Legalisation and apostilles

After a document has been notarised legalisation may be required. Legalisation is the process by which the signature and seal of the notary public are authenticated by the Foreign Office and/or the Foreign Embassy or Consulate of the country in which the document is to be used. It is wise to check with the recipient in the country concerned whether legalisation is required or not as it is not always necessary. If legalisation is needed there follows a summary of the likely requirements.

Legalisation requirements for the proof of documents to be sent outside the United Kingdom

Country Form of Authentication
Afghanistan Consular legalisation required.
ALBANIA Apostille.
ANDORRA Apostille.
Angola Consular legalisation required. Documents not in Portuguese must be submitted with a translation.
ANGUILLA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
ARGENTINA Apostille.
ARMENIA Apostille.
AUSTRALIA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
AUSTRIA Apostille.
AZERBAIJAN Apostille.
BAHAMAS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Bahrain Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Bangladesh Consular legalisation required.
BARBADOS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
BELARUS Apostille.
BELGIUM Apostille.
BELIZE Apostille.
Benin Consular legalisation required.
BERMUDA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Bhutan Consular legalisation required.
Bolivia Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA Apostille.
BOTSWANA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Brazil Consular legalisation required. It is one of the few consulates that does not require an Apostille first. Although the stamping is "same day" there is often a wait of anything up to 3 hours. It has now devised a procedure whereby all consular stamps are dealt with on an appointment basis booked on line.By post £16 but you have to pay by postal order – so £17.60 cost. SAE required. It can take 3 or 4 days.
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS See Virgin Islands - British
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
BULGARIA Apostille.
Burkina Faso Consular legalisation required.
Burma See Myanmar
Burundi Consular legalisation required.
Cambodia Consular legalisation required.
Cameroon Consular legalisation required.
Canada Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Cape Verde Consular legalisation required.
CAYMAN ISLANDS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Central African Republic Consular legalisation required.
Chad Consular legalisation required.
CHANNEL ISLANDS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Chile Consular legalisation required.
China Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
COLOMBIA Apostille.
Comoros Consular legalisation required.
Congo, Republic of the Consular legalisation required.
Costa Rica Consular legalisation required.
Cote d'Ivoire Consular legalisation required.
CROATIA Apostille.
Cuba Consular legalisation required. Documents not in the Spanish language must be accompanied by a notarised translation into Spanish.
CYPRUS Apostille.
Cyprus (North) Legalisation by North Cyprus representative office required.
CZECH REPUBLIC Apostille.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Consular legalisation required.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Consular legalisation required.
DENMARK Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Djibouti Consular legalisation required.
DOMINICA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
ECUADOR Apostille.
Egypt Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
EL SALVADOR Apostille.
Equatorial Guinea Consular legalisation required.
Eritrea Consular legalisation required.
ESTONIA Apostille.
Ethiopia Consular legalisation required.
FALKLAND ISLANDS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
FIJI Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
FINLAND Apostille.
FRANCE Apostille.
FRENCH GUYANA See France
FRENCH POLYNESIA See France
Gabon Consular legalisation required.
The Gambia Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
GEORGIA Apostille.
GERMANY Apostille.
Ghana Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
GIBRALTAR Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
GREECE Apostille
GRENADA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
GUADALOUPE See France
GUAM See the United States of America
Guatemala Consular legalisation required.
GUERNSEY See Channel Islands
Guinea Consular legalisation required.
Guinea-Bissau Consular legalisation required.
Guyana Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Haiti Consular legalisation required.
HONDURAS Apostille.
HONG KONG (SAR) Apostille.
HUNGARY Apostille.
ICELAND Apostille.
INDIA Apostille.
Indonesia Consular legalisation required.
Iran, Islamic Republic of Consular legalisation required.
Iraq Consular legalisation required.
IRELAND Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
See Man, Isle of Apostille.
ISRAEL Apostille.
ITALY Apostille.
Ivory Coast See Cote d'Ivoire
Jamaica Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
JAPAN Apostille.
JERSEY See Channel Islands
Jordan Consular legalisation required.
KAZAKHSTAN Apostille.
Kenya Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Kiribati Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Korea (North) See Democratic People's Republic of Korea
KOREA (SOUTH) See Republic of Korea
Jordan Consular legalisation required.
Kuwait Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Kyrgystan Consular legalisation required.
Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) Consular legalisation required.
LATVIA Apostille.
Lebanon Consular legalisation required.
LESOTHO Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
LIBERIA Apostille.
Libya Arab Jamahiriya Consular legalisation required.
LIECHTENSTEIN Apostille.
LITHUANIA Apostille.
LUXEMBOURG Apostille.
MACAU (SAR) Apostille.
MACEDONIA, THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF Apostille.
Madagascar Apostille.
MADEIRA Apostille.
MALAWI Apostille.
Malaysia Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Maldives Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Mali Consular legalisation required.
MALTA Apostille.
MAN, ISLE OF Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
MARSHALL ISLANDS Apostille.
MARTINIQUE See France
Mauritania Consular legalisation required.
MAURITIUS Apostille.
MAYOTTE See France
MEXICO Apostille.
Micronesia, Federated States of Consular legalisation required.
MOLDOVA See Republic of Moldova
MONACO Apostille.
MONGOLIA Apostille.
MONTENEGRO Apostille.
MONTSERRAT Legalisaion of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Morocco Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Mozambique Consular legalisation required.
Myanmar Consular legalisation required.
NAMIBIA Apostille.
Nauru Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Nepal Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
NETHERLANDS Apostille.
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES See Netherlands
NEW CALEDONIA See France
NEW ZEALAND Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Nicaragua Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Niger Consular legalisation required.
Nigeria Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
NORWAY Consular legalisation required.
Oman Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Pakistan Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Palau Consular legalisation required.
Palestine Legalisation by Palestine General Delegation in London recommended.
PANAMA Apostille.
Papua New Guinea Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Paraguay Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Peru Apostille.
Philippines Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Pitcairn Island Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
POLAND Apostille.
PORTUGAL Apostille.
PUERTO RICO Apostille.
Qatar Consular legalisation required.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA Apostille.
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Apostille.
REUNION See France
ROMANIA Apostille
RUSSIAN FEDERATION Apostille.
Rwanda consular legalisation required.
ST. BARTHELEMY See France
SAINT HELENA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
SAINT LUVIA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
ST. MARTIN See France
ST-PIERRE-ET-MIQUELON See France
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
SAMOA(formerly Western Samoa) Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Samoa (AMERICAN) See United States of America
SAN MARINO Apostille.
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE Apostille.
Saudi Arabia Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
Senegal Consular legalisation required.
SERBIA Apostille.
SEYCHELLES Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Sierra Leone Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Singapore Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
SLOVAKIA Apostille.
SLOVENIA Apostille.
Solomon Islands Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Somalia Consular legalisation required.
SOUTH AFRICA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC TERRITORIES (FRENCH) See France
SPAIN Apostille.
Sri Lanka Legalisation of hte acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Sudan Consular legalisation required.
SURINAME Apostille.
SWAZILAND Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
SWEDEN Apostille.
SWITZERLAND Apostille.
Syrian Arab Republic Consular legalisation required.
Taiwan Legalisation by Taipei Representative Office, London.
Tajikistan Consular legalisation required.
Timor-Leste Consular legalisation required.
Togo Consular legalisation required.
TONGA Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Tunisia Consular legalisation required.
TURKEY Apostille.
Turkmenistan Consular legalisation required.
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Tuvalu Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Uganda Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
UKRAINE Apostille.
United Arab Emirates Apostille + Consular legalisation required.
United Republic of Tanzania Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Apostille (not required in all States).
Uruguay Consular legalisation required.
Uzbekisstan Consular legalisation required.
VANUATU Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
VENEZUELA, BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF Apostille.
Vietnam Consular legalisation required.
VIRGIN ISLANDS - AMERICAN See United States of America
VIRGIN ISLANDS - BRITISH Apostille advisable.
WALLIS-ET-FUTUNA See France
Western Samoa See Samoa
Yemen Consular legalisation required.
Zambia Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.
Zimbabwe Legalisation of the acts of an English or Welsh notary public unnecessary in most cases.

