The requirements, fees, and lead times for consular legalisation vary depending on the country. It is common for consulates to distinguish between commercial and personal documents and the fees and requirements will differ according to the type of document.
Welcome to our Express Consular Legalisation Services, designed to meet your document authentication needs swiftly and efficiently. Our dedicated team ensures that your legalisation requirements are seamlessly fulfilled, providing you with the necessary expertise to navigate the complexities of international document validation.
Our consular legalisation services are tailored to address cross-border needs and ensure that your documents gain the necessary recognition and acceptance in foreign jurisdictions.
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Country legalisation guide
For more information on individual country requirements and current consulate fees, check our Country Requirements List:
- Kenya
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Togo
- Zimbabwe
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Libya
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Republic of Congo
- Sierra Leone
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Philippines
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Hong Kong
- India
- Israel
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Macao
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Russian Federation
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Syria
- Türkiye
- Uzbekistan
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kurdistan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Qatar
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- State of Palestine
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Ireland
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
What are the Requirements for Consular Legalisation?
Consular Legalisation Meaning:
Consular Legalisation, also known as attestation, is the process of authenticating a document at the Embassy/High Commission of the country where a document is going to be used. Legalisation is mostly carried out by the consular section of an Embassy or High Commission.
This is the third and final stage in the authentication process. The first stage is typically getting the document notarised. The second stage is getting an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
We provide express consular services to individuals across the UK.
Why it's needed?
Consular legalisation is required if a country has not signed up to the Hague Apostille Convention.
In 1961 the apostille was introduced. This abolished the need for consular legalisation between contracting member states. Since then, 124 countries have become contracting parties to the convention. The most recent being Senegal.
Although some countries have not signed up to the Hague Apostille Convention, those countries still require a document to have an apostille before their Embassy/High Commission will legalise it.
What we offer
- One stop-shop –we can handle notarisations, apostilles, translations, embassy legalisation and send the documents wherever it needs to go.
- Location –we’re situated in Victoria, a short walk from most Embassies.
- Expertise –we have years of experience legalising documents, and extensive contacts across Embassies. Our team will handle all applications and personally submit and collect your documents.
- Cost –we charge a fixed handling fee which means the more documents you have the more you save.
The Difference Between Consular Legalisation and Apostille
The main difference between consular legalisation and apostille services lies in the process of document authentication and the countries for which they are applicable:
Consular Legalisation:
- Consular legalisation is a process used for countries that are not part of the Hague Apostille Convention.
- It involves a multi-step authentication process where the document is notarised by a notary public, then certified by the competent government authority, and finally, authenticated by the consulate or embassy of the destination country in the issuing country.
- Consular legalisation adds an extra layer of verification, often requiring the document to be translated into the official language of the destination country.
- This process can be more time-consuming and involves multiple authorities and steps.
Apostille:
- Apostille services are used for countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.
- The Apostille is a standardised certificate that confirms the authenticity of the document and is attached by the competent government authority in the issuing country.
- Apostille services simplify the authentication process by eliminating the need for consular legalisation.
- The process is generally quicker and more straightforward, as it involves a single authentication step and is universally recognised among convention countries.
In summary, consular legalisation is a broader authentication process used for countries both inside and outside the Apostille Convention, while apostille services are a specific method of authentication streamlined for countries within the convention.
Popular Consulates
Taiwan from £138
Find out moreEgypt from £170
Find out moreQatar from £144
Find out moreThailand from £130
Find out moreUAE from £156
Find out moreVietnam from £170
Find out moreOur reviews
FAQS
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What countries currently require consular legalisation?
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kurdistan Region, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Sudan, Sudan, Taipei (Taiwan), Thailand, UAE, Vietnam, Uganda.
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What countries will I need to translate the document for?
Angola, Cuba, Libya and Mozambique.
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What countries require a stamp from the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce?
Iraq and Saudi Arabia require all commercial documents to be stamped by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce before being submitted to their embassies. We can handle this step for you.
Commercial documents going to all other Arab states do not require a stamp from the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce but can be obtained on request.
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Why has the document taken longer than estimated?
We try our best to provide accurate lead times based on our experience. However, occasionally lead times can differ. This can be for several reasons, including the consulate suffering technical difficulties, being short-staffed, or due to national holidays.
Consulates regularly change the fees and processes. This can sometimes be at short notice. We do not have any control over this and will advise you of any changes as soon as we are aware.
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Will the consulate accept bundled documents?
Each consulate has its own rules on bundled documents. Whilst acceptable for many consulates, others will not legalise more than one document bundled under one notarial certificate.
Notable consulates that do not accept bundled documents include Qatar and the UAE.
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Can I get my document legalised quicker than estimated?
This is at the discretion of the consulate. We can request on your behalf however we cannot guarantee that the consulate will oblige.