Apostille and Translation in the UK: Order, Process, and When You Need Both

TL;DR — In most cases the original UK document is apostilled first by the FCDO Legalisation Office, then translated in the destination country by a sworn translator. If a certified translation is done in the UK first, it can also be apostilled — but the translation's signature must usually be notarised by a UK solicitor or notary before the FCDO will legalise it. Standard FCDO apostille fees: £45 per document (postal, 15–20 working days), £40 (premium, next-day via registered providers), £35 (e-Apostille). Only countries in the 1961 Hague Convention accept apostilles; non-Hague countries require embassy legalisation instead.

The "translate first or apostille first" question is one of the most common — and most poorly answered — questions in international document handling. The right answer depends on what the destination country actually requires, which is often different from what people assume.

This guide explains the correct order for UK documents going abroad, the process for apostille and translation, and when you need one, the other, or both.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is a standardised authentication certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention on the Abolition of the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. It confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on a public document is genuine, so the document can be recognised in another signatory country without further embassy intervention.

In the UK, apostilles are issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The FCDO applies the apostille to UK documents only — it cannot legalise documents issued in other countries.

The apostille is physically attached to the document as a certificate (the paper version) or embedded digitally (the e-Apostille, signed by a UK notary or solicitor and submitted as a PDF).

Do I translate before or after apostille?

The correct sequence depends on the destination country's requirements. There are three typical scenarios:

Scenario 1: Destination country requires a sworn translation done locally

This is the most common situation for documents going to France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Portugal and most other EU civil-law countries.

Correct order:

Apostille the original UK document at the FCDO.
Ship the apostilled original to the destination country.
Have a sworn/court-registered translator in the destination country translate it locally.

Do not translate the document in the UK first — the local sworn translator needs to see the apostilled original in its source language.

Scenario 2: Destination country accepts a UK-certified translation

Some countries, particularly common-law jurisdictions and some UAE, Qatar and Saudi processes, will accept a UK certified translation if it is also apostilled.

Correct order:

Have the document certifiedly translated in the UK by a professional translator.
The translator signs the certification statement in front of a UK solicitor or notary public (notarisation step).
The FCDO apostilles both the original document and the notarised translation (two separate apostilles).
Ship both apostilled documents to the destination.

The translation itself cannot be apostilled directly, because the FCDO only apostilles signatures it can verify. A translator's signature is not on the FCDO's specimen signature database — but a solicitor's or notary's signature usually is. That's why the notarisation step is needed first.

Scenario 3: Destination country is not in the Hague Convention

Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention — including UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Vietnam, Thailand, Lebanon, and others — require full embassy legalisation instead of an apostille.

Correct order:

Solicitor or notary certifies the original document (if it is a private document).
FCDO legalises the solicitor's or notary's signature.
The relevant embassy or consulate in London applies its own legalisation stamp.
Some countries (notably UAE) require an additional Ministry of Foreign Affairs step in the destination country.
Translation is usually done in the destination country by a locally approved translator.

The exact chain of steps varies by country. UAE document attestation, for example, typically involves solicitor → FCDO → UAE Embassy → (after arrival) UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Which documents can be apostilled in the UK?

The FCDO can apostille UK-issued documents that carry a verifiable official signature or seal. These fall into two categories:

Documents the FCDO can apostille directly:

Birth, marriage, death, civil partnership and adoption certificates from the General Register Office
Company certificates from Companies House
HMRC letters (tax residency, VAT registration)
Court documents with a wet-ink court seal
Police ACRO certificates
DBS / Disclosure Scotland certificates
Educational documents signed by registered UK officials (some are directly verifiable, most are not — see below)

Documents that need solicitor or notary certification first:

Academic degree certificates and transcripts (most UK universities are not on the FCDO specimen list)
Powers of attorney
Contracts and private agreements
Affidavits and statutory declarations
Copies of passports, driving licences, utility bills
Company board resolutions and minutes
Medical letters from non-registered professionals

The FCDO authenticates documents by matching the signature or seal against records it holds. When it cannot directly verify the signature, a UK solicitor or notary public must certify the document first — the solicitor's or notary's signature is on the FCDO's records, and the apostille then attests to that.

Which countries require apostilled translations?

There are now 125+ member countries of the Hague Apostille Convention. The list includes:

All EU member states
All EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein)
USA, Canada (joined 2024), Mexico, most of Central and South America
Australia, New Zealand
Japan, South Korea, India, China (joined 2023)
Most of sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius, Nigeria)
Most of Eastern Europe including Russia, Ukraine, Georgia

Notable non-members requiring embassy legalisation:

UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman
Egypt, Libya, Algeria (Morocco and Tunisia are members)
Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan
Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (Nepal joined, Sri Lanka did not)
Most sub-Saharan African countries outside those listed above

Always verify the current list on the Hague Conference on Private International Law website (hcch.net) before planning the process. China joining in 2023 was a major change — UK documents for use in China used to require embassy legalisation and now only need an apostille.

