Consular Legalisation

Some notarised documents, for some countries,  need further processing. That process is called legalisation.  The process of legalisation starts after a notary public has witnessed / verified / authenticated your signature and verified that you are who you say you are by adding his or her signature and  notarial  seal and stamp to your document.  Your MyNotary notary will know if this additional process is necessary. 

The process is where the UK’s  FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) checks the notary’s signature is valid and that his or her signature is registered with the FCDO.  When satisfied, the FCDO will attach a printed certificate to the back of the document or notarial cover sheet – this certificate is termed an Apostille.

Your MyNotary notary can arrange for the UK’s  FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office).  Some countries require an additional check on the veracity of the notarisation and legalisation process.

What is Consular Legalisation?

Consular legalisation  is sometimes required for documents that will be used in countries that are not party to the Hague Convention.  As the process of consular legalisation  increases the cost and lengthens the time it takes  to legalise a document, It is always a good idea to check with the parties that requested you to seek notarisation and legalisation in the first place.  

The process of consular legalisation can vary depending on the country where the document will be used. However, it typically involves the following steps:   

1. The document must first be notarised by a notary public.
   
   
2. The Notary will have his or her signature authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).  The notarised document is sent or taken to the FCDO to be ‘apostilled’.  An Apostille is a  certificate issued by the Foreign Office and attached to the back of the document or notarial certificate (sometime referred to as a ‘cover sheet’).
   
   
3. The document is then authenticated (legalised) by the embassy or consulate of the country where the document will be used.

Which countries require that notarised documents should receive further attestation at their UK-based Embassy need consular legalisation?

If the country where you intend to use the document is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, you will likely need consular legalisation. This is because the Apostille issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is only recognised by Hague Convention member countries.

How to legalise a document for use in a county that is NOT party to the Apostille Convention.

Before making an appointment to see a notary, contact the person or parties that have asked you to ‘get the documents legalised’.  Ask, does the person or parties receiving the document require the document to be ‘in-country’ legalised – that is to say legalised at the UK

First make an appointment to see a notary.  Ask them to provide a quotation of cost to cover the notarisation and to obtain an Apostille.

Countries that are NOT party to the Apostille Convention include:   

• Afghanistan   
• Algeria   
• Angola   
• Bangladesh
• Benin   
• Burkina Faso   
• Burma   
• Burundi
• Cambodia   
• Cameroon   
• Canada
• Central African Republic   
• Chad
• Comoros   
• Congo, Democratic Republic of the   
• Congo, Republic of the   
• Cuba   
• Djibouti
• Egypt   
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia   
• Gabon   
• Gambia
• Ghana   
• Guinea   
• Guinea-Bissau   
• Haiti   
• Indonesia
• Iran   
• Iraq   
• Ivory Coast   
• Jamaica
• Jordan   
• Kenya   
• Kuwait   
• Laos   
• Lebanon   
• Liberia
• Libya   
• Madagascar   
• Malaysia   
• Mali   
• Mauritania   
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Nepal   
• Niger   
• Nigeria   
• North Korea
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palestine   
• Philippines
• Qatar   
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan   
• Syria   
• Taiwan   
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania   
• Thailand   
• Togo
• Turkmenistan   
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela
• Vietnam   
• Yemen   
• Zambia   
• Zimbabwe   

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and may change. It is important to check with the embassy or consulate of the country where you will be using the document to determine the specific requirements.

If you are unsure whether your document needs consular legalization, you should contact the embassy or consulate of the country where you will be using the document.

Documents for use in the UAE

To legalise a document for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you must first get it apostilled by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Then, you can take it to the UAE Embassy in London for attestation. 

Types of Documents the UAE Embassy in London accepts include:

• The UAE Embassy in London can legalise all personal and commercial documents.
• Official personal documents such as marriage, birth, and death certificates, etc. must be submitted in their original form for attestation.
• All other documents, whether original or true copy, will be accepted, if the submitted document is legalised by its respective foreign office;  in our case, the FCDO.
• Documents apostilled in a bundle are not accepted. They should be apostilled separately. We have found this not always to be the case – your notary will advise.
• Power of attorney and similar legal documents must be signed in the presence of a UK solicitor or notary before being submitted to their respective foreign office.
• A power of attorney containing any commercial content will be treated as a commercial document: additional charges may apply.

Source: https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/missions/london/services/attestation-information

NOTE:  Memorandum and articles of association must be separately legalised. Laminated documents cannot be legalised by the UAE Embassy in London.