Why would the FCO reject a document?
There are several reasons why the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) may not stamp a document. These include:
- It’s a foreign document – As a UK body, the FCDO can only stamp UK-issued documents. If you have a foreign document, please contact us for more information on the legalisation process for your country.
- The Educational Institution is not officially recognised – If the institution that issued your qualification is not an officially recognised body, the FCDO may not be able to validate the document. Please visit our Educational Certificates page for details on how to verify whether your issuer is accepted.
- The Registrar, Solicitor, or Signatory is not registered with the FCDO – In cases where the signatory is not in the FCDO’s database, additional steps will be required to obtain a sample signature before the document can be validated.