Same-day office visits across the City, Central & South London and Canary Wharf available. Notarisation of corporate documents for international transactions, legalisation with the Apostille and Embassy/Consular legalisation arranged
We offer electronic notarisation (e-Notarisation) and digital apostille (e-Apostille) services for documents destined for international use. Using a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) that meets the eIDAS standard incorporated into UK law, e-notarised documents can be submitted to the FCDO for an e-Apostille without the need to send original physical documents. Contact us to confirm whether your document and destination country are suitable before proceeding.
Electronic notarisation — also known as e-Notarisation — is the process of notarising documents using a qualified electronic signature rather than a physical ink signature and seal. When an e-Apostille is also required, the digitally notarised document is submitted electronically to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which issues a digital apostille certificate confirming the authenticity of the notary’s electronic signature and seal.
E-notarisation offers a faster and more convenient alternative to traditional notarisation in appropriate cases, eliminating the need to post original documents and reducing the time required for the overall legalisation process. However, it is a developing area of law and practice, and two preliminary checks must always be carried out before proceeding:
CHECK 1 — Is your document suitable for e-notarisation and e-apostille?
Certain categories of document cannot be electronically notarised or apostilled. See the full list below.
CHECK 2 — Will it be accepted in the destination country?
The e-Apostille is not yet widely accepted internationally. You will need to check on acceptance of e-Notarisation and e-Apostille in your specific destination country before any work is commenced.
✗ General Register Office (GRO) documents — birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates
✗ ACRO Police Certificates for England and Wales
✗ Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates for England and Wales
✗ Disclosure certificates for Scotland or Northern Ireland
✗ Fingerprint certificates
✗ Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) membership certificates
⚠ For all of the above, please use our traditional notarisation and apostille services. See the Apostille & Legalisation page.
Step 1 — Receive your TrustID verification link
We send you a personalised secure link via email or SMS before or at the start of your appointment.
Step 2 — Photograph your identity document
Using your smartphone camera, photograph the front and back of your identity document (passport, driving licence or national identity card). TrustID reads the chip data embedded in modern passports using your phone’s NFC reader where available.
Step 3 — Complete the biometric selfie check
TrustID’s liveness detection system captures a brief video or series of images of your face and compares your facial biometrics against the photograph on your identity document. This confirms that the document belongs to you and that you are present in real time.
Step 4 — Verification result
TrustID provides an immediate verification result. We receive a secure verification certificate confirming the outcome. A passed TrustID check satisfies our identity verification obligations under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 for the purposes of the notarial instruction.
Step 5 — Proceed with e-notarisation
Once identity has been verified, we proceed with the e-notarisation appointment — whether by videoconferencing call or asynchronous document review — and issue the digital notarial certificate with our Qualified Electronic Signature.
✓ Valid passport (all nationalities)
✓ UK photocard driving licence
✓ EU / EEA national identity card
✓ UK Biometric Residence Permit
⚠ Expired documents cannot be accepted. Documents must be valid at the date of the e-notarisation appointment.
Identity verification data collected via TrustID is processed in accordance with UK GDPR and our Privacy Policy. Biometric data is not stored beyond the period required for the notarial instruction. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
You must inform us before your appointment that you require e-notarisation. The procedure differs from a traditional notarial appointment and specific steps and verifications must be completed in advance.
Initial consultation and suitability check
Contact us with details of the document and the destination country. You must confirm whether e-notarisation and e-apostille are suitable for your instruction and we can then advise on the process, timescales and fees
Document and signatory verification
We verify the document (including its origin, how it was obtained and any online verification steps — e.g. Companies House documentation). Where a signatory is executing a document, identity is verified via TrustID digital ID check (see above) and the document must be signed on a video-conferencing call.
Issuance of digital notarial certificate
We issue a digital notarial certificate as a PDF, signed with our Qualified Electronic Signature (QES). The QES can be verified using Adobe Acrobat Reader. The signed PDF is returned to you securely.
NOTE: the electronic version of the notarised document is the only valid and legitimate form of the document. Any printed out version is not considered an original notarised document.
e-Apostille application (where required)
If an e-Apostille is needed, we submit the e-notarised PDF electronically to the FCDO on your behalf. The FCDO processes e-Apostille applications within 2 working days (most within 24 hours). The completed e-Apostille is delivered to you as a digital PDF.
NOTE: the electronic version of the notarised and legalised document is the only valid and legitimate form of the document. Any printed out version is not considered an original notarised document.
FCDO e-Apostille processing time:
→ Standard: 2 working days (most documents within 24 hours)
→ Urgent service available from Milton Keynes subject to FCDO eligibility criteria and prior approval
How to open and verify an e-Apostille:
→ The e-Apostille is delivered as a PDF file
→ It must be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader to verify the digital signature
⚠ The e-Apostille cannot be verified using web browsers or other PDF viewers — Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed and available at your location or your client’s location
Embassy and Consular legalisation:
⚠ No Embassy, Consulate or High Commission currently accepts e-Apostilles for further consular legalisation. If your document also requires Embassy or Consular legalisation (i.e. the destination country is not a Hague Convention signatory), you must use traditional notarisation and a paper apostille. See the Apostille & Legalisation page.
E-notarisation and e-Apostille may be right for you if:
✓ Your document is not on the exclusion list above
✓ Your destination country accepts e-Apostilles
✓ You do not require Embassy or Consular legalisation after the FCDO step
✓ You can open and verify the document using Adobe Acrobat Reader
✓ Your document does not require physical witnessing of a deed or oath
Traditional notarisation is the better choice if:
✗ Your document is on the exclusion list (GRO, DBS, ACRO, ACCA, fingerprint certificates)
✗ Your destination country does not yet accept e-Apostilles
✗ Embassy or Consular legalisation is also required
✗ Your document is a deed, Power of Attorney, or requires an oath or declaration
✗ You are not sure — contact us and we will advise
