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UK documents, recognised abroad. We handle the apostille.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) apostille applications for personal and business documents going to Hague Convention countries. We submit, we collect, we return. You stay home.
WHAT IS INCLUDED

What we help with.

An apostille is an official certificate added by the FCDO that confirms a UK document is genuine and recognised under the Hague Apostille Convention by around 125 countries worldwide. Most of our work is processing those applications on behalf of clients who do not want to do the paperwork or visit the office themselves.
  • Apostille for personal documents: UK birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates
  • Apostille for UK criminal record checks (DBS, ACRO certificates)
  • Apostille for academic certificates, diplomas, transcripts and professional qualifications
  • Apostille for personal powers of attorney and affidavits
  • Apostille for business documents: certificates of incorporation, articles of association, certificates of good standing, board resolutions, and commercial agreements
  • End-to-end handling: collection of originals from you, secure delivery to the FCDO, follow-up, collection of the apostilled document, secure return to you by recorded delivery or in person
  • Solicitor certification through our SRA-regulated partner solicitor, where a UK-regulated solicitor needs to sign confirming they have seen the original (commonly required by foreign banks and registrars for certificates of good standing, certified copies of incorporation documents, or certified copies of identification)
  • Certified translation through sworn translators in our network, when the destination country requires the document in another language
  • And other UK document-recognition matters going to Hague Convention countries

Who this is for.

  • Foreign nationals living in the UK who married in the UK, had a child in the UK, or registered another UK life event and now need that certificate recognised in their home country.
  • UK individuals needing UK documents recognised abroad for marriage, citizenship, residency, school enrolment, foreign court proceedings or family matters.
  • Anyone with a UK academic certificate, DBS check or professional qualification that needs to be recognised by a foreign employer, university or regulator.
  • Businesses opening a company or branch abroad who need UK incorporation documents apostilled, and often solicitor-certified, for foreign banks, registrars or regulators.
  • Anyone who does not want to spend a day couriering documents to the FCDO themselves, or worrying about whether they have the right form.
HOW IT WORKS

Our process.

01
Free 20-minute consultation
Tell us which documents and which country. We confirm what is needed (apostille only, or apostille plus solicitor certification, or apostille plus certified translation) and what the realistic turnaround looks like.
02
Document handover
You post the originals to us by recorded delivery, or hand them in at the Hackney office. We acknowledge receipt, confirm the destination, and book the FCDO slot.
03
FCDO submission and collection
We submit the apostille application, follow up where necessary, and collect the apostilled document. Standard FCDO turnaround is currently two to four working days; premium same-day service is available where the destination requires it.
04
Secure return
We return the apostilled documents to you by recorded or special delivery, or in person. If solicitor certification or certified translation was part of the order, those come back at the same time.
COMMON QUESTIONS

FAQs

An apostille is an official certificate added to a UK document by the FCDO, confirming that the document is genuine and was issued by a UK authority. It is recognised by around 125 countries under the Hague Apostille Convention. Once apostilled, the document can be used officially in those countries without further authentication.

No. We are not a notary public, and we do not notarise documents ourselves. Many situations that clients describe as needing "notarisation" actually need solicitor certification (a regulated solicitor signing to confirm they have seen the original), which we can arrange through our SRA-regulated partner solicitor. Where true notarisation by a notary public is genuinely required, we will tell you and refer you to a regulated notary.

All countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention, around 125 countries worldwide. The official list is maintained on the gov.uk legalisation page (gov.uk/get-document-legalised). For countries not on the list, full legalisation by the destination country's embassy or consulate is required, which is outside the scope of our apostille service.

FCDO standard service is currently around two to four working days. Premium same-day service is available for an additional FCDO fee. Allow extra time for postage to and from us, and for any solicitor certification or certified translation included in the order.

Yes, provided the translation is by a sworn translator and bears the translator's certification. We arrange certified translation through our network where needed.

Documents going to non-Hague countries need to go through the destination country's embassy or consulate after the FCDO step. We do not run that process directly, but we are happy to point you to specialist providers.
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DISCLAIMER: Lexarox Legal Ltd is a UK legal consultancy. We are not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and do not undertake reserved legal activities as defined by the UK Legal Services Act 2007. All client information is treated as strictly confidential under our terms of engagement. Where formal legal professional privilege is required under UK law, this is provided through the regulated solicitors and barristers within our network.