Apostille costs and timescales

The FCDO's fee is only one part of what getting a document legalised costs. This page sets out the official fees and timescales published on GOV.UK, the extra charges that apply to paper documents, and the other costs people often forget to budget for.

Official FCDO fees

The Legalisation Office charges a fee for each document you need legalised:

If your document cannot be legalised, the fee is not refunded. These fees took effect on 1 January 2024, when the FCDO raised them for the first time since 2016. Before that, the standard, next-day and e-Apostille services all cost £30 and the urgent service £75. The FCDO's overseas service now costs £40, plus any indirect costs.

Courier and postage for paper documents

If you use the standard paper service, you also pay to have your documents returned:

The European rate excludes Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. Documents cannot currently be returned to Russia, Ukraine or Belarus.

For a UK return address you can avoid the courier charge by sending an A4 envelope addressed to yourself with enough UK stamps to cover the postage. You will also pay to post your documents to the office in the first place.

Timescales

GOV.UK warns that all services may take longer, for example if a signature needs to be verified.

Worked examples

These examples use only the FCDO's own fees and courier prices. Certification, translation and embassy fees are extra and vary by provider.

One birth certificate, returned to a UK address

Birth certificates cannot get an e-Apostille, so this uses the standard paper service: £45 plus £6 courier (up to 1.5kg), so £51 in FCDO charges, or £45 plus your own stamps if you send a prepaid envelope.

Three documents, returned to France

Three documents on the standard service is 3 × £45 = £135, plus £32 courier for a European address if they weigh under 1.5kg: £167.

Two electronically signed contracts

Two documents on the e-Apostille is 2 × £35 = £70, with no courier charge, plus whatever the solicitor or notary charges to prepare and sign them.

Sending several documents at once

Because the fee is per document, a batch of papers for a job, a marriage abroad or a company setting up overseas adds up quickly. GOV.UK publishes a document batch information form on which you list the destination countries and the number of documents going to each. Before sending a batch, check with the recipient whether they need a separate apostille on every document, or whether a single apostille covering a group of documents is acceptable. GOV.UK specifically suggests asking this question.

Other costs to budget for

• Solicitor or notary certification. Needed for copies, qualification certificates, contracts, powers of attorney and similar. Fees are set by the solicitor or notary.
• Replacement certificates. If you need a fresh birth or marriage certificate, the register office charges for it.
• Translation. If the receiving country needs a translation, that is a separate cost.
• Embassy legalisation. For countries outside the Apostille Convention, the embassy charges its own fee. See embassy legalisation.
• Agent fees. If you use a service to handle the process, it charges on top of the FCDO fee.

How to keep costs down

• Check with the recipient whether one apostille for a group of documents is acceptable, or whether they need one per document.
• Use the e-Apostille where your document is eligible and the recipient accepts it.
• Get the document right first time: the fee is not refunded if it cannot be legalised.
• Use a prepaid envelope instead of the courier for UK returns if you are not in a hurry.

When time matters more than cost

Individuals cannot use the next-day or same-day services directly; they are for registered businesses. If your deadline is tight, an agent can use those routes for you. GOV.UK also publishes a list of next-day service providers. Apostille Online offers a fast managed service, including certification.

Related guides

• Document legalisation in the UK
• UK apostille explained
• FCDO legalisation: how the Legalisation Office works
• Which documents can be legalised?
• Embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries
• The UK e-Apostille

Document Legalisation is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the UK government. Fees and timescales are taken from GOV.UK and the HCCH and were checked in October 2026; always confirm the current position on GOV.UK before applying.