"British embassies, high commissions and consulates cannot translate documents." Nor can they legalise them, and they cannot issue the certificates of civil status or residence that many registries ask for, because, as the FCDO puts it, "the UK does not have central registers that hold this information."
So the paperwork for a move abroad is done mostly in the UK, before you go, and in a set order: the right originals, a notary where needed, the apostille, then the translation the destination accepts. Get the order wrong and you pay twice.
Below: the documents to take, the apostille, who translates in 11 destinations, documents the UK does not issue, and a timetable.
Which UK documents should I take when moving abroad?
Your destination's list decides, but the same documents recur. GOV.UK says you may need a police certificate "if you're applying for a visa or emigrating to some countries", naming Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA.
| Document | Where to get it | Route to an apostille |
|---|---|---|
| Full birth certificate (the short version omits the parents) | GRO for England and Wales (£12.50, or £38.50 priority), National Records of Scotland, GRO Northern Ireland | As issued; paper only |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | The same registries or the local register office | As issued; paper only |
| Final order or decree absolute | The court that handled the divorce, or the Divorce Service Centre (a copy costs £14 in England and Wales) | As issued if sealed with a wet ink court seal; otherwise through a notary or solicitor |
| ACRO police certificate | ACRO Criminal Records Office | As issued; paper only |
| Degree certificates and transcripts | Your university | Certified by a UK notary or solicitor first; paper or e-Apostille |
| Medical certificate | A registered doctor, who signs it | As issued |
| Letters from HMRC, DWP or another department | The department | As issued if signed by an official; otherwise through a notary or solicitor |
| Copy of your passport | A UK notary or solicitor certifies the copy | Paper or e-Apostille |
Police certificates have their own traps, covered in DBS and ACRO checks for use abroad, and your driving licence has its own deadlines: see exchanging a UK driving licence abroad.
Do I need to apostille my UK documents before moving abroad?
Only if the authority abroad asks, but residence, marriage and nationality files often do. GOV.UK's test: an official in another country "has asked you to provide a UK document and they have said it must be legalised."
What to know before you apply:
- Only the FCDO Legalisation Office can do it. "British embassies, high commissions and consulates cannot legalise documents of any kind."
- Cost and time. £45 per document on paper, plus courier or postage, "usually up to 25 working days"; the service was quoting 15 working days from receipt in October 2026. An e-Apostille costs £35 and takes up to 2 working days.
- Paper only for GRO certificates, ACRO police certificates and DBS and disclosure certificates.
- Notary first, and in the UK. For private documents and copies, the FCDO accepts certifications only from notaries and solicitors with a UK practising certificate who "sign in the UK". Do this before you move.
- Outside the Convention. The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are not parties, so the FCDO describes three steps: its apostille, a stamp from that country's embassy in London, then approval by its foreign ministry. The Convention takes effect for Thailand on 28 February 2027.
Some destinations add their own conditions. Kuwait wants a criminal records check "notarised by a UK notary" before legalisation and attestation at its London embassy; Qatar wants British birth, marriage and death certificates for sponsorship attested by the FCDO and the Qatar Embassy in London. The document-by-document rules are in which documents need an apostille.
Who must translate UK documents in the destination country?
The destination decides, and its rule often names the translator:
| Destination | Legalisation | Who translates |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Apostille; paper for civil status records and ACRO reports | Nobody: "Documents in English do not have to be translated" |
| US (immigration) | As the receiving office asks | Nobody for English documents; only documents containing a foreign language need a certified English translation |
| Spain | Apostille | A sworn translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose translations "tendrán carácter oficial" (have official status) |
| France | Apostille where asked | A traducteur agréé on a court list; abroad, a translator approved locally, with the signature certified by the French consulate |
| Italy | Apostille | An Italian translation "certified as compliant" by an Italian consulate or an official translator |
| Turkey | Legalised in the UK | "translated by a notarised translator", the FCDO says, pointing to translators in Turkey |
| Brazil (residence) | Legalised | Birth certificate and police check "officially translated" |
| Argentina (work) | Legalised and apostilled | "an official translation if not in Spanish" |
| Japan (immigration) | As the receiving office asks | A Japanese translation attached to any document in a foreign language |
| Kuwait | FCDO, then the Kuwaiti Embassy in London; a UK notary first for a criminal records check | Ask the authority |
| Qatar | FCDO, then the Qatar Embassy in London | Ask the authority |
Four patterns emerge: English accepted; only the country's own translators or consulates, as in Spain, France and Italy, where a UK certified translation alone does not meet the rule; an "official" or notarised translation, as in Turkey, Brazil and Argentina, so ask where and by whom it must be made; and, as at Japan's immigration service, simply a translation attached. For residence permits in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Germany, see EU residency translation after Brexit.
Can a UK certified translation be used abroad?
