An apostille is simply a certificate of authenticity. An apostille is a certificate that is attached to an official legal document to verify that the signatory on your document is genuine and person who signed your document is a recognised and authorised person of the organisation that issued the document. 

Each apostille is dated, given a unique reference number and registered.

An apostille enables documents issued in the United Kingdom to be used overseas (in countries which participate in the Hague Convention). When you present a legal document in a foreign country, it is often difficult to determine whether the document is genuine and legal. A simple certificate of authenticity, called an ‘apostille’ is used to do this. 

These countries validate the document (for example, a birth certificate) on the basis of the apostille, rather than the document itself. No further evidence or proof is needed when an apostille is produced.

To find out more about our apostille service, click here.