UK Apostille Certificate for Translated Documents
Need a UK document translated and apostilled for use overseas? Translation and apostille legalisation are separate steps. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issues apostilles for eligible UK documents and qualifying public-official signatures. Locate Translate can review your document's translation requirements and help you identify which legalisation route to confirm with the receiving authority.
Only the UK Legalisation Office issues UK apostilles. An apostille does not certify translation accuracy, the contents of the source document or acceptance abroad. Read who is authorised to issue a UK apostille for details of FCDO, notary and solicitor roles.
Translation + separate FCDO legalisation
Does your document need an apostille, a translation or both?
Before ordering, ask the overseas recipient what it requires. A translated document may need its own certification and sometimes a separate apostille, but an apostille on the original document does not automatically authenticate the translation. Our guide to when a translation needs an apostille compares translation-only, original-document and separately legalised translation routes.
Birth, marriage, death or Companies House certificate
The FCDO can legalise eligible original UK public records by checking the appropriate signature, stamp or seal. If the destination also needs a translation, ask whether to translate the original, the apostille page, or both.
Important: General Register Office (GRO) birth, marriage and death certificates are not eligible for e-Apostilles; paper-based legalisation is the usual route.
Contract, qualification, certified copy or translated text
Some documents need a UK solicitor or notary to certify or sign them before they are eligible for FCDO legalisation. If a recipient specifically requests an apostille on the translation, clarify whose signature needs notarisation or certification.
An apostille authenticates the eligible public-official signature or seal, not the linguistic accuracy of the translation.
Foreign birth certificate, foreign university record or overseas registry extract
The UK Legalisation Office cannot apostille documents issued outside the UK through its service. For the original overseas record, check the legalisation authority in the issuing country. A translation prepared and signed in the UK may have a different route, if required by the receiving body.
Apostille Convention or further embassy attestation?
An apostille can simplify recognition of eligible documents between countries where the Hague Apostille Convention applies, but the receiving authority may also request a translation or particular document format. Outside the relevant convention framework, consular or embassy legalisation may be needed.
Which UK apostille is available for your document?
GOV.UK offers a paper-based apostille route and an electronic e-Apostille for qualifying documents. Eligibility is not simply a matter of uploading a scanned PDF.
Paper apostille
For eligible original public records and other documents that require physical submission. After applying online, GOV.UK explains how to send the documents and how they will be returned.
- Required for GRO civil certificates such as birth and marriage records.
- May be required by the overseas recipient even when an electronic route exists.
- Official processing and delivery time depend on the application type.
Electronic e-Apostille
Available only for eligible PDFs electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor, provided the document and receiving authority accept that route.
- Not available for GRO certificates, ACRO police certificates, DBS certificates and certain other listed documents.
- An ordinary scanned or unsigned translation does not meet the e-Apostille eligibility test.
- The completed legalised document is supplied digitally by the Legalisation Office.
For a translated document: If a foreign authority asks for an apostilled translation, ask whether the translation itself must be signed or notarised in the UK and whether an e-Apostille is permissible. If it asks for the original UK certificate to be apostilled, that is a different application and may require the paper original. Get written instructions when possible.
Government fees and turnaround: The FCDO publishes separate fees and processing times for paper and e-Apostilles, plus potential return postage or courier charges. Translation, notarial work and provider handling are separate costs. Check the live GOV.UK prices and current service times before placing an order.
Should you translate before or after getting the UK apostille?
There is no universal answer. The overseas organisation determines whether it wants the apostilled original translated, an independently certified translation, a notarised translation with its own apostille, or a complete legalisation pack.
Route A — Apostille the original, then translate
For an eligible UK certificate, the official original may be apostilled first. If the foreign recipient wants the apostille certificate and the underlying record in another language, the translator can prepare the requested complete translation afterwards.
Do not assume: A translation added later automatically has its own apostille.
Route B — Certify or notarise the translation, then legalise that signature
If the overseas recipient explicitly needs the translation itself apostilled, ask whether a UK notary or solicitor must sign the translation or a supporting declaration before an FCDO application. The official checks qualifying signatures and seals, not language accuracy.
Do not assume: A standard translator's certification alone is necessarily apostille-eligible.
