Certified Company Documents for Overseas Use

Table of Contents

• Which Company Documents Need Certification for Overseas Use
• Notarising Certificate of Incorporation and Other Core Documents
  • Certifying Board Resolutions and Company Registers
• How to Get an Apostille in the UK for Corporate Documents
• Choosing a Notary Service for Business Documents
• Step-by-Step: Preparing Certified Company Documents
• Common Mistakes and Rejection Risks to Avoid
• Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: 4 October 2026

Which Company Documents Need Certification for Overseas Use

Certified company documents for overseas use are business papers that a notary public verifies and stamps so a foreign authority will accept them. Getting this right matters: 45% of international corporate expansion delays stem from improper document certification, according to Form My Company’s report on preparing company documents for overseas use. This delay is almost always avoidable.

Most cross-border transactions need a small set of core papers certified:

• Certificate of incorporation
• Board resolutions approving the transaction
• Company registers (members, directors, secretaries)
• Powers of attorney for signing abroad
• Good standing certificates
• Contracts and shareholder agreements

Which ones you need depends on the destination country and what its registry or court demands. A bank in one jurisdiction may want a full register set, while a property registry elsewhere accepts a notarised power of attorney alone.

The rule of thumb: certify what the receiving authority asks for, nothing more.

Notarising Certificate of Incorporation and Other Core Documents

Notarising a certificate of incorporation means a notary confirms the document is genuine and that the copy matches the original. This is easily done by a Notary having reference to the documents filed at Companies House. This is the starting point for most overseas filings.

For core documents, the process usually looks like this:

• Bring the original certificate or a certified copy
• Provide photo ID and proof of authority to act
• The notary checks the company’s details against the register
• The notary applies a signature and official seal

A common mistake is assuming a photocopy will do. Foreign registries rarely accept plain copies. They want a notarised copy, and often an apostille on top.

Certifying Board Resolutions and Company Registers

Board resolutions and company registers need the same treatment, but with extra care. A resolution must be signed by the right people, and the register must be current.

If a director has changed since the register was last updated, fix that first. A stale register is one of the most common reasons documents get rejected abroad.

How to Get an Apostille in the UK for Corporate Documents

An apostille is an official certificate that authenticates a signature, seal, or stamp so a document is accepted internationally. In the UK, the competent authority for apostilles is the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which legalises public and private documents for use in countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention.

The steps are straightforward:

1. Get the document notarised by a qualified notary
2. Submit the notarised document to the FCDO for the apostille (Gregory does this for all corporate clients)
3. Send the apostilled document to its destination

If the destination country is not a Hague Convention signatory, you need embassy legalisation in addition to an apostille. That route takes longer and involves the relevant embassy or consulate. (Source: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO))

Gregory Mappledoram, Notary Public can advise on the difference between on apostille versus embassy legalisation. Check the recipient country requirements early, because it decides your whole timeline.

Contact Gregory →

Choosing a Notary Service for Business Documents

Gregory provides a service for business documents that handles the notarisation and FCDO submission for you. That saves time when a deadline is tight.

What to look for:

Factor	Why It Matters
Notary credentials	A qualified notary is the legal foundation
Jurisdiction knowledge	Rules differ by destination country
Turnaround options	Same-day service suits urgent closings
End-to-end handling	Fewer handoffs, fewer delays

Gregory Mappledoram Notary Public Services offers same-day service for time-pressured transactions, backed by over 18 years of notarial experience and 25 years as a General Counsel. That commercial background helps when a document has to satisfy a specific foreign jurisdiction, not just a generic checklist.

Step-by-Step: Preparing Certified Company Documents

Preparing certified company documents for overseas use follows a fixed sequence. Skip a step and the whole chain breaks.

1. Confirm exactly what the destination authority requires
2. Gather originals: certificate, registers, resolutions, powers of attorney
3. Check the register is current and signatures are correct
4. Get the documents notarised by a qualified notary
5. Submit to the FCDO for an apostille (or embassy legalisation if needed)
6. Send the finished set to the destination and keep copies

Each stage depends on the one before it. The FCDO cannot apostille a document that was never notarised, and an embassy will not legalise a document without the right prior certification by the notary and apostille.

Common Mistakes and Rejection Risks to Avoid

The biggest rejection risk is a mismatch between what you certified and what the destination asked for. Authentication requirements vary significantly by country, so a set that works for one filing can fail another.

Watch for these:

• Using photocopies instead of notarised copies
• Outdated company registers
• Missing apostille or embassy legalisation
• Signatures from people no longer authorised
• Wrong wording in board resolutions
• Incomplete documentation

If a document is rejected abroad, the fix usually means starting the chain again. That is why checking requirements up front is cheaper than correcting later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between notarisation and legalisation?

Notarisation is the first step, where a notary public verifies your identity and witnesses the signing of certified company documents. Legalisation is the broader process that follows, confirming the notary’s signature is genuine for the destination country. If that country is a signatory to the 1961 Hague Convention, legalisation takes the form of an apostille issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. If not, embassy legalisation is required in addition to the apostille.

Do I need an apostille for my company documents?

It depends on the destination country. If you are sending certified company documents to a country that signed the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille is the standard method of authentication and is usually sufficient. For non-signatory countries, you will typically need embassy legalisation in addition to the apostille. Always confirm the specific requirements with the receiving authority before you start, as the process varies significantly between jurisdictions.

How do I get a company document certified by a notary public?

Book an appointment with a notary public and bring the original document, proof of identity, and evidence of your authority to sign. The notary will verify your identity, witness the signature, and apply their official seal. For certified company documents for overseas use, the notary may also need to confirm the company’s good standing. After notarisation, the document goes to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for an apostille if required.

Which company documents typically require international certification?

The most common documents include the certificate of incorporation, board resolutions, powers of attorney, company registers, and good standing certificates. Banks, registries, and overseas authorities often request these when opening accounts, completing cross-border transactions, or filing in a foreign jurisdiction. The exact list depends on what the receiving body asks for, so check their requirements first. Getting the wrong set certified is a frequent cause of delays.

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Cross-border deadlines do not wait, and a rejected document can stall a closing or a filing at the worst moment. London Notary Services handles the full chain, from notarising core documents to preparing them for the destination jurisdiction. With same-day service, 18+ years of notarial experience, and professional indemnity and fidelity cover, we give in-house legal teams and referring solicitors a reliable route through the process. Contact Gregory to get your documents certified and moving.