Depending on the country in which the document will be presented, authentication may be carried out by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the relevant consulate of the destination country. For documents intended for countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, an apostille is sufficient.
The purpose of legalisation is to give authorities and other recipients in the destination country assurance that the signature and seal appearing on the document are genuine and that the person who notarised or certified it was authorised to do so.
I can manage the legalisation process on your behalf, helping to ensure that documents follow the appropriate authentication procedure for their intended country of use. Requirements vary between jurisdictions, so I will identify the relevant steps and assist with obtaining any necessary apostille, consular or embassy legalisation.
Once the legalisation process has been completed, we can arrange secure delivery of the original documents to you or, where required, directly to an overseas recipient. Electronic copies of the completed documents can also be provided for your records.
Please note that timescales vary depending on the urgency of apostille service and whether consular legalisation is required.