Apostilled Documents

An apostille is an official certificate that authenticates a document for use in another country. In the UK, the certificate is issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which checks and verifies the document to confirm that all signatures and seals are legitimate and that the document is genuine. Once a document has received an apostille certificate, it can be presented to any country that recognises the apostille as proof that the document is authentic. It is commonly required by non-UK residents who need to use their UK company documents abroad, for example to open a bank account in another country.

They are related but not the same. Notarisation is carried out by a notary, who signs and authenticates a document to confirm its legitimacy. An apostille goes one step further. Once a document has been notarised, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office then attaches the apostille certificate to confirm that the notary's signature itself is genuine. In practice, notarisation is often the first step in the apostille process. The apostille is the internationally recognised form of authentication that allows the document to be accepted in countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention.

Both an apostille and legalisation are methods of authenticating documents for use abroad, but they apply in different situations. An apostille is a simplified form of authentication used between countries that have signed the 1961 Hague Convention. It is a single-step process completed by a designated government authority, such as the FCO in the UK. Legalisation is a more complex process required for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention. It typically involves multiple stages, including notarisation, authentication by the FCO, and then further verification by the embassy or consulate of the destination country.

Apostilled documents are accepted in any country that is a member of the 1961 Hague Convention. There are 105 countries attributed to the Convention. Because the UK is a member, documents authenticated with a UK apostille are recognised across all of these countries. If the country you need to use the document in is not a member of the Hague Convention, an apostille will not be sufficient and you will need to go through the full legalisation process instead. You can check which countries are members of the Convention on the official Hague Conference website.

The page does not specify an expiry period for an apostille certificate. In general, an apostille itself does not expire, as it simply confirms that a document was authentic at the time it was issued. However, the underlying document may become outdated or no longer reflect current company details, in which case the receiving authority in another country may not accept it. Some institutions set their own time limits on how recent an apostilled document must be. It is advisable to check the specific requirements of the country or institution you are submitting the document to.

The apostille service covers three core company documents: the Certificate of Incorporation, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Share Certificates. Other documents can also be apostilled on request, though an additional charge may apply in those cases. These documents are authenticated by a notary and then submitted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which attaches the apostille certificate. Once certified, the documents can be used in any of the 105 countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention.

It depends on the requirements of the country or institution you are presenting it to. A Certificate of Good Standing confirms that your company is properly registered, up to date with its filings, and legally active in the UK. If you need to use it in another country, particularly for purposes such as opening a bank account or entering into a business arrangement abroad, that country may require the certificate to be apostilled before it will accept it. If the destination country is a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille will be sufficient. If not, full legalisation will be required instead.