalisation Office.
5. When the apostille is attached, we post the documents to you or send them by international courier.

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

An apostille is only accepted in countries that are part of the Apostille Convention. Some countries are not. For those, the document usually needs an extra step: legalisation by that country's embassy or consulate in the UK, after the FCDO step. Embassy rules, fees and times vary. Check with the organisation that asked for the document, and tell us the country before you order.

What you need to provide

• Company name and number
• The documents you need and how many copies
• The country where they will be used and, if possible, the exact wording of the request
• Delivery address

Common mistakes

• Ordering an apostille on a plain photocopy or printout. It must be an official certificate or a properly certified copy.
• Forgetting that some countries also want a certified translation. Check this first.
• Assuming every country accepts apostilles. Some need embassy legalisation as well.

Frequently asked questions

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