Apostille Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates in the United Kingdom for use abroad
Birth, marriage and death certificates issued in the United Kingdom are legalized for official use abroad by obtaining an Apostille stamp from the UK Foreign Office (Legalization Office). Authorities of countries that have signed the 
Hague Apostille Convention will recognise the Apostille directly as confirmation of authenticity. Otherwise, the authentication must be confirmed by the destination country's embassy in London.
See list of Apostille Convention Countries
To obtain a UK apostille on a Birth, Marriage, Death and Adoption certificate, an original UK certificate ("Certified Copy of an Entry") is required from the General Register Office (GRO), ScotlandsPeople, nidirect or the local register office where the event was registered. Other copies will not be accepted.
UK certificates do not expire, but many authorities overseas will require certificates issued within the last 6 or 3 months.
Details provided on UK certificates (PDF)
Isarey will take care of the entire process for you in the United Kingdom. We offer individual assistance certifying your documents and a dedicated project manager to ensure that each process is carried out efficiently and securely. We can obtain copies of your certificates, arrange all necessary apostilles and legalizations by foreign embassies in London, and arrange certified, notarized and apostilled translations, ensuring that your certificate is properly authenticated and ready to submit abroad or in support of an overseas visa, residency or nationality application.
We offer worldwide delivery by secure courier.
How to obtain a certified copy of a UK birth, death or marriage certificate
We can obtain new original copies of all UK birth, marriage or death certificates for apostille certification and legalization, so you don't need to send us your copy when ordering an apostille. Otherwise, certificates can be ordered online directly from the local register office where the birth, death or marriage took place, the General Register Office, ScotlandsPeople or nidirect.
Certificates issued in England and Wales
Certified copies of birth, death, marriage and adoption certificates occurring in England and Wales are available from the General Register Office (1 - 15 working days). Certificates for birth or death registrations that have taken place within the last six months should be obtained directly from the local register office.
Certificates issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Certified copies of birth, death, marriage and adoption certificates occurring in Scotland are available from the ScotlandsPeople (1 - 15 working days). Certificates for events registered in Northern Ireland can be obtained from nidirect (1 - 5 working days).
Births, marriages and deaths occurring overseas
The General Register Office also provides copies of certificates relating to certain British Nationals, who were born, married or died overseas, including births, marriages and deaths registered by the British Forces and the British Consul or High Commission in the country where they took place.
Certified translations of UK death, marriage and birth certificates
When presenting UK marriage, death and birth certificates and other vital records in countries which do not have English as an official language, then a certified translation may be required. The certified translation must meet the requirements of the destination country, so that a translation done locally in the United Kingdom may not be valid.
Depending on the recipient country and authority, there are generally two options. The first option is to obtain a translation certified by a UK notary. This translation can then be certified by UK apostille, giving the translation the same validity as a notarised translation done in the destination country. The second option is to obtain a certified translation locally in the destination country.
Isarey works with local notaries and sworn translators in a wide range of destination countries. We'll take care of the entire legalization and translation process, so that your certificates are correctly translated and ready to submit:
- GERMANY: translations into German must be certified by an officially authorized and appointed sworn translator.
- SPAIN: translator must be authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Spanish) ("Traducción Jurada")
- FRANCE: translations into French must be certified by a translator accredited by a French court of appeal (Cour d'appel)
- ITALY: translations must be authenticated by a Court Clerk or by a Notary Public in Italy
- PORTUGAL: translations into Portuguese can be certified in Portugal by a local notary
For further information about our UK apostille service and about legalizing birth, death and marriage certificates issued in the United Kingdom for use abroad, use our online quotation form or send us an email us. We will get back to you directly with a quotation and details of how to proceed:
- By email: info@isarey.co.uk
- Using our Secure Online Quotation Form
- WhatsApp: https://wa.me/447822013390
We can also assist obtaining and authenticating certificates issued in the Channel Islands and in current and former British Overseas Territories, such as Bermuda - Cayman Islands - Gibraltar - Hong Kong