Apostilled Documents

Form My Company’s Apostilled Documents service provides UK company documents that have been checked, certified by a solicitor, and legalised with an official FCDO apostille for international use. This service is designed for founders, directors, and professionals who need their company paperwork recognised abroad — whether for opening a bank account, registering a branch, tendering for contracts, or satisfying overseas regulators.

What the Apostilled Documents service is

An apostille is a formal certificate issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) that confirms the authenticity of a document’s signature, seal, or stamp. Once a document carries an apostille, it is accepted in all countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention without needing further legalisation by an embassy.

For UK companies, the most commonly apostilled documents are the Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Certificates of Good Standing. Because many of these are now issued digitally by Companies House, they typically need to be checked and certified by a UK solicitor before the FCDO will attach an apostille.

Form My Company handles this end to end: we verify your documents, arrange solicitor certification, submit them for apostille processing, and return the legalised paperwork to you by secure recorded delivery.

What’s included in the Apostilled Documents service

Document checked and verified by a solicitor

Your company documents are first reviewed to ensure they meet the FCDO’s requirements for apostille. This includes confirming that the document is a valid Companies House record and that any signatures or seals are in the correct format. Where a document is a digital printout, a UK solicitor will certify it as a true copy of the original, which is a prerequisite for paper-based apostille processing.

This step is essential because the FCDO will not legalise a document that has not been properly certified when it does not already carry an original wet-ink signature from Companies House.

Documents certified by the FCDO

Once solicitor certification is complete, the documents are submitted to the FCDO Legalisation Office. The FCDO checks that the solicitor’s signature and details match their records and, if satisfied, attaches an official apostille certificate to each document. This apostille confirms that the document is genuine and can be relied upon by authorities in other Hague Convention countries.

The apostille itself is a stamped and signed page that becomes part of the document pack you receive.

Apostilled document prepared for delivery

After the FCDO has issued the apostille, Form My Company prepares your legalised documents for dispatch. Each apostilled document is carefully collated and checked to ensure that the correct certificates and supporting paperwork are included. This reduces the risk of delays or queries when you present the documents overseas.

Secure delivery via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery

Your apostilled documents are sent to you using Royal Mail Recorded Delivery. This provides a tracked and signed-for service so you can monitor the progress of your delivery and have confirmation when it arrives. Given the importance of these documents for international transactions, secure delivery helps protect against loss or misdelivery.

Documents posted directly to you

The final apostilled pack is posted directly to your chosen address. Whether you need the documents at your home, office, or a professional address, you can specify the delivery location when you place your order. This is particularly useful for directors who are based overseas but need UK company documents legalised for use in another jurisdiction.

Apostille Documents & Certificate of Good Standing Apostille Bundle

For clients who need both standard company documents and proof of their company’s good standing, Form My Company offers an Apostille Documents & Certificate of Good Standing Apostille Bundle. This bundle combines the core apostille service with a legalised Certificate of Good Standing, which is often required by foreign banks, regulators, or business partners.

Documents checked and certified by a solicitor

As with the standalone service, all documents in the bundle are checked and certified by a UK solicitor. This includes your core company documents (such as the Certificate of Incorporation and Articles of Association) as well as the Certificate of Good Standing. The solicitor confirms that each document is a true and accurate representation of the official Companies House record.

Certificate of Good Standing checked and certified

A Certificate of Good Standing confirms that your company is up to date with its filing obligations at Companies House and has not been subject to certain insolvency procedures. For the bundle, this certificate is also checked and certified by a solicitor to ensure it meets the FCDO’s requirements for apostille.

This is particularly important for overseas authorities that want reassurance that your company is in good legal standing in the UK.

Apostille processing included

Both your core company documents and your Certificate of Good Standing are submitted for apostille processing with the FCDO. Each document receives its own apostille certificate, confirming its authenticity for international use. This means you receive a complete, legalised pack that can be presented to foreign institutions without further UK legalisation steps.

