Documents Notarised & Apostilled (5-7 days as it depends on Foreign office work load) £141.00. Notarisation is a formality often required for documents which are to be used overseas, or for certifying document copies. Once a document has been notarised by a Notary Public, and if it is to be used overseas, it may need to be apostilled. This means that the Notary's signature and seal are certified by the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will then attach an apostille or a Legalisation Certificate to the document. Once a document has been notarised and apostilled, it then may need to be legalised by the Consulate of the country in which it will be used, if the country is not party to the Hague Convention.
Apostilled CGS
£ 91.95
Apostilled Certificate of Good Standing - £91.95. Our fee includes a Good Standing Certificate with Apostille Legalisation. Certificates of Good Standing are signed by an officer of Companies House. The certificate shows, at minimum, the company's name and incorporation number (Short Form). If requested, it can also show the names of the registered Directors, Secretaries, Shareholders and Registered Address details (Long Form). Good Standing Certificates may be requested by various interested parties, but the most common reason for obtaining one is to satisfy a bank or finance company. Some overseas authorities, banks and institutions may demand that the authenticity of the Good Standing Certificate is verified by Apostille. A Good Standing Certificate is normally taken as valid for 3 months.
Apostille
£ 91.95
Apostilled Certificate of Incorporation - £91.95. Our fee includes Certificate of Incorporation with Apostille Legalisation. If you are going to use British documents overseas, for business or for personal reasons, you will probably be asked to have your documents stamped by an Apostille before they can be accepted. If you are not sure which documents need to be legalised, you should contact the authority who requires them. The Hague convention abolishes the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalization for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. Documents issued in a Convention country which have been certified by a Convention apostille are entitled to recognition in any other Convention country without any further authentication.
We can issue notarial certifications for every country in the world. When documents issued or signed in the UK are to be used in a different country, it is often necessary to have those documents Notarised and/or Legalised under Apostille. Notarial Certificates and/or Apostille Legalisations may be required, amongst other, for the following documents:
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What is Legalisation? Legalisation simply means confirming that a signature, seal or stamp appearing on a document is genuine. Why documents need to be legalised? The signatures or seals of British public officials (such as solicitors, notaries public, registrars) on certain documents from the United Kingdom have to be confirmed before those documents can be accepted overseas. For example, if you want to get married or start working overseas, several documents (such as your birth certificate or academic qualifications) may need to be 'legalised'. There are a wide range of company documents that can legalised either individually or as a set of documents. The following list is an example of some of the many documents that we legalise for clients operating UK based businesses:
Coddan can help you to legalise your documents making your life easier and saving you time and hassle. We understand how complex it can be getting your documents authenticated in the UK, that's why we have introduced a new service for the legalisation of birth, death and marriage certificates, and also for degree certificates from UK universities.
Note that you have to supply us with the original documents in order for us to be able to have them notarised or legalised. Birth, death and marriage certificates need only be Apostilled at the foreign and common wealth office, but degrees need to be notarised first and then Apostilled.
The above procedures apply for documents originating from countries who are signatories to the Hague Convention, documents from those countries who are not signatories might also need to be authenticated by the appropriate embassy. The price of these services are contingent upon the individual embassies and will vary accordingly. Please contact us with your requirements and we will be happy to provide you with the exact cost.
Our service is reasonably priced, and we can have your documents legalised within three days.
Price: Notarisation (by Notary Public): £45.00 (for the first document and £35.00 for the following ones) Notarisation (by Solicitor or Barrister): £55.00 (for the first document and £35.00 for the following ones) Apostille: £133.00 (within 2 business days) Apostille: £63.00 (within 5-7 business days)
We also have a dedicated translation department which is able to offer translation to and from many languages, supported by a notarial "Certificate of Accuracy". Please call our office for details or to discuss any translation requirements.
If the country where the UK documents are to be used is not a signatory to The Hague Convention 1961, the UK documents will need to be Legalised in the following manner:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office will need to certify the authenticity of the UK Officer's signature and/or seal (e.g. the Notary's signature and seal); and
The Embassy, Consulate or Chamber of Commerce (as the case may be) of the country where the documents are to be used will need to certify the authenticity of the above Foreign & Commonwealth Office certificate.
The procedure, cost and time scale may vary depending on the country where the documents are to be used. Please E-Mail or call us: 0800 081 1510 or +44 (0) 207 637 3881, fax: +44 20 7681 3318with your specific requirements and we shall be pleased to provide you with a quote.