Sometimes. Where an authority accepts a translation company's certified translation, ours is complete and covers every stamp, seal and apostille on the document, with a signed, dated certificate giving our contact details and our credentials as a member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC).
Some authorities accept a translation made abroad only if it is legalised or apostilled; France says so for driving licence translations. With our apostille service, the certified translation is notarised and then apostilled, and the apostille is attached to our translation, not to your original.
Where the destination requires its own sworn translator, an apostille on a UK translation does not change that: use a translator on that country's list. The FCDO's living-in guides link to lists of English-speaking translators abroad, which it says are not recommendations. The order of steps is set out in translation and apostille: when you need both.
What if an authority asks for a document the UK does not issue?
Several documents common elsewhere have no UK equivalent, and the FCDO publishes free explanatory letters for most of them:
- Certificate of civil status, residence or family circumstances. "British embassies and consulates cannot issue certificates to confirm civil status, residency or family circumstances." Download the letter for your country; stamped and signed versions cost £50 where available. Some are bilingual, such as the British Embassy Athens note in English and Greek.
- Certificate of good conduct. British missions cannot provide good conduct certificates or police clearance letters; the FCDO's letter explains this. For your criminal record, the UK document is the ACRO police certificate.
- Proof of past names. "If you live in another country permanently, you cannot change your name by deed poll." To show the names on your past UK passports, the FCDO points to a data subject rights request to HM Passport Office.
- Proof of driving entitlement: a DVLA check code, or the FCDO's letter explaining UK driving licence law.
An English-only letter may itself need translating, so ask the authority what it accepts.
How far ahead should I start?
Allow at least three months when a police certificate, apostilles and a sworn translation are all involved, and check every document's age limit against your appointment date. Work backwards:
- Get the list in writing: documents, age limits, original or copy, paper or e-Apostille, and who translates.
- Order certificates. The GRO sends them 4 days after you apply if you have the index reference, or the next working day by priority service; a divorce copy arrives within a week of payment.
- Certify degrees and copies with a UK notary or solicitor.
- Apostille at the FCDO, allowing for post both ways, and add the embassy step for non-Convention countries.
- Translate after the apostilles are attached, so the translation can cover them. We deliver most single-page documents within 24 hours and longer ones in 1 to 3 business days.
- Scan everything and carry the originals in your hand luggage.
Common mistakes when taking UK documents abroad
- A short birth certificate where the authority needed the parents' names.
- A degree certificate sent to the FCDO without a notary's or solicitor's certification.
- An e-Apostille ordered for a GRO or ACRO certificate.
- The notary step left until after the move, when the FCDO needs a notary signing in the UK.
- A translation made before the apostille, so it does not cover it.
- A UK translation, even apostilled, for an office that wants its own sworn translator.
Checklist: UK documents for a move abroad
Questions people ask
Which documents do I need to translate when moving abroad?
Those the authority asks for that are not in its language, typically birth, marriage and divorce documents, a police certificate, degrees and proof of income. Countries that accept English, such as the Netherlands, need no translation of English documents, while Spain, France and Italy want their own sworn or approved translators or consular certification.
Do I need to apostille my UK documents before I move?
If the authority abroad asks for it, and residence and marriage files often do. Apostilles on your UK documents come only from the FCDO Legalisation Office: £45 each on paper, currently 15 working days from receipt, and GRO and ACRO certificates can only have a paper apostille.
Should I get my documents translated in the UK or in my new country?
It depends on the destination's rule. Spain gives official status only to its own sworn translators, and Italy wants a translation certified by its consulate or an official translator, while other authorities accept a certified translation made in the UK, sometimes only if it is notarised and apostilled.
Can a British embassy translate or legalise my documents?
No. The FCDO says British embassies, high commissions and consulates cannot translate documents and cannot legalise documents of any kind. Translations are arranged with a translator, and apostilles on your UK documents come only from the FCDO Legalisation Office.
What if they ask for a certificate of civil status or good conduct?
The UK does not issue either. The FCDO publishes free letters explaining that it cannot provide civil status, residence or good conduct certificates, with stamped versions for £50 in some countries; for criminal records, the UK document is the ACRO police certificate.
Do I need translations if I am moving to an English-speaking country?
Usually not for documents already in English. US immigration rules, for example, require a certified English translation only of documents containing a foreign language. You may still need apostilles or certified copies, so check the receiving authority's list.
How long does it take to get documents ready for a move abroad?
Allow at least three months when a police certificate, apostilles and a sworn translation are involved. The FCDO was quoting 15 working days from receipt for paper apostilles in October 2026, plus post, and translation should come after the apostilles are attached.
How much does it cost to translate documents for moving abroad?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words, for a complete certified translation. Most single-page documents arrive as a signed PDF within 24 hours; confirm first whether your destination accepts it or requires its own sworn translator.