Documents delivered via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery

The entire bundle is dispatched using Royal Mail Recorded Delivery, providing tracked and signed-for delivery to your chosen address. This ensures that all your legalised documents arrive together, securely and efficiently.

Pricing breakdown

The price for the Apostilled Documents service is based on the service fee charged by Form My Company plus the statutory FCDO apostille fee. For reference, the current standard FCDO fee for a paper-based apostille is £100 per document.

• Apostilled Documents (per document): Form My Company service fee plus the £100 FCDO apostille fee.

• Apostille Documents & Certificate of Good Standing Apostille Bundle: Form My Company service fee for the bundle plus the applicable FCDO apostille fees for each document included.

Because the FCDO charges per document, the total cost will depend on how many documents you need legalised. If you require multiple documents, the bundle option can be more efficient than ordering each apostille separately.

For the most up-to-date service fees and any optional upgrades (such as faster FCDO processing where available), please refer to the Apostilled Documents service page or contact Form My Company directly.

Staying compliant and next steps

Once your documents have been apostilled, they are ready for use in any Hague Convention country. However, some jurisdictions may have additional requirements:

• Embassy legalisation: Countries that are not party to the Hague Apostille Convention may require further legalisation by their UK embassy or consulate after the FCDO apostille.

• Certified translations: Some authorities insist that apostilled documents be accompanied by a certified translation into the local language.

• Time limits: Certain institutions only accept Certificates of Good Standing issued within a specific time frame (for example, the last three to six months), so you may need to order a fresh certificate closer to your transaction date.

• If you are unsure what your overseas authority requires, it is worth checking their guidance or seeking local legal advice. For general information on the UK apostille process, the GOV.UK page on getting a document legalised provides an official overview of requirements, fees, and processing times.

If you already have a UK company and need ongoing compliance support — such as filing confirmation statements or accounts — you may also find Form My Company’s File a Confirmation Statement and File Accounts for Dormant Companies services useful.

Who the Apostilled Documents service is for

This service is particularly suitable for:

• Directors and shareholders who need to open a business bank account, register a branch, or enter into contracts outside the UK.

• Professionals and consultants who are tendering for international projects and must prove their company’s existence and good standing.

• Overseas investors and partners who require legalised UK company documents as part of their due diligence.

• Companies expanding abroad that need to satisfy foreign regulators, tax authorities, or licensing bodies.

If you are forming a new company primarily for UK trading and do not need documents for overseas use, you may not require an apostille immediately. However, many founders choose to keep this option in mind as their business grows. For those setting up a new entity, Form My Company’s Private limited (Ltd) Company and Limited Liability Partnership packages provide the underlying company structure to which apostilled documents can later be issued.

What happens after you buy

1. You place your order for the Apostilled Documents service or the Apostille Bundle, specifying which documents you need legalised.

2. Form My Company verifies your company details and obtains or reviews the relevant Companies House documents.

3. A UK solicitor checks and certifies the documents as true copies where required.

4. The certified documents are submitted to the FCDO for apostille processing.

5. Once the FCDO issues the apostille, Form My Company prepares your legalised document pack.

6. Your apostilled documents are sent to you via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery.

Throughout this process, you will receive confirmation at key stages so you know where your order is and when to expect delivery.

Why choose Form My Company

Form My Company focuses on making the apostille process straightforward for UK company owners. By combining solicitor certification, FCDO submission, and secure delivery into a single service, we remove the need for you to coordinate multiple providers. The option to bundle apostilled core documents with a Certificate of Good Standing is especially useful for clients who need a complete, ready-to-use pack for overseas authorities.

If you are already using Form My Company for company formation or ongoing compliance, adding apostilled documents through the same provider can simplify administration and reduce the risk of errors. For broader company secretarial needs such as updating officers or maintaining registers — you may also wish to explore Form My Company’s Company Secretarial and Supplementary Company Documents services.