by Apostille Service
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The e-apostille is a rapid way of legalising documents for international use. It enables apostilles to be issued electronically and shared by email. Whilst it is quicker than the paper version of the apostille, not all documents are eligible for e-apostille legalisation.
What is an e-apostille?
An e-apostille is a digital version of the physical apostille certificate that authenticates some UK documents for international use. It serves the same purpose as a traditional paper apostille but is issued electronically, as a PDF document. The e-apostille improves the legalisation process by reducing the need for physical document handling and posting documents to offices. This makes the e-apostille a quicker service than the paper apostille.
You can read more about paper apostilles here – What is an apostille?
Understanding the e-apostille
Not all documents can have the e-apostille. Only documents that have been digitally signed by a UK solicitor or notary public with a recognised digital signature are eligible for an e-apostille. This electronic certification ensures the authenticity of the document and provides a secure, verifiable digital trail.
Please note – At the time of writing there are very few solicitors with digital signatures that are on the FCDO Legalisation Office records. Our solicitors are all on the government records for issuing e-apostilles.
Examples of documents that CAN have the e-apostille
The following document examples can all be checked and digitally signed by a solicitor, enabling the e-apostille to be issued. (Note – this list is not exhaustive!)
Academic Documents:
- Degrees, Masters and PhD certificates
- PGCE or QTS certificates
- TEFL and TESOL certificates from recognised UK TEFL services
- Professional qualifications and membership certificates for recognised bodies in the UK
Personal Documents:
- Employment letters
- NHS employment documents
- P60s and P45s
- Decree absolutes and final order divorce documents
- Driving licences
UK Company Documents:
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Incorporation Documents from Companies House (IN01)
- Certificate of Company Name Change (and supporting NM01)
- Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Confirmation Statement (CS01)
- Address Change from Companies House (AD01)
- Company accounts downloaded from Companies House
- Share certificates we can verify at Companies House
- HMRC documents we can verify
Documents that CANNOT have the e-apostille
There are many documents which cannot be issued with the e-apostille and can only be legalised with a traditional paper apostille. They may be stamped or signed by a government office or other another authoritative body, that does not have a digital signature. Documents are normally processed as originals, not as PDF copies.
Examples of Documents that CANNOT have the e-apostille:
- Birth, marriage, death, and civil partnership certificates from the General Register Office
- ACRO police certificates, NPCC and DBS certificates
- Medical notes, health documents, and fit-to-work documents ink signed by a doctor
- Court documents with ink stamps
- Fingerprint documents
- Ink-signed solicitor documents and notarised documents.
Getting an e-apostille
The e-apostille has certainly made it easier to get a fast apostille for many documents. While not all documents can be electronically legalised, 1Apostille can offer you free advice on whether your document can be processed. Contact us today to discuss your document.
