As a firm of Spanish solicitors, GB Abogados regularly assist UK clients with gathering documentation for use in legal matters in Spain.
The process more often than not, includes the legalisation of documents through the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes.
What is legalisation?
The legalisation of a document involves the Foreign & Commonwealth Office verifying the signature, stamp or seal on a document is from a UK public official.
Once this is confirmed the FCO will attach an apostille (a kind of certificate) to the back of the document.
Who is classed as a public official in the UK?
The term public official covers:
- Solicitors
- Notary Publics
- Registrars
- Government Officials
In which circumstances does a document need to be legalised?
The legalisation process can apply to documentation relating to a variety of legal and administrative matters.
You may be granting Power of Attorney to be used on your behalf in Spain. This document would need to be signed in front of a notary and legalised.
You may be inheriting part of an estate in Spain. In this case, there may be a number of documents that need to be legalised, such as the death certificate, Grant of Representation etc.
The legalisation enables the documents to be used abroad.
What type of documents can be legalised?
Documents that can be legalised by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office include:
- Birth, death & marriage certificates
- Certified passport copies
- Educational certificates
- Change of name deed poll
- Wills
- Affidavits
- Power of Attorneys
- Grant of Representation
- Court documents
- Companies House documents (Certificate of Incorporation etc.)
- HMRC documentation
What is the process for legalising a document?
The legalisation process is now very simple. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office now have a streamlined ordering and payment system on their website.
Once you have your document ready to be legalised you can order the legalisation here:
https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised
You follow the order process through to payment and then print off the receipt.
How much does legalisation cost?
Currently the legalisation of a document costs £30.00. The return postage costs are £5.50 within the UK and £14.50 to the EU.
How long does it take for me to receive my legalised document?
The timeframe seems to depend upon how busy the legalisation office of the FCO is.
The FCO state that the turnaround time is usually 2 working days, but this can be extended to up to 10 working days during peak periods.
What are the contact details for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office?
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office legalisation office is based in Milton Keynes. The postal address is:
Legalisation Office
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
PO Box 6255
Milton Keynes MK10 1XX
It is recommended that documents should be sent via Royal Mail Signed For.
The email address is legalisationenquiries@fco.gsi.gov.uk and telephone helpline 03700 00 22 44.
If you need any assistance with legal or accountancy matters in Spain, please don´t hesitate to contact us.
GB Abogados offer a no obligation consultation for all clients.
