Everything you need to know about getting a UK birth certificate legalised for use abroad — including GRO requirements, processing times, and why a paper apostille is usually required.
An apostille is an official certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) that confirms a document's signature, seal or stamp is genuine. When you use a UK birth certificate in another country — for a visa application, citizenship, marriage abroad, or enrolling a child in a foreign school — that country often requires an apostille to accept it as valid.
Because birth certificates are issued as paper documents by the General Register Office (GRO), they generally require a paper apostille applied to the original (or a certified replacement) rather than a digital e-Apostille.
Make sure you have an original GRO-issued birth certificate. If you've lost it, you'll need to order a replacement from the GRO before it can be apostilled.
Confirm the receiving country accepts a UK apostille, and whether they have specific requirements (e.g. a translation).
The FCDO applies the apostille stamp directly to the certificate. We handle this for you, tracking the document through the whole process.
Some countries require a certified translation alongside the apostilled certificate. We can advise on this during your free consultation.