Many documents for use abroad can now be notarised and apostilled electronically, with no originals in the post and, in suitable cases, no need to attend in person. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issues an e-Apostille within two working days. A paper apostille takes up to 25 working days if you send it by post, or approximately five working days if we obtain it through the FCDO’s business-only courier channel. Our notaries notarise documents electronically and submit them to the FCDO directly, with no agent in between.
There are two limits. Some documents, including birth, marriage and police certificates, can only be apostilled on paper. And the authority receiving your document abroad decides whether it will accept an electronic version, so we help you confirm that before we start.
What is a notarial act?
A notarial act is the formal step a notary public takes to authenticate a document or a signature, usually so that it can be relied on abroad. Notaries in England and Wales are regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Before acting, the notary:
- identifies the person signing;
- checks that they have the capacity and authority to sign; and
- confirms that they understand the document and are signing of their own free will.
The notary then signs and seals a notarial certificate and keeps a record of the act. In an electronic notarial act the document is a digital file, and the notary signs it with a secure digital signature that shows if the document is altered afterwards.
Electronic and remote are two different questions
It is easy to run the two together, but the Faculty Office treats them separately. Electronic is about the form of the document. Remote is about how you appear before the notary. Any combination is possible:
| Paper document | Electronic document | |
|---|---|---|
| You attend our office | The traditional route: you sign in ink and the notary signs and seals a paper certificate | You sign in front of the notary and the document is signed and sealed digitally |
| You appear by live video | The notary issues a paper notarial act after a remote appointment | Fully remote: you sign electronically and receive a digitally sealed PDF, ready for an e-Apostille |
Remote appearance by video
The Faculty Office’s Code of Practice allows a notary to act for someone who appears over a live video call rather than in person. Some safeguards apply:
- The notary must be in England or Wales at the time of the appointment.
- It is decided case by case. The notary must be satisfied about your identity, your understanding and your free will, and may ask you to attend in person instead.
- There must be a connection with England and Wales, such as where you live, where your company is incorporated, where the asset is, or the law that governs the transaction.
- The certificate says how you appeared. A notarial act will not state or imply that you were physically present if you appeared by video.
A remote notarial act is valid in England and Wales, but some authorities abroad will not accept one. We check this with you before proceeding.
What is an e-Apostille?
An apostille is a certificate issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office confirming that the signature and seal on a UK document are genuine. Countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention accept it without any further legalisation by their embassy.
An e-Apostille does the same job electronically. The document is a PDF signed electronically by a UK notary or solicitor, whose digital signature is registered with the FCDO. We upload it, and the FCDO emails the e-Apostille back. You can forward it by email, and the recipient can check it on the FCDO’s online verification service.
| e-Apostille | Paper apostille | |
|---|---|---|
| What is submitted | A PDF signed electronically by a UK notary or solicitor | The original document or a notarised copy, sent by post or delivered by us through the business-only courier channel |
| How it comes back | By email, ready to forward | Attached to the document and returned by courier or post |
| FCDO turnaround | Up to 2 working days | Up to 25 working days if you send it by post; approximately 5 working days if we obtain it via the courier business-only channel |
| Documents | Most documents, but not those listed below | All documents the FCDO can legalise |
| Embassy legalisation afterwards | Often unsuitable, as many embassies work only with paper | The usual route |
| Best for | Recipients who accept electronic documents, and tight deadlines | Recipients who ask for paper, and documents going on to an embassy |
Which documents can only be apostilled on paper?
The FCDO will not issue an e-Apostille for:
- birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates, or any other General Register Office (GRO) document;
- ACRO police certificates for England and Wales;
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates for England and Wales, and disclosure certificates for Scotland and Northern Ireland;
- fingerprint certificates; and
- ACCA membership certificates.
These need a paper apostille, on the original or on a notarised copy. A paper apostille is also needed where the recipient asks for one.
Will the receiving authority accept an e-Apostille?
Acceptance is decided by the particular authority receiving your document, not by its country, and practice is still uneven:
- A country may accept apostilles generally but have no settled practice for electronic ones.
- One authority may accept an e-Apostille while another in the same country asks for paper.
- The document matters. A university may accept an e-Apostilled degree certificate while a company registry wants paper.
So the question to ask is not whether a country accepts e-Apostilles, but this:
Will this authority accept this document in electronic form?
We give you that question in writing, ready to send to the receiving authority, before we start.
Countries outside the Apostille Convention
Countries that have not joined the Apostille Convention do not accept an apostille on its own, whether paper or electronic. Documents for those countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, usually need a paper apostille followed by legalisation at the relevant embassy in London. We confirm the current position for your destination when you instruct us.
Worked example: a football coach moving to Brazil
A UK-based coach accepts a role with a football club in Brazil, which is a member of the Apostille Convention. The new employer asks for four documents. Two can go electronically and two must go on paper.
| Document | What we do | Route | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy of coaching licence | The notary certifies a copy against the original | e-Apostille | The federation confirmed it accepts electronic documents |
| Copy of degree certificate | The notary certifies a copy against the original | e-Apostille | The immigration authority accepts electronic documents for this application |
| ACRO police certificate | Apostille on the original | Paper apostille | ACRO certificates cannot be e-Apostilled |
| Power of attorney for a local lawyer | The coach signs before the notary | Paper apostille | The local bank asked for a paper original |
Both certified copies are notarised at one appointment and submitted to the FCDO, with the e-Apostilles back within two working days. The police certificate and the power of attorney, which lets a local lawyer open a bank account and sign a lease, go by the paper route, and we obtain those apostilles through the FCDO’s business-only courier channel in approximately five working days. The whole set is ready inside the deadline.
This example is illustrative only. Requirements vary by country and by authority.
Who we help
- Businesses: certificates of incorporation, board minutes and powers of attorney for overseas companies, banks and registries.
- Individuals: powers of attorney for property abroad, and certified copies of degrees and other documents for study or work overseas.
- Law firms without an in-house notary: notarial and apostille work for your clients, on agreed referral terms.
- Sport: board resolutions, powers of attorney and company documents for clubs, and documents for agents, players, coaches and staff moving abroad, including at short notice in transfer windows. See our article on notary services for the sports industry.
How it works
- Send us the document
Or a draft. Tell us which country it is going to and which authority will receive it.
- We confirm the route
Electronic or paper, with the acceptance question to put to the receiving authority, and our fee for your matter.
- Sign remotely or in person
By live video where suitable, or at our Mayfair or Woodford Green office.
- We submit to the FCDO
Usually on the day we notarise. e-Apostilles are emailed to you, usually within two working days.
Frequently asked questions
Is an e-Apostille as valid as a paper apostille?
It does the same job and can be verified online. Whether it is accepted is up to the authority receiving it, so check with them first.
Can I have a document notarised by video call?
Yes, in suitable cases under the Faculty Office’s Code of Practice. The notary decides case by case, and some authorities abroad do not accept remote notarial acts.
Do I need to send my original documents?
Not for an e-Apostille, which is handled as a PDF. A paper apostille needs the original document or a notarised copy.
Our notaries
Jason Winton and Stephen Thirsk are notaries public regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. They see clients by appointment at our Mayfair and Woodford Green offices, and remotely. See also our pages on notary public services and legalisation and apostilles.
To find out the right route for your document, email office@thirskwinton.co.uk or call 020 8505 4777 with the document, the destination country and the receiving authority.
This article is for general information only and reflects the law at the date of publication. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as such. For advice on your own circumstances please contact us.