Most apostilles in the world are issued on the day they are requested, according to the Hague Conference on Private International Law. The UK's standard paper service quotes up to 25 working days, before the post in either direction.
That gap catches people out, because the FCDO step is rarely the only one. A certificate may have to be ordered, a copy certified by a notary, a translation made, an embassy visited, and the foreign authority may set a limit on how old the documents can be when they arrive.
This guide gives the published time for each step, the faster options and who can use them, worked examples, and a way to plan backwards from a deadline abroad.
How long does an FCDO apostille take?
It depends on the service. GOV.UK lists four:
| FCDO service | How long it takes | Fee per document | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, paper | "Usually up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time" | £45, plus courier or postage | Anyone |
| e-Apostille | "Up to 2 working days" | £35 | Anyone, with a PDF electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor |
| Next-Day, paper | Next working day | £40 | Registered businesses only |
| Restricted Urgent, paper | Same day, pre-approved by email | £100 | Registered businesses only |
GOV.UK adds that "you'll see the current time frame when you apply". On 14 October 2026, the FCDO's application service was quoting 15 working days from the day documents reach the office for standard applications, and "within 2 working days" for e-Apostilles.
Three rules shape the clock. The FCDO says applications are processed in the order received and "cannot be cancelled or returned once received". The FCDO warns that "All these services may take longer, for example if there's a signature that needs to be verified." And the clock for paper starts when your documents arrive, not when you apply online.
Can you get an apostille faster?
Yes, in two ways, but not by visiting.
- Use the e-Apostille if your document can have one and the recipient accepts it. A UK notary or solicitor signs a PDF electronically, you upload it, and you are emailed when the e-Apostille is ready to download. GRO certificates, ACRO police certificates, DBS certificates and disclosure certificates from Scotland and Northern Ireland cannot have one.
- Use a next-day provider. The FCDO's Next-Day and same-day services are for registered businesses, and the FCDO publishes a list of businesses that "may be able to assist if you need to legalise a document urgently". It says none of them is recommended by the FCDO and that they charge additional fees. The list was last updated on 8 October 2026.
There is no counter for the public. The Legalisation Office "is located on a secure government site that is not open to members of the public", and standard-service customers are told not to visit.
What adds time before the FCDO step?
Getting the right document, and certifying it if needed. Published times for common UK documents:
| Step | Published time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| GRO certificate, England and Wales, with the index reference | Sent 4 days after you apply | £12.50 |
| GRO certificate without the index reference | Sent 15 working days after you apply | £12.50 plus £3.50 per search |
| GRO priority service | Sent the next working day if ordered by 4pm | £38.50 |
| Companies House certified copy or certificate | Standard: "within 10 working days"; express: same day if ordered before 11am | £22 standard, £65 express |
| Basic DBS check | "Usually takes up to 3 days" to process, then posted | £20 |
| Copy of a final order or decree absolute, with the case number | Within a week after the court gets your payment | £14 |
| Certification by a UK notary or solicitor | Set by the notary or solicitor | Their fee |
Certification is where files most often stall. A degree certificate, a passport copy or a power of attorney must be certified by a UK notary or solicitor before the FCDO will apostille it (which documents need an apostille lists them), and the certification must meet the FCDO's terms, such as a full date, a personal signature and a statement of what was done. One that falls short is returned, and the fee is not refunded.
For Scotland and Northern Ireland, certificates come from National Records of Scotland and GRO Northern Ireland, which publish their own times.
How do postage and courier affect the timeline?
For paper, you post the documents in and pay for their return. GOV.UK sets the courier charges per 1.5kg: £6 within the UK, £32 to most European countries and £42 to the rest of the world.
You can avoid the courier fee for a UK return address by enclosing "an A4 envelope with the UK address you want the documents sent to" and enough UK stamps. Documents cannot currently be returned to Russia, Ukraine or Belarus; use another address or the e-Apostille.