Where the name of a country appears in capital letters, the Hague Convention of 5th October 1961 is in force there.

The requirements set out above are intended as a guide only and are not intended to replace advice from practitioners qualified in the relevant jurisdictions. Where consular legalisation is required, the particular requirements of the relevant consulate should be ascertained.

These notes are not exhaustive but are a preliminary guideline only. They interrelate with the accompanying notes: "General Guidance Notes For Notarial Appointments" and "Notary public times and fees"

YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS:

  1. Have you taken advice about this matter from: (a) your own English lawyer(s); and/or (b) relevant foreign lawyer(s), and/or (c) other competent professional advisers, here or in the relevant country?
  2. Are you taking the potentially huge risk of relying on documents prepared by another party or its adviser(s), without yourself taking independent legal or other competent professional advice?
  3. Do you want, expect or hope that the notary public will do this for you?
  4. Are you trying to save time and/or money by attempting to cut corners?

FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (FCO) APOSTILLE AND/OR CONSULAR LEGALISLATION:

Legalisation is the process by which the signature and seal of the notary public are authenticated by the Foreign Office and the Foreign Embassy or Consulate of the country in which the document is to be used. Some countries require notarised documents to receive further certification (usually termed an "Apostille" which is a French word which means a certification) by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and/or legalisation by the relevant High Commission, Embassy or Consulate. Documents going to countries which are, or have been, part of the British Commonwealth seldom need legalisation nor, at present, do documents going to most parts of the United States. Documents which have been notarised by a notary public, and certain other documents, and then certified with a conformant apostille are accepted for legal use in all the nations that have signed the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. I can obtain an apostille for an additional charge otherwise I recommend that clients deal with legalisation themselves, by post. The FCO charges a fee of £30 (from 6th April 2011) for each document that it legalises. From 1st April 2011 it will no longer be possible for clients to take documents in person to Milton Keynes and wait while the apostille is attached. Consular legalisation fees vary depending on the country concerned. For more up-to-date information take a look at the FCO Legalisation Department Website at www.fco.gov.uk