The latter is rather straightforward and used to confirm the authenticity of your documents in countries that are part of the 1961 Hague Convention Treaty. Though this process is typically straightforward, you can expedite it and ensure that it’s stress-free by using an apostille service provider.
Here’s why you’d want to use professional apostille birth certificate services:
1. Peace of Mind
If you’ve planned a couple of vacations and trips to foreign countries, you know how stressful such moments can be. Now scale that up because what you are dealing with here is a lot of uncertainty and the thoughts that you’ll be away from home for a lengthy period. There’s so much to handle, and no matter the amount of time you have, you’ll never feel like you’re fully ready for the journey that lies ahead.
But what if someone handled part of the stressful processes so you only have to worry about things you can’t delegate? That’s where an approved and top-rated apostille birth certificate UK provider like London Apostille comes in. To take the burden of getting an apostille off your shoulders and let you enjoy your peace of mind.
2. Expert Guidance
Unlike navigating through the entire process on your own, working with a professional apostille services provider gives you access to expert guidance on the requirements and procedures or legalizing your documents. As long as the provider has the knowledge and experience in apostilling documents for your country of interest, they will guide you through the entire process.
For example, they will advise what version of your birth certificate you should send, and the additional documents to include. Not only that, but they can help you handle any potential issues that arise.
3. Guaranteed Authenticity and Acceptance
Professional apostille service providers understand the requirements of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) when it comes to apostilling documents for different countries. Not only this, but they know how to examine various documents to determine if they have qualified for apostilling or not.
If, for example, your documents should be notarized but they aren’t yet, the service provider will bring this up and will even offer notarization services so you don’t have to go through another arduous process. As long as you’re dealing with an approved and trustworthy service provider, you can rest assured they will do what they need to do so your documents get apostilled by the FCDO.
4. Streamlined and Efficient Processes
If handling the apostilling process on your own, there’s a lot to worry about, from submitting your documents to the FCDO to handling any issues that come up, and finally arranging how to send your documents to the final address. You’ll be less concerned about all this when you leave it to a professional apostille service provider.
When using London Apostille you only have to worry about sending your documents to their office and they’ll handle the rest, including collecting the apostilled documents and sending them to your preferred address.
5. Security and Reliability
Another invaluable advantage tied to professional apostille services is the security and reliability of their services. When using such a service, you can breathe easy knowing that your documents will be handled securely and returned in their expected state (safe and apostilled).
These service providers have multiple delivery options so you can choose the most ideal, depending on your budget, security, and convenience needs.
Must You Notarise Your Birth Certificate Before Getting an Apostille?
Living and working in the UK can be rewarding enough that you don’t have to seek better opportunities elsewhere, but if you don’t share the same sentiment, you’re probably in the process of moving to a different country. There’s a lot you need to do as you prepare and one of the most important is checking that all your documents are correctly signed and legalised.
You’ve probably heard about notarisation and apostillation as two reliable ways of legalising and authenticating your documents, but do you have to use both? That’s what this article is all about.
What Is an Apostille?
If you’re hearing about apostilles for the very first time, you may be wondering what they are all about. In that case, an apostille is simply an official certificate issued by a designated authority in a country that has acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention treaty. The certificate verifies the authenticity of the documents it’s attached to so that the original document can be used in member countries without requiring further validation.
In the UK, the office tasked with issuing apostilles is the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). However, some restrictions exist, such as hand deliveries which are reserved for registered businesses. Thus, engaging a reliable apostille birth certificate UK provider like London Apostille Services (LAS) Ltd. is safer and expeditious compared to sending your documents via public post.
Notarisation vs. Apostille: What’s the Difference?
Before jumping into whether notarisation is required when apostilling your birth certificate, let’s first check out the distinction between notarisation and document apostille.
Notarisation: In this process, which is conducted by a notary public (a qualified solicitor with additional certification), the aim is usually to verify the authenticity of a document or the identity of the signatory. With a notary’s signature and seal, your document can be confirmed as legitimate and thus will be accepted for official use.
Apostille: An apostille, by contrast, is a form of legitimation. It confirms that the document in question has been authenticated by the relevant authority in the issuing country, and so the document can be used in a country that recognizes the Apostille Convention flawlessly.
Is Notarisation a Must When Getting an Apostille?
For an original certificate issued by the General Registry Office (GRO) in the UK, notarisation isn’t required before obtaining an apostille. In such a case, you only have to submit your application for an apostille to the FCDO with details of the address to which your apostilled documents should be mailed. Registered businesses can go further to submit apostille requests and collect them in person.
You will only be required to involve a notary public in the following scenarios:
1. You’re Not Using a Foreign Birth Certificate
If you are applying to have an apostille for a non-UK birth certificate, you must have it notarised before it can be apostilled. Keep in mind that you can only use the original birth certificate for this purpose since it will undergo checks to ensure it’s authentic. Once confirmed, your service provider will make a copy of the original document and notarise that instead.
After that, they can deliver the notarised copy to the FCDO for apostilling.
2. The Foreign Country Specifies It
It’s not uncommon to come across countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Convention but they still necessitate notarisation before apostillation. Such countries may decide to do so as an extra step for confirming the authenticity of your document, which is why ordering your apostille through a service provider is a great idea so you won’t miss such requirements.
Notarise and Apostille Your Birth Certificate Effortlessly!
Notarising and apostilling your birth certificate and other documents in preparation for relocation to a different country are two important steps you don’t want to miss. Though you don’t have to notarise your birth certificate unless it’s required, you still want to get the apostille process right. That’s where top-ranking apostille service providers like LAS Ltd. come in.
With experts in the field and enough experience spanning from service provision for more than 15 years, you can be sure you’re getting the best quality of service available.