A foreign university, scholarship body or immigration authority has asked for proof that you are enrolled at a UK university - and they want it apostilled. If this is the first time you have had to deal with document legalisation, the process can seem confusing. It is actually straightforward once you understand the one step that has to happen before the FCDO will touch it.
Why can it not just go straight to the FCDO?
A letter of enrolment is issued by a university - a private institution, not a government body. It carries the signature of a university official, not a registered public official whose details the FCDO holds on file. The FCDO authenticates wet-ink signatures, seals or stamps from recognised authorities. A university registrar's signature is not one of them. That is the entire reason for the next step.
What do I need to do first?
Take the original letter of enrolment to a UK solicitor or Notary Public. They will examine, verify and certify it as an original or a true copy of the original, and apply their own wet-ink signature and official stamp. Their signature must be registered with the FCDO. The FCDO can then authenticate it. The apostille - a physical paper certificate - is attached to the back of the certified document and returned to you.
Can the university help speed things up?
Yes. If the solicitor needs to verify the letter is genuine before certifying it, the fastest route is an email directly from the university to the solicitor confirming the enrolment details. This can allow same-day certification.
e-Apostille
If the solicitor's /notarie's certification carries a verifiable digital signature, the e-Apostille service may be available. Otherwise it is the standard paper apostille. For countries outside the Hague Convention, embassy attestation is also required after the apostille.
Tight deadline?
Call our team on +44 (0) 204 646 9500 and we will handle solicitor certification, FCDO submission and anything else needed for your destination.