An e-Apostille removes both postal legs. You can download it "multiple times and share them digitally", for example by email.
How long does an apostilled translation take?
Typically 5 to 7 business days. With our apostille service, the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, and the apostille is attached to the translation, not to your original. It costs £149.95 per document as an e-apostille or £199.95 on paper; allow postage time for the paper version.
If you need only the certified translation, most single-page documents are delivered as a signed PDF within 24 hours and longer documents in 1 to 3 business days, and rush service (+£14.95 per page) gives same-day or next-morning delivery. See our translation turnaround guide.
The order matters for planning. If the destination also wants the apostille on the original, the translator should work from the apostilled document, so the FCDO step comes first; the sequence is set out in translation and apostille: when you need both.
How do deadlines abroad change the plan?
Two ways: a final date for the file, and a limit on how old each document may be. Start too late and you miss the first; start too early and you break the second.
- Spain: the Foreigners' Office "will usually require" a marriage certificate "both issued and legalised in the last 3 months" before the residence card appointment.
- The Netherlands: the IND accepts a single status declaration "only if it is not older than 6 months", though it does not check the issue date of birth, marriage or death certificates.
- Elsewhere: the FCDO tells applicants to check whether documents must be "dated within a certain period of time, such as 30 days before you submit your application".
For countries outside the Apostille Convention, add the embassy step explained in what an apostille is. For Qatar, the FCDO describes three: the Legalisation Office, the Qatar Embassy in London, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Qatar. Each office sets its own time.
Worked examples: adding up the steps
Why apostille timelines slip
- The wrong document sent, such as a photocopy or a Companies House printout, then a second application.
- A certification the FCDO rejects: undated, a company signature, or a scanned signature on paper.
- Choosing the e-Apostille for a GRO, ACRO or DBS document, which only the paper service handles.
- Forgetting the return leg: no courier paid and no stamped A4 envelope.
- Ordering documents too early for a destination's 3-month or 6-month window.
- Translating before the apostille when the destination wanted the apostille translated too.
- Forgetting the embassy step for a country outside the Convention.
Checklist: plan backwards from your deadline abroad
Questions people ask
How long does an apostille take in the UK?
The FCDO's standard paper service takes "usually up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time", and its application service was quoting 15 working days from receipt on 14 October 2026. An e-Apostille takes up to 2 working days once a UK notary or solicitor has electronically signed the PDF.
Can I get an apostille the same day?
Not directly as an individual. The FCDO's same-day Restricted Urgent service (£100) and Next-Day service (£40) are only for registered businesses, and same-day applications must be pre-approved. The FCDO publishes a list of businesses that may help with urgent cases, without recommending any, and they charge their own fees.
Is an e-Apostille faster than a paper apostille?
Yes: up to 2 working days, with no postage either way, against up to 25 working days plus courier or post for paper. It is not available for GRO certificates, ACRO police certificates, DBS certificates or disclosure certificates from Scotland and Northern Ireland, and you should check that the recipient accepts it.
Can I take my documents to the Legalisation Office in person?
No. The FCDO says the office is on a secure government site that is not open to the public, and standard-service customers must not visit. Paper documents go by post or courier, and only registered businesses use the next-day drop-off.
How long does an apostilled translation take?
Typically 5 to 7 business days: the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, with the apostille attached to the translation rather than your original. A paper apostille also needs postage time, and an apostille on your original UK document is a separate FCDO step with its own timings.
Does the FCDO time include postage?
No. GOV.UK's "up to 25 working days" is "plus courier or postage time", and the application service counts its 15 working days from the day your documents arrive. Add the time for them to reach the office and to come back.
What happens if the FCDO cannot legalise my document?
The document is returned without an apostille and the fee is not refunded. The usual causes are a document that needed a UK notary's or solicitor's certification first, a certification that does not meet the FCDO's terms, or a document issued outside the UK, which must be apostilled where it was issued.
