Apostille Express

Apostille Express: document legalisation from Surrey

Apostille Express is a UK company that handles the apostille and embassy legalisation process for documents intended for use abroad. It operates from a head office in Egham, Surrey, which it describes as a base for attending the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and embassies on a daily basis. The service is presented as a simplified route through a procedure that otherwise requires dealing with official offices directly.

What an apostille is, according to the company

The company explains that a Hague Apostille is an independent sheet of paper issued in the UK by the FCDO that verifies the authenticity of the document to which it is attached, showing a signature, seal and emboss. It states that the process was introduced by the Hague Convention, replacing the previous legalisation procedure. Apostille Express also notes that the countries accepting an apostille include Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea (South), Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Macao, Malawi, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Oman, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Tunisia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zambia. The company adds a caveat that users should always check with the end recipient what legalisation they expect.

Documents handled

The service covers official documents issued by government, such as original birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates from the General Registrar's office, which must carry an original signature, stamp or seal, or be a certified copy issued by the department. It also handles documents certified by a Notary Public or Solicitor, such as degree certificates or passport copies. The website organises its offering into several document categories:

• Apostille for UK documents
• Commercial document apostille services
• Apostille services for government and public sector documents
• Apostille services for personal documents
• Apostille for degrees and academic certificates
• Apostille for marriage certificates
• Apostille for UK birth certificates
• Apostille for UK death certificates

Embassy legalisation

Beyond the apostille, Apostille Express handles embassy legalisation when the recipient requires a specific country's stamp or embassy legalisation on a document. The company notes that this can require additional documents, such as passport copies, or an appointment. It lists some of the embassies it deals with most often: Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The service includes advising on the process and attending the embassy on the client's behalf.

How the service is delivered

The company states that its team is trained to recognise the documents presented and to advise on the legalisation process they may require. It highlights the use of in-house couriers for transporting documents, which it presents as a way to provide security and confidence in handling. It also offers to make any required copies on the client's behalf and to issue a single invoice covering the whole process: apostille, embassy and return or courier. The team is described as having over 40 years of collective experience in processing documents for use abroad.

Pricing and ordering

The website advertises apostille services from £61.00, with a same day and fast-track service available. The ordering process is set out in a dedicated section, and the site also includes a FAQ and a news and guides section. At the time of writing this profile, the advertised starting price was £61.00.