Apostille Definition: A simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents used in countries that participate in a Hague Convention. This simplified form contains numbered fields (which allow the data to be understood by all participating countries regardless of the official language of the issuing country). The completed apostille form certifies the authenticity of the document's signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, and identifies the seal/stamp which the document bears. Documents needed for intercountry adoptions require the attachment of an apostille (rather than authentication forms) if the foreign country participates in the convention.
Apostille Information: Once a document has been notarised by a Notary Public, and if it is to be used overseas, it may need to be apostilled. This means that the Notary's signature and seal are certified by the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will then attach an apostille or a Legalisation Certificate to the document. Once a document has been notarised and apostilled, it then may need to be legalised by the Consulate of the country in which it will be used, if the country is not party to the Hague Convention.
How to Obtain an Apostille Stamp: Our company is a private service company with years of experience providing Apostille services to the public. Coddan offers you the convenience and knowledge to obtain the Apostille on your documents from the government without the need for you to travel to the state government offices. We save you time, money, and potentially incorrect document presentation which could cause rejection. We go to the state government offices with your documents, stand in line, complete any applications, pay the Apostille fees and wait until it is completed. Our service is both cost-effective and timesaving. You can track your return order with Fedex or DHL online, and even make payment to us for the services with a Credit Card or electronic check, online, from the comfort of your home or office.
How do I Get an Apostille? All Apostille certificates will look the same for all the countries you send the Apostille to. There is no difference between an Apostille which will be used for Spain and an Apostille for Germany. Similarly, there is no difference between an Apostille for a Birth Certificate and an Apostille for a Marriage Certificate, or a Power of Attorney or a Court Divorce Decree. The Apostille will look the same. However, a few countries have a different requirement other than an Apostille, and your document would receive a Legalization Certificate instead. Our office will obtain necessary county government Notary Authentication first, then the Apostille. We can provide return delivery to you via Fedex or send to another location.
Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents: The purpose of the Convention is that it abolishes the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalization for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. Documents issued in a Convention country which have been certified by a Convention apostille are entitled to recognition in any other Convention country without any further authentication. Such recognition is an obligation on the part of the United States to the other countries party to the Convention and the federal courts and state authorities have been alerted to this obligation. Consular officers in Convention countries are prohibited from placing a certification over the Convention apostille.
If you have a document which you want legalized for use in another Convention country, the Convention certification called an "apostille" must be affixed to the document by a competent authority. The apostille is a preprinted form prescribed by the Convention.
Live Help: Live Help is a real time "chat" feature which enables you to interact with a customer service representative without a phone call. Get answers to your questions while using our website. Clicking the "Live Help" button will start an on-line session with one of our representatives. Live Help is currently available during normal business hours. Outside of the above opening hours our business center will be closed. When you click on the button you will see an e-mail form that will allow you to send us a mail with your questions. Live Help is absolutely free! There are no hidden fees. We offer the service as a courtesy to our website visitors.
CODDAN OFFERS LEGALISATION (APOSTILLE) OF DOCUMENTS BY THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE. APOSTILLE IN BRIEF:
What is an "Apostille"? An apostille (French word meaning notation) is a standard certification provided under The Hague Conference on Private International Law: 1961 Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legislation for Foreign Public Documents for the purpose of authenticating documents for use in foreign countries. An apostille is a form of authentication accepted in countries which have signed the 1961 Hague Convention. This Convention abolished the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalization for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. An apostille is often needed in adoptions, extraditions, and certain business transactions. The apostille is formatted in numbered fields that allow data to be understood by the receiving country regardless of the official language of the issuing country. With the apostille, the document is entitled to recognition in the country of intended use, and no further authentication or legalization by the embassy or consulate of the foreign country where the document is to be used is required.
Before certain corporate documents can be used overseas, document authentication may be necessary. It is usually required where overseas officials are not able to determine on sight the authenticity of United Kingdom documents. To check the requirements, contact the relevant authorities in the country concerned or their overseas representatives. When a document is to go to a foreign country, it is often necessary to have the notarization or official certification authenticated. Some countries call this an apostille. In 1961 many nations joined together to create a simplified method of "legalizing" documents for universal recognition. Members of the conference, referred to as the Hague Convention, adopted a document referred to as an Apostille that would be recognized by all member nations.
