Ever wondered what apostilled documents are?
Or perhaps you’ve been asked to get a document apostilled?
Stick around and we’ll tell you everything there is to know.
Hi there, Nicholas Campion
here from 1st Formations, the UK’s leading company formation agent.
In this video, we are going to tackle the subject of apostilled documents.
We will cover what apostille means, what an apostille
certificate is, how you can obtain one and some of the reasons
you may require it.
So, let’s get started!
If you’re not a resident of the UK but have a limited company
registered here in the UK, there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to provide
an apostilled document for one reason or another.
But what exactly does ‘apostille’ mean?
An apostille is an official government certificate
that is issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
in the United Kingdom to legalise a document.
It certifies that a document’s signature, seal
or stamp is genuine so that the document can be used overseas.
It does not indicate, however,
whether the contents of the document itself are correct.
So, with that in mind,
let’s take a look at the apostille certificate.
The certificate is a piece of paper
that is glued to the back of the document being legalised.
It will also have an embossing of the apostille seal,
which is applied to the certificate and also the document itself.
If a document is double-sided, the certificate will be placed
in the most appropriate space on the document.
The certificate is typically glued to the document across only one edge.
This allows for the certificate to be lifted, similar to a page in a book,
to ensure that all text in the document remains readable.
Typically, an apostille certificate will contain the following 10 sections:
country – In this case, the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,'
name of the person signing the document,
the capacity in which the person is signing the document, such as a solicitor,
details of the seal on the document,
place issued,
date issued,
issuing authority,
– here in the UK that is, ‘By Her Majesty’s
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs,'
certificate number,
stamp of the issuing authority,
and signature of the officer for the issuing authority.
Next, let’s discuss why non-residents may need
an apostille certificate.
Non-residents of the UK
typically require their company documents to be legalised
to allow the documents to be recognised in another country.
This could be for many business purposes, such as opening
a business bank account in their own country,
or if they are looking to open an overseas branch.
Opening a business bank account in the UK
can be challenging if you do not live here.
Many banks will either require you to be a resident,
or to travel to the UK to set up an account.
Because of this,
it can sometimes be easier and more practical for the officers
of a company to set up a business bank account in the country they live in.
Each bank has its own separate requirements
for the documents that need to be apostilled.
As a result, you should always check on exactly what is required.
This will help prevent the wrong document
from being apostilled, thereby delaying the opening of an account.
A common misconception is that apostilled documents
will be recognised in all countries around the globe.
They are in fact only accepted in 122 countries.
These are the countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention.
Once a document has been apostilled, all participating countries
to the 1961 Hague Convention will then be able to accept the document.
This is advantageous, as it removes the need for the document to be certified
again by the country in which the document is intended to be used.
To view the full list of Hague Convention countries,
see the link in the description below.
Now, let’s look at the which documents are typically apostilled.
Whilst each bank or government organisation will have its own
requirements regarding which documents should be apostilled,
the most common documents tend to be those issued by Companies House.
These include the: Certificate of Incorporation,
Memorandum and Articles of Association,
Certificate of Good Standing,
Certificate of Incorporation on Change of Name,
annual accounts,,
and Companies House forms, for example
– the AP01, CS01 and IN01
If you’re looking to get a document apostilled, 1st Formations
provide an Apostilled Documents Service for just £99.99 plus VAT per document.
We will have your document certified by a solicitor
(if required) and legalised by the FCDO.
We'll provide you with a scanned copy of the certificate,
before sending it to you free of charge via
Royal Mail Special Delivery in the UK,
or by International Tracked and Signed
for an additional cost of £13.00.
For more information on our Apostilled Documents
Service, see the link in the description below.
So, that’s everything you need to know about apostilled documents.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments
section below and we’ll get straight back to you!
In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to our channel to get more tips and advice
on limited companies, reporting requirements, tax obligations, and more.
We're always happy to help, and we can't wait to hear from you.
Until next time, cheerio!