FAQ - Royal & Co. - Notary Public - Toby Royal - London | Cambridge | Ely | Newmarket

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14. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE DOCUMENT 'LEGALISED' / 'LEGALISED BY APOSTILLE'. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
At is simplest, legalisation is the verification of the seal and signature of a Notary on a document that can be relied upon by the relevant authorities in the receiving country.

Legalisation can generally occur in two forms – Legalisation by Apostille and Consular Legalisation.

Legalisation by Apostille is where the verification of the seal and signature is provided by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a form approved by countries that have ratified the 1961 Hague Convention for the Abolition of Consular Legalisation (the “Hague Convention”). Depending on what time the document is notarised, such legalisation can normally be obtained on the same / next day.

Consular Legalisation is where the verification of the seal and signature is provided by the Consulate of the receiving country or the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Consular Legalisation is necessary where a country is not party to the Hague Convention. The time taken to obtain Consular Legalisation varies from country to country. We will be able to provide an indication of timing once the name of the receiving country has been provided to us.

T: 020 7147 9950

F: 020 7788 9650

Royal & Co. provide notarial services in the following areas and their surrounds:

London · Cambridge · Ely · Newmarket · Burwell

Regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

A member of The Notaries Society.

If we are unavailable to assist you when required and the matter is urgent, please click here, completing the requested fields to find another Notary Public in your area.

Royal & Co., 9 Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4YF