If the country belongs to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, the apostille is used. The Convention provides for the simplified certification of notarized documents by use of a special form called an "apostille" in certifying the document. The apostille does not need to be ribboned onto the document being certified. With the certification by the Hague Convention apostille, the document is entitled to recognition in the country of intended use, and no additional authentication or legalization is required.
Note: The "apostille" attests to the validity of the signature of the notary public, county official, but not of the underlying signature nor of the contents of the document.
The Hague Convention applies "to public documents which have been executed in the territory of one Contracting State and which have to be produced in the territory of another Contracting State." The Convention does not apply to domestic filing of documents. "Apostilles" will not be issued for documents intended for use within the United Kingdom.
Countries which are Not a Member of the Hague Convention Countries that are not members of the Hague Convention require full legislation of documents which involves one extra step: after an apostille has been issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office all documents have to be sent to the consul of the relevant foreign embassy. The consul then adds their own certificate.
Information on Legalisation (Apostille) Purpose: the Hague convention abolishes the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalization for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. Documents issued in a Convention country which have been certified by a Convention apostille are entitled to recognition in any other Convention country without any further authentication. Such recognition is an obligation on the part of any country in the convention to the other countries party to the Convention and the federal courts and state authorities have been alerted to this obligation. Consular officers in Convention countries are prohibited from placing a certification over the Convention apostille.
Coddan specialises in the legalisation of overseas and UK corporate documents in the UK, USA and offshore. We can notarise and Apostillise any company documents. We can also Apostillise any other documents but they will need to be notarised by your local notary, as he will need to witness your signature before we can Apostillise the documents. Legalisation is the process of authenticating a signature, seal or stamp appearing on a document. The signatures or seals of British Public officials (such as notaries and registrars) or an overseas Apostille (authentication by a federal official) appearing on a document will need to be authenticated and legalised before the documents can be accepted in an official capacity in a jurisdiction that is not party to the Hague Convention.
Convention Apostille Certificate: If you have a document which you want legalized for use in another Convention country, the Convention certification called an apostille must be affixed to the document by a competent authority. The apostille is a pre-printed form prescribed by the Convention.
Procedure: these vary from country to country in the United Kingdom legalisation is carried out by the Legalisation department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Here are Some Definitions and Stages in Order for You to Clarify the Process: Notarisation - this is the attestation by a Notary Public that the signature appearing on the document is true and genuine. In the legalisation process, this is usually completed in the country where the document originates.
Apostille - a Government Official in the country of origin has to declare the signature of the Notary Public as true and genuine.
Authentication - the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has to declare the Apostille as true and genuine prior to Legalisation.
Legalisation - the Embassy of the country where the document is to be presented can now declare and accept the signature, seal or stamp appearing on the document as genuine.
Documents sent to member nations, completed with an Apostille at the state level, may be submitted directly to the member nation without further action. Notarisation is a formality often required for documents which are to be used overseas, or for certifying document copies. Once a document has been notarised by a Notary Public, and if it is to be used overseas, it may need to be apostilled. This means that the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office certify the Notary's signature and seal. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will then attach an apostille or a Legalisation Certificate to the document. Once a document has been notarised and apostilled, it then may need to be legalised by the Consulate of the country in which it will be used, if the country is not party to the Hague Convention.
Who is a Notary? A Notary is a public officer, often also a solicitor, who has the authority to witness and attest to certain documents (such as deeds, agreements, powers of attorney), and so makes them official and legal in most countries in the world. The signature and official seal of a Notary are the evidence to the authenticity of writings, which make documents recognised internationally.
In England there are several classes of notaries. English notaries, not to be confused with commissioners of oaths, also acquire the same powers as solicitors and other law practitioners, with the exception of the right to represent others before the courts (unless also licensed as barristers) once they are licensed or commissioned notaries. There are also Scrivener notaries, who get their name from the Scriveners' Company, were the only notaries permitted to practice in the City of London but they lost this monopoly in 1999.
The other notaries in England are either ecclesiastical notaries whose functions are limited to the affairs of the Church of England or other qualified persons who are not trained as solicitors or barristers but perfectly satisfy the Master of the Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury that they possess an adequate understanding of the law. Both the latter two categories are required to pass examinations set by the Master of Faculties. The regulation of notaries was modernized in the 1990s as a result of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, section 57.
