Guide to living in Andorra, residency, personal advice on relocating to Andorra

Legalisation - Apostille

Very simply it is a stamp and a signature on the back of the document which confirms that the signature on the document has been checked with the database at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is correct and genuine. Very occasionally, and a Police report from Fife in Scotland being the latest example, they cannot certify the document as the signatory is not on their database.

They will however certify it if it also bears the certification of a Notary or (In Scotland) a Solicitor. Just another time and money waster but nevertheless the only way to fulfil the requirements !

The Hague Convention abolished the requirement of diplomatic and consular legalisation for public documents originating in one Convention country and intended for use in another. Documents that have been certified with an apostille will not need further legalisation to be used in another convention country. Andorra is a signatory to the Convention.

In the UK, the department responsible for issuing apostilles is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the current fee is £28 per document.

Applications can be made by post or in person at:

The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House (West)
437 Silbury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2AH

The public counter is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. No appointment is necessary. You do not need to bring identification documents and anyone can present the documents on your behalf.

Please note that postal applications can take up to three weeks for processing and additional delays can occur if they are particularly busy. I recommend you read the official website.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-services/legalisation/