What is attestation?

Attestation (Or Legalisation as it is sometimes known) is the process of authenticating a document so that another country will accept it as genuine.

In order for a foreign embassy to attest any document, it needs to be stamped first by the issuing government. This means that for UK documents it will need to have been through the  Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the UK for them to attach an Apostille Stamp, which is a paper certificate attached to the document with the FCO seal stamped through both the Apostille and the document.

For some documents, the process could stop here. However, different documents have different legalisation requirements. For degree certificates for example, the FCO can’t verify the authenticity of the document straight away. Before the degree certificate can be Apostilled, it first has to be countersigned by a UK Notary Public or Solicitor.

Vital Consular has been handling attestation for both businesses and individuals since 2006. We have experience dealing with both embassies and governments of different countries, so you can rest assured we know how to get the job done. Our service includes everything necessary to attest your documents so you can focus on what really matters – preparing for your move abroad. 

If you'd like more information, feel free to call us on +44 (0)330 088 1142. One of our specially trained advisers would be more than happy to speak to you.