The role of an English notary public is to authenticate documents and facts for use outside of England and Wales. These often relate to the proper execution of English documents for use abroad and where necessary the notary will issue an appropriate signed certificate with his notarial seal of office attached. Notaries deal with a wide range of activities including the sale and purchase of overseas property, the administration of the affairs of people who have died, commercial transactions abroad, court proceedings and immigration.
The main work of a notary is to prepare documents; to formally witness the execution of documents; to authenticate contents of documents; to administer oaths and declarations. The notary attempts to make these documents acceptable to and therefore receivable by foreign jurisdictions so that they are effective in the country where they are to be used.
Notaries public are members of the smallest but oldest branch of the legal profession. They are appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and are supervised by the Faculty Office. Although most notaries are also solicitors their practice as notaries is entirely separate from their solicitors practice.
When Might I Need a Notary? You will need a Notary if: you need authorisation of documents and information that will be used in foreign countries, you need legalisation of certain documents, you need translation of documents for use abroad, you want to buy a property abroad, you have business overseas or your business is exporting its products or you are involved in litigation in foreign Courts.
All countries require documents to be notarised. For most of the documents going to other countries, an Apostille has to be obtained from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Certain countries also require a legalisation from the Consulate ("Embasy Legalisation").
Notary or a Solicitor? For a certified copy for use within the UK you usually need a Solicitor. For a certified copy for use outside the UK you usually need a Notary Public.
The practice of a Notary has two significant differences from that of a Solicitor (although most Notaries are also Solicitors). First, his duty is to the transaction as a whole and not just to one of the parties. A Notary may act for both parties to a transaction as long as there is no conflict between them and his duty is to ensure that the transaction they conclude is fair to both sides. Secondly, a Notary identifies himself on documents by the use of his individual seal. Such seals have historical origins and are regarded by most other countries as of great importance for establishing the genuineness of a document. A Notary's seal will be registered with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with many foreign embassies and consulates. Procedures exist for the seal to be further authenticated - a process called legalisation.
Coddan delivers, waits and collects documents in person at the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and appropriate embassy. Apostille a competent company specialized in arranging official and highly recognised government notarization.
Why Have an Apostilled Certificate? Prior to the introduction of Apostille certificates the burden on international courts and authorities to judge foreign documents as authentic was quite considerable. On the 5 October 1961 the Hague Convention abolished the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents. The Convention reduces all of the formalities of legalisation to the simple delivery of a certificate in a prescribed form, entitled "Apostille", by the authorities of the State where the document originates. This certificate, placed on the document, is dated, numbered and registered. The verification of its registration can be carried out without difficulty by means of a simple request for information addressed to the authority which delivered the certificate.
Why Have an Apostilled Certificate of Incorporation? If information is filed properly and appropriate fees are paid, the registrar will issue a Certificate of Incorporation. For a public company, a Section 117 certificate will also be issued to indicate that the registrar is satisfied that certain requirements relating to share capital have been met. Ideally, a Certificate of Incorporation will have a so-called Apostille attached to it. An Apostille is a certificate confirmation issued by a competent authority of the country of incorporation and in this case guarantees the authenticity of the actual Certificate of Incorporation. To have a Certificate of Incorporation Apostilled ensures that it will be recognised as valid outside of the country of incorporation.
Why Have an Apostilled Certificate of Good Standing? A 'Good Standing Certificate' is supplied by Companies House to confirm that the company mentioned on the Certificate has filed all necessary documents and forms to meet legal disclosure requirements. Companies House will not issue a Good Standing Certificate for any company that is late with filing of its Annual Return or Accounts or that has failed to provide up-to-date information about the company's constitution, ownership, or control. Good Standing Certificates are signed by an officer of Companies House. The certificate shows, at minimum, the company's name and incorporation number. If requested, it can also show the names of the registered directors and shareholders.
