If you are working abroad, you may be asked to provide a notarised or attested copy of your qualifications. Degree certificates from British universities can be notarised and attested using our online notarisation service. Complete your details below and we will confirm cost, procedure and timescales.
FAQS
Do I need an appointment?
Degree certificates can be notarised without an appointment as we verify the qualification with your university directly. If you have other documents, you may require an appointment but we will try to avoid this where possible to minimise your costs and give you the most convenient service.
I need to send original documents – will the scanned copy be accepted?
Once a document is notarised, this is classed as an original document and is accepted by almost all countries and embassies for visa purposes. Sometimes Russia wants the original degree certificate to be added but this is the exception.
How long will it take?
It depends on the service that you require and how quickly your university verifies your qualification. On average, this takes a couple of days but some universities take longer. We know how important this documentation is to you and we will deal with your application as quickly as possible. If your documents need an apostille, this takes 2-3 days and each embassy has its own timescale, but usually it takes an extra 2-3 days.
How much will it cost?
It depends on the service that you require but we work on fixed fees so as soon as we have your application, we can give you an exact fee quote. You will not be charged for anything until you have received the fee quote and instructed us to proceed.
What is the process?
Once we have the documents and information that we require, we will submit a verification request to your university. Your university will confirm that the qualification is valid which enables us to add a notarial certificate to this effect to the copy of your degree certificate. For applications to the UAE, we are required to notarise directly onto your copy certificate. If you require legalisation (apostille) and/or embassy attestation, we will send the notarised documentation to be processed at the FCO and/or embassy.
Which service do I need?
It depends which country you need the document for. We recommend that you get a quote for the full service including embassy attestation if you are dealing with China or the UAE. You will have the option to choose the service that is best for you.
Can I deal with the legalisation separately?
Yes, this is always an option. We use a very good and trusted legalisation agent to deal with the apostille applications and embassy attestations in a very fast and secure way, but we fully understand that this needs to be weighed against the cost of the service and your own timescales.
Can you advise me on what I need for my visa application?
No, we are not legalisation agents so we cannot tell you what you need to provide for your visa application but we can deal with the notarisation and legalisation of your documents as you instruct us to.
Can I get an expedited services?
It depends on the country that you are dealing with but we already use most expedited services as standard. The FCO does offer a same day apostille service but this only saves one day on our standard service. If you want to use this, please let us know and we will include this in your fee quote.
How will the documents be returned to me?
The documents will be returned by Royal Mail Special Delivery within the UK or by courier if sent overseas.
When do I have to pay?
When you give us the instruction to proceed, we will send you an invoice with payment instructions. As soon as payment has been received, we can process your documents.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major debit and credit cards.
Can you deal with other documents such as criminal record checks and birth certificates at the same time?
Yes, we are frequently asked to deal with additional documents. Just let us know what you need and we will be able to advise on cost and procedure.
Do you need original documents?
Generally, we don’t need you to send original documents but we will let you know exactly what we need when you submit your enquiry. Certain documents such as criminal record checks, birth certificates and marriage certificates will need to be original documents.