If you need your UK civil partnership certificate accepted by a foreign authority - for residency, immigration, property, financial or legal purposes - it will need to be apostilled before most countries will recognise it. The good news is that a civil partnership certificate issued by an official UK registry goes directly to the FCDO for apostille without requiring solicitor certification first.
Civil Partnership Certificate
A civil partnership certificate issued by the General Register Office, a local register office, the National Records of Scotland or the General Register Office for Northern Ireland carries the official registrar's signature or seal. The FCDO authenticates that wet-ink signature, seal or stamp and attaches the apostille - a physical paper certificate fixed to the back of the original. No solicitor or Notary Public certification is required before submission. If the original certificate is laminated, damaged or faded, a replacement should be ordered from the relevant registry before submitting.
Conversion of Civil Partnership Certificate
Since 2019, civil partners in England and Wales have been able to convert their civil partnership into a marriage. A Conversion of Civil Partnership Certificate is the document issued to confirm that conversion. It is also issued by an official registry body and carries the registrar's signature. It follows the same route as the civil partnership certificate - the original can be submitted directly to the FCDO for apostille without prior solicitor certification.
Paper apostille only
Civil partnership certificates and conversion certificates are not eligible for the FCDO's e-Apostille service. Only the paper-based route is available. The original document is posted to the FCDO, the apostille is physically attached, and the document is returned. Standard processing costs £45 and takes around ten working days.
For countries outside the Hague Convention
For Hague Apostille Convention member countries, the apostille is the final step. For countries outside the Convention - including the UAE, Qatar and others - the apostilled certificate must also go through embassy attestation in London before it will be recognised. For UAE purposes, MOFA digital attestation in the UAE follows. Always confirm the full requirements of your destination before submitting.
Get in touch
Call our team on +44 (0) 204 646 9500 to confirm what your destination requires and to arrange the apostille or full legalisation process for your civil partnership or conversion certificate.