It is tempting to keep the original marriage certificate at home and send a solicitor-certified photocopy for the apostille. For a marriage registered through the Italian consulate in London, that copy will not do. The consulate asks for the "ORIGINAL (not photocopy)" certified copy, with a paper apostille "which certifies the signature of the Registrar", and it rules out an apostille on a notary's or solicitor's signature.
A UK marriage certificate goes abroad for many reasons: registering the marriage in a spouse's country, a spouse's residence card, a child's birth registration, sponsorship, property and inheritance. Each authority sets its own rules on the copy, its age and its translation.
This guide covers when you need an apostille, which copy to order, how recent it must be, the FCDO step, what five destinations want, and how the translation should read.
When does a UK marriage certificate need an apostille?
When an authority abroad asks for it, usually for one of these:
- Registering the marriage in a spouse's country. The Italian consulate in London says "All marriages and any divorces must be registered in Italy", and it registers a UK marriage only on the original certificate with an apostille. Poland transcribes UK marriages into its civil register through its consulate.
- A spouse's residence card. In Spain, the FCDO says the Foreigners' Office (Extranjería) will usually want the marriage certificate for a residence card application issued and legalised within 3 months of the appointment.
- Registering a child's birth. For a child born in Saudi Arabia, where the Apostille Convention has applied since 7 December 2022, the FCDO says parents must show a marriage certificate and "must get your marriage certificate legalised". The Italian consulate asks parents who married before a child's birth to register the marriage first, or in the same envelope as the birth.
- Sponsorship outside the Convention. Qatar wants British marriage certificates attested by the Legalisation Office and the Qatar Embassy in London, then by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The FCDO can only legalise UK documents. If you married abroad, "You cannot get documents issued outside the UK legalised using this service": the foreign certificate is legalised in the country that issued it. For the apostille in general, see what is an apostille.
Which copy of a UK marriage certificate can be apostilled?
An original certified copy issued by the registry. The FCDO checks the registrar's signature or the registry's seal, and that is the signature registries such as the Italian consulate want covered.
| UK nation | Certificate | Where to order | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Certified copy of an entry of marriage or civil partnership | The register office where it was registered, or the GRO | £12.50 from the GRO; priority £38.50 |
| Scotland | Extract, issued on "official, numbered paper" | National Records of Scotland or a local registrar | Set by NRS or the registrar |
| Northern Ireland | Marriage or civil partnership certificate | GRO Northern Ireland | £15; priority £20 |
Three features of UK certificates matter abroad:
- Since 4 May 2021, England and Wales use a single electronic register. The couple, witnesses and registrar or officiant sign a schedule, which is sent to the register office and added to the register: "After that, you can get your marriage or civil partnership certificate."
- Parents. The 2021 change put "the names of both parents of the couple" on certificates "for the first time, instead of only their fathers' names", and each partner can now list up to four parents. Earlier certificates show fathers only.
- No updates. The FCDO tells French authorities that a British marriage certificate "states the surnames of the parties prior to their marriage", and that UK marriage certificates are not amended if the couple later divorce. The UK also has no central civil status register, and British consulates "cannot offer civil or family status certificates".
How recent does the certificate need to be?
As recent as the destination says. The HCCH Apostille Handbook says an apostille "may not be rejected solely on the basis of its age", but the authority receiving it can set a time limit on the certificate underneath.
The rules vary widely:
- Spain: the Foreigners' Office "will usually require your marriage certificate to have been both issued and legalised in the last 3 months prior to the date of your appointment" for a residence card. Check with your local office before relying on an older copy.
- Netherlands: once a UK civil status record is legalised, the Dutch government says it stays valid, so when it was obtained or legalised does not matter.
If there is a limit, order a fresh copy and apply for the apostille close to the appointment. A GRO priority copy is sent the next working day if ordered by 4pm.
How do I get a UK marriage certificate apostilled?
The same way as a birth certificate, set out in our birth certificate apostille guide. In short:
- Apply online on GOV.UK for the paper service. Marriage and civil partnership certificates cannot get an e-Apostille.
- Pay £45 per document, plus return courier (£6 per 1.5kg in the UK) or a stamped A4 envelope. Ask whether the authority wants one apostille per document.
- Post the original certified copy. GOV.UK says the service usually takes "up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time"; in October 2026 the application service was showing 15 working days from receipt.
- Leave the apostille attached and note its number and date, which the recipient can check on GOV.UK.
Who translates a UK marriage certificate for use abroad?