How much does apostille and certified translation cost in the UK?

FCDO apostille fees (2026):

e-Apostille: Fee per document £35; Turnaround 2 working days
Premium (next-day, via registered agent): Fee per document £40; Turnaround Next working day
Standard postal: Fee per document £45; Turnaround 15–20 working days
Courier return: UK: Fee per document £5.50 per 1.5kg
Courier return: Europe: Fee per document £25.50 per 1.5kg
Courier return: Rest of World: Fee per document £29.50 per 1.5kg

Associated costs:

Solicitor certification: £10–£50 per document
Notary public certification: £50–£120 per document (higher for London notaries)
Certified UK translation: £35–£75 per single-page document, more for longer or rare languages
Embassy legalisation (non-Hague countries): £50–£400+ depending on country and document type

Realistic total budgets for common journeys:

Birth certificate → Spain (Hague, needs Spanish sworn translation done locally): apostille £45 + Spanish sworn translation ~€60 = ~£95–£100
Degree certificate → UAE (non-Hague, full legalisation): solicitor £30 + FCDO £45 + UAE Embassy £100+ + Arabic translation £50–£80 = ~£225–£260
Marriage certificate → China (Hague since 2023): apostille £45 + Chinese translation in destination = ~£45 from UK side
Power of attorney → France: notary £100 + FCDO £45 + French sworn translation locally = ~£145 + local translation

Fees can change — verify current rates at gov.uk/get-document-legalised before budgeting.

Who can apostille a translation in the UK (FCDO process)?

Only the FCDO Legalisation Office can issue a UK apostille. There is no other authorised body in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Scotland uses the same FCDO service — there is no separate Scottish apostille system.

The process:

Apply online at gov.uk/get-document-legalised.
Choose paper or e-Apostille. E-Apostilles require the document to be electronically signed by a UK solicitor or notary and are issued as a PDF. Paper apostilles require the original document sent in by post.
Pay the fee online at the time of application (£35, £40 or £45).
Send the documents (for paper apostille) by post or courier to the FCDO's Milton Keynes office, along with a return envelope or courier arrangement.
Receive the apostilled document. Standard postal service takes 15–20 working days; registered agents can access the premium service for next-day processing.

The FCDO cannot:

Apostille documents issued outside the UK.
Advise on whether your destination country will accept the document.
Provide translation services.
Walk-in same-day service at their office (no walk-ins are permitted).

Registered FCDO agents — often combined translation and legalisation companies — offer a one-stop service that handles solicitor certification, apostille, embassy legalisation and certified translation in a single managed chain. This is usually faster and more reliable than handling each step individually, though it costs £70–£150 more than doing it yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apostille a document issued in another country through the UK? No. The FCDO can only apostille UK-issued documents. A document issued in, say, Nigeria must be apostilled in Nigeria (if Nigeria is a Hague member) or legalised in Nigeria through the relevant authority.

Does the apostille have an expiry date? Technically no — an apostille is valid indefinitely under the Hague Convention. But some receiving authorities reject apostilles older than 6 or 12 months, particularly on police certificates or medical documents.

Can I apostille just a photocopy? Only if a UK solicitor or notary has certified the photocopy as a true copy first. The FCDO then apostilles the solicitor's signature, not the document itself.

What happens if my document is rejected by the FCDO? The fee is not refunded. Common rejection reasons: the signatory's signature is not on the FCDO specimen list, the document has not been certified by a solicitor first (when required), or the document is a photocopy rather than an original or certified copy. Using a registered agent reduces rejection risk because they check eligibility before submission.

Is an apostille needed if my translation is already certified? Not within the UK. A UK certified translation is sufficient for UK authorities. Apostille only comes into play when the document is going to be used abroad in a country that requires it.

Can the same document be apostilled twice? You cannot apostille an apostille. But you can get separate apostilles for the original and the notarised translation if both need to be presented abroad.

Will an apostille from another country be recognised in the UK? Yes — the UK recognises apostilles from all Hague Convention member states. The UK does not require additional legalisation of foreign apostilled documents, though you may still need a certified translation into English.

FCDO apostille processes and fees are current as of 2026. The UK apostille system is stable but prices rose on 1 January 2024 and may be adjusted again — always check current rates at gov.uk/get-document-legalised. The list of Hague Convention member states changes occasionally; verify the latest status at hcch.net.

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