Embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries

If your document is going to a country that has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, the UK apostille is usually only the first step. The document then has to be legalised by that country's embassy or consulate in the UK, and sometimes again once it arrives. This is often called “attestation”. It takes longer and costs more than an apostille alone, so it is worth planning for early.

Why some countries need more than an apostille

The Apostille Convention replaced the old chain of legalisation with a single certificate, but only between countries that are members. According to the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the Convention has 130 Contracting Parties. A country outside that group is not bound to accept an apostille on its own, so it keeps its own legalisation process. That process almost always starts with the document's home country confirming the signature (the UK apostille) before the destination country's diplomats add their own stamp.

Countries that commonly need embassy legalisation

As of the HCCH status table last updated on 30 June 2026, the following frequently requested destinations are not listed as Contracting Parties:

• United Arab Emirates
• Qatar
• Kuwait
• Egypt
• Nigeria

This is not a complete list. Before you start, check the destination against the HCCH status table, or ask the organisation requesting the document what form of legalisation it needs.

Countries that no longer need it

Several large countries have joined the Convention recently, so older advice about embassy legalisation for them is out of date. The HCCH status table shows the Convention in force for Saudi Arabia from 7 December 2022, China from 7 November 2023, Canada from 11 January 2024, Bangladesh from 30 March 2025 and Viet Nam from 11 September 2026. Thailand has joined, with the Convention due to enter into force on 28 February 2027; until then the old route applies. For countries where the Convention is in force, a UK apostille is normally all that is needed. Some of these accessions drew objections from existing members, so if your document is going between two specific countries, check the HCCH table.

How embassy legalisation usually works

The exact steps are set by each destination country, but the pattern is similar:

1. Prepare the document. As for any apostille, it must be a UK document signed by someone the FCDO can verify, or certified by a UK solicitor or notary.
2. Get the UK apostille. The FCDO Legalisation Office confirms the UK signature and attaches the apostille. See FCDO legalisation.
3. Embassy or consulate legalisation. The destination country's embassy in London confirms the FCDO's signature. Embassies set their own fees, forms, opening hours and processing times.
4. Final step in the destination country. Some countries require the document to be attested again by their foreign ministry once it arrives.

Example: Qatar

GOV.UK describes three steps for UK documents going to the State of Qatar. First, the document is legalised by the Legalisation Office in the UK. Second, it is legalised by the Qatar Embassy in London. Once the FCDO signature has been attested at the embassy, you or your employer can take the document to Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for attestation, the third step.

Paper or electronic?

For non-Hague countries, assume you will need a paper apostille. Embassy legalisation is a physical stamp on a physical document, and the HCCH's rule that an e-Apostille cannot be refused for being electronic applies only between Convention members. If in doubt, ask the embassy before choosing the e-Apostille.

Planning your timescale

Add up each stage: certification by a solicitor or notary, the FCDO step (the standard paper service usually takes up to 25 working days plus delivery, according to GOV.UK; registered businesses can use next-day or same-day services), and then the embassy's own processing time, which varies by country and is set by the embassy. For job offers and visa applications in the Gulf, this chain is often the longest part of the paperwork, so start as soon as you have the document.

Costs to budget for

• Solicitor or notary certification, if the document needs it.
• The FCDO fee: £45 per document for the standard paper service, plus courier or postage.
• The embassy's legalisation fee, set by the embassy.
• Any courier or agent costs for taking documents to and from the embassy.
• Translation, if the destination requires it.

Using an agent

Because embassy legalisation involves several offices, each with its own rules, many people use an agent who deals with the FCDO and the embassy in one go. Apostille Online offers embassy attestation alongside UK apostilles and solicitor certification.

Related guides

• Document legalisation in the UK
• UK apostille explained
• FCDO legalisation: how the Legalisation Office works
• Which documents can be legalised?
• The UK e-Apostille
• Apostille costs and timescales

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.