Good Standing Certificates may be requested by various interested parties, but the most common reason for obtaining one is to satisfy a bank or finance company. Some overseas banks and institutions may demand that Apostille verifies the authenticity of the Good Standing Certificate. Corporations and other organizations often need proof that they are in good standing with the Commonwealth, i.e., that all tax liabilities have been met in order to obtain financing, sell their business, renew licenses or enter into other business transactions. They are very useful for, among other reasons, when a company is about to be sold, and a potential buyer demands proof that the organization is not behind on taxes. A certificate of subsistence (good standing) states when the corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company or limited liability partnership is still in existence as a matter of record in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
In addition to certifying copies of documents, this office also prepares certificates of subsistence (good standing) and certificates of due and diligent search. A certificate of due and diligent search certifies that all available records of the office have been searched and that a particular entity does not appear in our records. This office also creates certificates attesting that information on our records is true and correct. These certificates with the seal and signature of the Secretary of the Commonwealth are known as engrossed certificates or Great Seals. Certificates of non-existence for entities are also available.
CONVENTION ABOLISHING THE REQUIREMENT OF LEGALISATION FOR FOREIGN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS (CONCLUDED OCTOBER 5, 1961):
The States signatory to the present Convention, Desiring to abolish the requirement of diplomatic or consular legalisation for foreign public documents, Have resolved to conclude a Convention to this effect and have agreed upon the following provisions:
Article 1. The present Convention shall apply to public documents which have been executed in the territory of one Contracting State and which have to be produced in the territory of another Contracting State. For the purposes of the present Convention, the following are deemed to be public documents: a) documents emanating from an authority or an official connected with the courts or tribunals of the State, including those emanating from a public prosecutor, a clerk of a court or a process-server ("huissier de justice"); b) administrative documents; c) notarial acts; d) official certificates which are placed on documents signed by persons in their private capacity, such as official certificates recording the registration of a document or the fact that it was in existence on a certain date and official and notarial authentications of signatures.
However, the present Convention shall not apply: a) to documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents; b) to administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations.
Article 2. Each Contracting State shall exempt from legalisation documents to which the present Convention applies and which have to be produced in its territory. For the purposes of the present Convention, legalisation means only the formality by which the diplomatic or consular agents of the country in which the document has to be produced certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears.
Article 3. The only formality that may be required in order to certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears, is the addition of the certificate described in Article 4, issued by the competent authority of the State from which the document emanates.
However, the formality mentioned in the preceding paragraph cannot be required when either the laws, regulations, or practice in force in the State where the document is produced or an agreement between two or more Contracting States have abolished or simplified it, or exempt the document itself from legalisation.
Article 4. The certificate referred to in the first paragraph of Article 3 shall be placed on the document itself or on an "allonge", it shall be in the form of the model annexed to the present Convention. It may, however, be drawn up in the official language of the authority which issues it. The standard terms appearing therein may be in a second language also. The title "Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)" shall be in the French language.
Article 5. The certificate shall be issued at the request of the person who has signed the document or of any bearer.
When properly filled in, it will certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears. The signature, seal and stamp on the certificate are exempt from all certification.
Article 6. Each Contracting State shall designate by reference to their official function, the authorities who are competent to issue the certificate referred to in the first paragraph of Article 3.
It shall give notice of such designation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands at the time it deposits its instrument of ratification or of accession or its declaration of extension. It shall also give notice of any change in the designated authorities.
Article 7. Each of the authorities designated in accordance with Article 6 shall keep a register or card index in which it shall record the certificates issued, specifying: a) the number and date of the certificate, b) the name of the person signing the public document and the capacity in which he has acted, or in the case of unsigned documents, the name of the authority which has affixed the seal or stamp.
At the request of any interested person, the authority which has issued the certificate shall verify whether the particulars in the certificate correspond with those in the register or card index.
Article 8. When a treaty, convention or agreement between two or more Contracting States contains provisions which subject the certification of a signature, seal or stamp to certain formalities, the present Convention will only override such provisions if those formalities are more rigorous than the formality referred to in Articles 3 and 4.
Article 9. Each Contracting State shall take the necessary steps to prevent the performance of legalisations by its diplomatic or consular agents in cases where the present Convention provides for exemption.
Article 10. The present Convention shall be open for signature by the States represented at the Ninth Session of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein and Turkey. It shall be ratified, and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
Article 11. The present Convention shall enter into force on
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Apostille Legalisation Service
£ 141.00
Documents Notarised & Apostilled (5-7 days as it depends on Foreign office work load) £141.00.
Powers of Attorney for worldwide use 
Coddan can help you to legalise your documents making your life easier and saving you time and hassle. We understand how complex it can be getting your documents authenticated in the UK, that's why we have introduced a new service for the legalisation of birth, death and marriage certificates, and also for degree certificates from UK universities. 
