I need a copy of my degree and CRB check apostilled. I have read rather than subjecting myself to the government official in Milton Keynes, I can get a solicitor to do this for around £15 a go.

Has anyone got any information as google is awash with late nineties looking websites. Can any solicitor do it? I live near Cambridge if that helps.

no, as a solicitor you have to have your details lodged with the uk border agency or some such gov’t department (apostillate) and not all solicitors are notaries – a separate qualification.

I’m a solicitor and I had to Google apositille. Solicitors can certify a document is a true copy of the original for a fiver . Apositille seems to be an american word for legalize, so may be that would do but I doubt it. Personally I’d check with whoever wants it as to what they mean.

I think you may be correct crankboy. If you certify something what do I get a stamp or signature? Can I generally just pop in?

Thanks for your advice guys.

“Apostille.org.uk provide an apostille service to assist you in acquiring official UK Apostille Certificates for UK documents. The Apostille Certificate is normally requested by foreign authorities and organisations so that the document can be used for official purposes outside of the UK. It is also referred to as legalisation.”

😆 Their website does look like a money making template.

Apositille seems to be an american word for legalize

No, it’s different – Hague Convention and all that. I seem to remember having to get this stuff done at Petty France (back when Petty France still existed).

Notarization is more common usage in the US than legalization.

I’m 70% sure that what the OP needs is this: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-services/Legalisation/

Seeing as they describe themselves as the only competent agency able to do apostilles in the UK, then presumably all the private websites are doing is dropping off and picking up.

Thanks once again for your help I think I have found the info I need.

Any registered solicitor can certify a document as genuine, and a certification is all the FCO require; they don’t require a notary to have ‘notarised’ it. Difference in price between certification and notarisation is like 5 pound compared to 50 or 60 pound, so don’t bother with the a public notary.

The reason everyone gets confused over this is because ‘Public Notary’ is the American word for ‘Solicitor’ basically, when it comes to basic signing of documents.

a certification is all the FCO require

I think you’re misunderstanding that thread (assuming it’s this one: http://waygook.org/index.php?topic=25687.0 ).

That poster is saying that in order to have documents apostilled by the FCO, they can EITHER be certified OR notarised beforehand i.e. the FCO will accept either for apostilling. That poster is not saying that certification or notarisation replaces apostilling.

If the organisation that you’re sending the documents to requires an apostilled document, then you will still have to get it apostilled by the FCO one way or the other. I assume this is for a visa or something?