The introduction of e-apostilles has changed the process of legalising documents in the UK for international use. This article guides you through obtaining an e-apostille in the UK.
An e-apostille is a digital certificate that authenticates UK documents for international use, similar to the traditional paper apostille but issued electronically.
Navigating through the bureaucratic intricacies of legal document verification can be a daunting task, especially when it involves documents as significant as a Certificate of Naturalisation. In the United Kingdom, individuals seeking to use their Certificate of Naturalisation abroad may need to get an Apostille. This process authenticates the document for international use, but there's a crucial aspect to consider: only a copy of the Certificate of Naturalisation can be legalised with an apostille, not the original.
In an interconnected world, educational credentials often cross international borders, leading to the necessity of universal authentication methods. One such method, as discussed in previous articles, is the Apostille , which verifies the authenticity of public documents for international use. However, when it comes to academic documents, like degree certificates, there’s an intriguing twist: the signatures of university officials or academic registrars don't carry the required legal standing for an apostille.
When presenting a UK issued birth, marriage or death certificate to an overseas organisation or government office you may be asked for an apostille and a translation. The apostille is added to UK documents so they will be accepted outside of the UK and the translation is completed so that the document content can be easily read by the recipient.
We can add the UK apostille to all GRO issued certificates. The GRO issue many certificates including:-
26/07/2021 - Update - Documents must now be certified by a Notary Public rather than a solicitor prior to the apostille being issued.
If you have a UK qualification, or you have studied in the UK, and need your certificates to be accepted in Italy you may be asked to obtain a Declaration of Value from the Italian Consulate in London.
Your certificate will need a UK apostille before the Italian Consulate will accept it.
Under the British Nationality Act 1981 it is possible for individuals from a non-UK country to apply for British nationality. Individuals can apply for a certificate Naturalisation which is issued by the UK Border Agency if they meet strict criteria set by the UK government. Once the certificate has been issued it grants the individual the same rights as an individual who was born as a British national. This means the certificate can be used by individuals to apply for a UK passport.
What Information is Included in the Certificate?
When applying for a job in another country you may be asked to obtain an apostille for your academic certificates. We regularly issue the apostille on all sorts of academic documents including the following-
Degree Certificates
Masters Certificate
Transcripts of Study
Letters of Enrolment
Letters of Attendance
GCSE, CSE, O Level and A Level Certificates
NVQ, GNVQ, BTEC and City & Guilds Certificates
Other School, College and University Documents
It is possible for us to issue the apostille on documents that were not produced in the UK. However, it is important that you understand the following points.
If a document originates from a country that is a member of the Hague Convention then it is recommended that you get an apostille from that country. For example, if you require an apostille on a USA passport copy then we suggest you contact a USA apostille service provider.
Documents originating from the Republic of Ireland must be legalised in the Republic of Ireland with an Irish apostille certificate. Irish documents will not be acceptable for a UK issued apostille.
Republic of Ireland issued government documents such as birth, death or marriage certificates, court or non impediment documents are to be legalised in the Republic of Ireland. Documents signed by a Republic of Ireland registered practicing solicitor or notary public must also be legalised with a Republic of Ireland issued apostille certificate.
When applying for jobs in a country outside of the UK, prospective employers may ask you to provide them with a Criminal Record Check. There are different organisations who are able to provide Criminal Record Checks and they offer different types of back ground searches. It is down to your employer to confirm exactly which level of back ground check they are expecting you to provide.