UK documents commonly discussed with apostille translation
Different documents have different eligibility, signatures and presentation requirements. Avoid ordering a translation or legalisation step that the recipient does not need.
UK birth, marriage and death certificates
Usually discussed for overseas civil-status procedures. Confirm whether an original GRO certificate, paper apostille and translation of the apostille page are required.
ACRO police and DBS certificates
Some overseas work and immigration processes request criminal-record documents. These certificates are excluded from e-Apostille eligibility under current GOV.UK guidance.
Degrees and qualifications
A qualification or certified copy may need an appropriate UK notarial or solicitor signature before legalisation. Ask whether the recipient needs the certificate and academic transcript translated.
Companies House and corporate records
Some registry-issued UK company documents can be legalised. Confirm which extract, certificate or board document is required and whether overseas business terminology needs translation.
Powers of attorney and contracts
These can involve a solicitor or notary before the FCDO stage. The receiving institution may specify the signature, original, copies, format and translation language.
Certified document translations
If the translation is the document requiring authentication, the proposed signatory and certification route need checking before applying. We can review the source, translation language and submission brief.
How to prepare your UK apostille and translation request
Use the current FCDO application route for legalisation; use the direct translation order to prepare the text that the receiving body requires.
Confirm the overseas requirements
Ask the destination authority what it needs: original or certified copy, translation language, separate apostille, paper or electronic form, and any additional embassy step.
Check document eligibility
Identify the issuing country and document type. Review whether the FCDO can legalise it directly or needs a UK public-official signature first.
Order translation and apply correctly
Submit your complete document for translation, including any apostille pages the recipient wants translated. Apply for UK legalisation through the official GOV.UK service or an appropriately arranged provider process.
UK apostille certificate for translation — FAQs
Can a UK translation company issue an apostille certificate?
No. A UK apostille is issued by the FCDO Legalisation Office. A translation provider may assist with document preparation or the application process, but it does not itself issue UK government apostilles.
Does an apostille certify that a translation is accurate?
No. An apostille authenticates an eligible public signature, seal or stamp against the issuing authority's records. Translation accuracy is a separate issue and should be addressed through the recipient's required professional certification.
Do I need to apostille the UK certificate or its translation?
The receiving authority decides. Some request an apostille on the original UK-issued certificate followed by a translation; others may require an apostilled translation signed or notarised appropriately. Check the instructions before choosing either route.
Can I get an e-Apostille for a UK birth or marriage certificate?
Not for General Register Office birth, marriage, death or related civil-status certificates. GOV.UK lists these among the documents excluded from e-Apostilles. A paper apostille may be available where the document qualifies.
Can I upload a scanned PDF to get an e-Apostille?
Not simply because it is a PDF. Eligible e-Apostille documents must be PDFs electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor and must meet the FCDO's document-type rules.
Can the FCDO apostille a birth certificate issued outside the UK?
The FCDO's UK legalisation service does not apostille foreign-issued documents. Check with the appropriate authority in the country where the document was issued.
Does a translated document always need notarisation?
No. Notarisation is a separate procedure. It may be needed when the recipient requests it or when a qualifying public-official signature is necessary before legalisation. UK certified translations do not automatically require it.
Can an apostille guarantee acceptance in another country?
No. Even where the Apostille Convention applies, an overseas authority may impose additional document, language, validity or procedural requirements. Confirm the destination body's rules directly.
How are UK apostille fees and processing times calculated?
GOV.UK publishes current fees and service timeframes for paper apostilles and eligible e-Apostilles. Costs may also include postage, courier, notary and translation work. Check the official website before applying.
How do I apply for a UK apostille?
Applications begin through the official GOV.UK Legalisation Office application. You will be told how to submit the document or receive the completed e-Apostille after applying.
Order translation for your UK apostille documents
Upload the original or certified source, tell us the destination country and which pages need translation. For legalisation-procedure questions, use the enquiry form below; FCDO eligibility must be confirmed before application.
Translation and apostille enquiry
Questions about an apostilled translation?
Tell us the issuing country, document type, destination country, translation language and whether the recipient wants the original, the translation or both apostilled. We can review the request; only the FCDO issues a UK apostille.