The destination decides, and the answers range from any accurate translation to a sworn translator on its own list. Five examples from official sources:
| Destination and purpose | Certificate and apostille | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Italy: registering the marriage through the consulate in London | Original certified copy; paper apostille on the registrar's signature, not on a notary's or solicitor's | Italian translation of the certificate only, "NOT OF THE APOSTILLE"; may be done independently if complete, faithful and typewritten |
| Poland: transcription through the consulate | Original certificate; an apostille "may" be needed; fee £53 | A sworn translator on the Polish Minister of Justice's list or authorised in an EU or EEA state, or the consul as a separate paid service |
| Spain: a spouse's residence card | Issued and legalised in the last 3 months | First on the FCDO's list: a sworn translator registered with Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; British consulates in Spain do not translate |
| Netherlands: registration in the population register (BRP) | Paper apostille, valid however old | "Documents in English do not have to be translated" |
| Qatar: sponsorship | Legalisation Office, Qatar Embassy in London, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha | Ask the sponsor or ministry |
The Italian consulate does not translate documents, publishes a list of translators "known to the Consulate", and offers a template. For a document used in Italy itself, the Italian foreign ministry wants a translation "certified as compliant by the competent diplomatic/consular Mission or by an official translator".
Poland wants a sworn translator (Polish, or authorised in an EU or EEA state) or the consul, and Spain's Foreigners' Office looks first to a Spanish sworn translator. Any other translation, however it is certified, is not a sworn translation in either country, so use a sworn translator for those procedures.
What should the translation of a UK marriage certificate show?
Everything on the certified copy, in order:
- Both parties' names as recorded at the marriage, not their current names. If a passport now shows a different name, the Italian consulate asks for a copy of the passport page as well.
- Every parent named, under the certificate's own headings.
- The date and place of marriage, the witnesses and the registrar or officiant who signed.
- Registration details: registration district, entry number and the statement that it is a certified copy.
- The relationship exactly as named. A civil partnership stays a civil partnership; how the destination classifies it is its decision, not the translator's.
- Handwritten entries, transcribed in full, with anything unreadable marked [illegible].
Translating a foreign marriage certificate for UK use instead? See marriage certificate translation for UK authorities.
Where does a notarised and apostilled translation fit?
Some authorities want the translation legalised as well: for marriage certificates from other Convention countries, the Italian consulate in London asks for an "APOSTILLE for the translation" issued in the country of origin. In the UK a translation is a private document, so the HCCH describes the route: the translator declares its accuracy before a notary, and the notarial certificate is apostilled.
With our apostille service, the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, and that apostille is attached to our translation, not to your marriage certificate. It costs £149.95 per document as an e-apostille or £199.95 on paper, typically in 5 to 7 business days. The apostille on the certificate itself is a separate application that you make to the Legalisation Office.
It is not a substitute for a sworn translator where the destination requires one, and the Italian consulate needs neither: an accurate typewritten translation is enough there.
Common mistakes with UK marriage certificates abroad
- An apostille on a solicitor's or notary's copy, which the Italian consulate refuses because it wants the registrar's signature apostilled.
- A certificate older than the destination allows, such as Spain's 3 months for a residence card.
- An ordinary certified translation sent where a sworn translator was required.
- Ignoring the office's translation instructions, such as translating the apostille for the Italian consulate, which wants the certificate only.
- Married names in the translation where the certificate shows the names used before the marriage.
Checklist: UK marriage certificate going abroad
Questions people ask
Can I get an e-Apostille on a UK marriage certificate?
No. GOV.UK lists marriage and civil partnership certificates, with every other General Register Office document, among those that cannot get an e-Apostille. Apply for the standard paper service, which costs £45 per document plus courier or postage.
Can I apostille a copy and keep my original marriage certificate?
Not if the destination wants the registrar's signature apostilled, as the Italian consulate in London does: it asks for the original certified copy and rules out an apostille on a notary's or solicitor's signature. Order an extra certified copy from the register office or the GRO and send that instead.
How recent does my marriage certificate need to be?
The apostille never expires, but the destination can limit the certificate's age. Spain's Foreigners' Office usually wants the certificate issued and legalised in the 3 months before a residence card appointment, while the Netherlands accepts a legalised UK certificate whenever it was issued.
Is a civil partnership certificate apostilled the same way?
Yes. It is a General Register Office document, so it gets a paper apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office like a marriage certificate. The Italian consulate in London, for example, registers UK civil partnerships on the same terms as marriages: original certified copy, paper apostille and an Italian translation of the certificate.
We married abroad. Can the FCDO apostille our foreign marriage certificate?
No. GOV.UK says documents issued outside the UK cannot be legalised by its service, and a marriage abroad under local law cannot be registered in the UK. Get the foreign certificate legalised in the country that issued it; for using it in the UK, a certified English translation is what UK authorities ask for.
Does the apostille need to be translated as well?
Under the Apostille Convention, an apostille cannot be refused because of its language, and no translation of it may be required. The Italian consulate in London asks for a translation of the certificate only, not the apostille; other offices may want everything translated, so ask.
Can Official Translations apostille or translate my marriage certificate?
We can translate it. The apostille on the original certificate comes only from the FCDO Legalisation Office, and you apply for it yourself. Our certified translation costs £29.95 per page, and we can supply it notarised and apostilled, with that apostille attached to our translation, for £149.95 (e-apostille) or £199.95 (paper) per document, typically in 5 to 7 business days.
