APOSTILLE AND LEGALISATION
Once a document has been notarised, it is usually necessary for the notary’s signature and seal to be certified as genuine by governmental authorities before it can be used overseas. This process is called legalisation.
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What is a Notary Public?
A notary is a specialist lawyer who is qualified to certify legal and official documents. Their job is to certify the authenticity of deeds and legal documents.
Specifically, a Notary Public authenticates documents for use in foreign jurisdictions, in which a solicitor’s authentication would not be accepted.
Notaries can also attest to the truth and accuracy of translations. Each notarised document will bear the notary’s signature. This confirms the document has been certified.
Our founder, Nathan Woodcock, is a qualified Notary Public of England and Wales and is appointed and regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Nathan is supported by a team of highly qualified, friendly, and experienced professionals, ready to help you with your notarial requirements.
When do I need a Notary Public?
Your lawyer may ask you to instruct a notary to authenticate your documents for use abroad. There are several circumstances in which you would need such services, some of which can be found below:
- In the authentication of powers of attorney for use overseas
- To purchase or sell property abroad
- Applying to marry abroad
- Applying to work abroad
Woodcock Notary Public provides simple and professional solutions for notary and legalisation requirements for your personal and business needs.
Instructing our notary
It is recommended that you check with the relevant authority to confirm whether you need a notary. Failure to do so could cause delay and incur additional costs.
When you instruct our notary, we will give you a client care letter as confirmation of your appointment and our services. The letter also provides more information about the notary process. A member of our business development team will be available to answer any questions you may have.
We will also give you regular updates on the status of your document should it be sent off for legalisation.
What to bring to your appointment
As a Notary Public, Nathan Woodcock is required by the professional regulatory body to keep accurate records and to identify each client. Because of this, it is important you are able to prove your identity and address.
Your identity can be proven by any government-issued ID.
Examples:
- Passport (recommended and preferred)
- UK driving licence
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP card) / Visa card
- Driving Licence
It MUST be the original, a photocopy or photograph is not acceptable.
Your address can be proven with a bank statement or bill. It must have been issued within the last three months. One only example is necessary.
Examples:
- Council tax bill
- Bank statement
- Utility bill
- Mortgage statement
Your proof of address can be a digital or printed copy, the original is not required.
If you require documents such as powers of attorney, affidavits or declarations, it helps if you already have a draft. This can be provided by your lawyer or notary from the foreign jurisdiction it is intended for. If you don not have this, we can do it for you.
Who must attend the appointment
Please ensure all those individuals who are required to sign the documents to be notarised are physically present at notary appointment. They must all provide the correct identification documents described above.
For legal and compliance reasons, it is not possible to proceed with any notary appointment without the physical presence of all relevant signatories at the appointment. This is because the notary must validate each person’s identity.
These are strict legal guidelines and exceptions cannot be made.
What to expect at your appointment
You will have outlined the service and advice you are looking for prior to your appointment. At your appointment, Nathan Woodcock will talk you through all that is required.
Once you have proven your identity by following the above requirements, he will be able to carry out the service you require. His professional, personable and friendly attitude will ensure you are not confused about anything and any questions you have on the day can be answered there and then.
If the service you require is the notarisation of a document, Nathan will only be able to attest the documents once he is satisfied that he has seen the original. This is important, as without producing the original document, you will not be able to get it notarised.
The length of time the appointment takes depends on the service required and how many documents need to be notarised.
Nathan works across the UK to provide notary services and, as such, he is sometimes delayed by traffic. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and ask you to understand that, at busy times of day, traffic can often delay journeys.
Watch our video about what to expect at your Notary appointment. We will talk you through what documents to bring, who must attend the appointment, changes to your appointment and the process.
Expected timeframes
Depending on what notary services you have paid for, the timeframes for your documents to be prepared and returned back to you can heavily vary.
Some options will take much longer than others. The timeframes are listed below.
Just notarisation
Your appointment will take around 20 minutes when you meet our notary. During this timeframe, our notary will confirm who you are using your identification and proof of address. Then, you will need to sign your documents.
Your appointment may take longer if you are getting numerous documents notarised, or need them bound and sealed. It may also take longer if there is an issue with the document you are getting notarised.
By the end of your appointment, your documents should be notarised and ready for use, unless they need to be verified by a third party.
If you have paid for our standard apostille service, it will take 25 to 30 days for your documents to be given an apostille by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
We will post your documents back to you either through Royal Mail Special Delivery, or international courier. Any tracking information will be sent to you. Whilst you wait for your documents to arrive in the post, we will send a scanned copy to you by email.
The fast-track apostille process should take between 5 to 7 days to be completed with the FCDO. Like with the standard apostille, we will post your documents to you, as well as email you a scanned copy.
Embassy legalisation
The times for embassy legalisation can vary a lot, as it depends on which consulate your documents need to be legalised with. As a result, we can not give you a concrete time that your documents will be legalised and returned by.
However, we will keep you updated as much as possible on what stage of the legalisation process your documents are in.
We will also provide you with any tracking information for when your documents are posted back to you.
Drafting times
Depending on your situation, you may need to get documents drafted. The time this takes can vary by the type and complexity of the document, though this will be done in the days leading up to your appointment. We will email you to approve the drafted document.
Before your documents can be notarised, we will need to verify that they are authentic. This process will roughly take 1 to 2 weeks. However, this is only an estimate, as the time may impacted by third parties.
We will ensure that you are kept up to date on any progress made.
Translation times
We cannot provide you with any accurate timeframes for translation, because it varies so much.
Depending on the language, the numbers of documents, and the length of the documents, it could be relatively quick, or take a while.
Therefore, you will be told how long it will take when you arrange for your documents to be translated, as we will have all the required information to make an estimate.
International courier timeframes
It will roughly take around 1 to 2 weeks for your documents to be delivered to you.
Since we use third parties, we cannot guarantee what date your documents will be delivered by.
However, we will send you any tracking information, so you can keep updated on where your documents are.
Personal notary services
Woodcock Notary Public provides a range of notarial services for individuals. Some of the personal notary services we offer are listed below:
- Powers of Attorney (including for the purchase or sale of property)
- Affidavits and declarations
- Preparation of declarations for marriage abroad
- Administration of oaths and declarations
- Making of passport copies
- Making of passport applications
- Travel consents for children
- Authentication of the execution of documents
If the service you require is not listed, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your needs with one of our experts.
Business notary services
Our team is specialised in providing tailored notarial support to businesses. Some of the services we offer are listed below:
- Affidavits and declarations
- The certification of company documents (such as articles of association and financial statements)
- The assignments of trademarks
- Certification of degree certificates
- The drawing of mercantile documents, deeds, agreements and wills to be used in Britain
- Attendance at the drawing of bonds
If the service you require is not listed, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your needs, and the needs of your business, with one of our experts.
Contact us for a free, remote consultation for advice about possible next steps.
We also assist companies in the hiring of foreign talent. More information regarding our corporate immigration services can be found in our brochure.
Why choose us?
Woodcock Law and Notary Public prioritises efficient and quick services.
- 24/7 client support is available
- We offer both standard and premium legalisation
- There is the option of arranging a courier to as an additional service
We offer continuous support and always strive to meet the individual needs of our clients. Regular updates are provided on all the progress being made with each case. Our strong relationships with our business clients are reflected in our excellent client feedback.
Our remote services give us the edge when it comes to being on hand when you need us. Our range of locations means we are never too far away.
Watch our video to learn more about Woodcock Notary Public and why you should choose us.
Mobile appointments
We offer convenient mobile notarial services across Greater London, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester, Kent, and West Midlands.