Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What the United Kingdom Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. UK requirements are set by the body receiving your document, such as HM Land Registry, a solicitor, a bank or a court. Nothing on this page replaces confirming the position with it.

The United Kingdom is an apostille country, but for many UK transactions the real question is not "apostille or legalisation" but "what exactly has the UK body asked for". UK processes often set their own rules for people signing from overseas, and those rules can be more specific than an apostille. The clearest example, and the one Australians selling or buying property in England meet most, is HM Land Registry's identity form.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Convention membership is a live fact. Confirm the United Kingdom's status against the HCCH status table on the day you start. The UK has been a party since 1965, so where a UK body wants an Australian document authenticated, an apostille is the expected route.

When an apostille is asked for

If a UK solicitor, court or registry asks for a notarised and apostilled document:

1. Sign before an Australian notary, or have the notary certify a copy
2. DFAT apostille on the notary's signature and seal

Australian registry certificates may go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT. Australian documents are in English, so no translation is needed.

If the request does not mention an apostille, ask before paying for one. It is an extra step and an extra fee, and some UK processes do not call for it.

HM Land Registry: form ID1 from Australia

When land in England or Wales is sold, bought or mortgaged, HM Land Registry requires evidence of the identity of people who are not represented by a UK conveyancer. Where a person lives overseas and cannot have their identity verified by a UK conveyancer, the Registry's guidance says section B of form ID1 should be completed and signed by a lawyer or notary public qualified to practise in the person's country of residence. For someone living in Australia, an Australian notary fits that description.

The Registry's guidance adds conditions that are easy to miss:

• The form must be amended to state the country in which the lawyer or notary is qualified to practise, confirm that they are so qualified, and give the name and address of the body with which they are registered.
• Written evidence of the notary's authority to practise must accompany the form. Ask the notary in advance what evidence of their appointment they can supply.
• A recent photograph. The guidance asks for a passport-size photograph taken in the last three months, printed on photographic paper.
• A short shelf life. The form must be signed within a limited period before it is lodged. Check the current figure in the guidance and do not sign too early.
• Inconvenience is not an exemption. The Registry's practice guide says that living overseas is not in itself an acceptable reason for not providing the form.

Read what the Registry's guidance does and does not ask for. It sets out who may sign and what must accompany the form; it does not, as we read it, call for an apostille. Confirm with the conveyancer handling the transaction before adding one.

HM Land Registry covers England and Wales only. Land in Scotland and Northern Ireland is registered separately, under different rules. Ask the solicitor there.

Signing the transfer or mortgage itself

The ID1 proves who you are. The transfer deed or mortgage is a separate document, and English land documents are executed as deeds, which need a witness. UK conveyancers usually send instructions with the deed. Ask:

• Does the witness need to be a notary, or will any independent adult do?
• Must the witness's details be in a particular form?
• Do you want the deed apostilled?

If the conveyancer only needs an independent witness, a notary may be more than you need. If they want a notarial certificate, bring the unsigned deed to the notary.

Estates, companies and courts

UK probate practitioners, Companies House filings, UK banks and UK courts each have their own document rules. A UK solicitor will usually tell you what they need; a UK bank may ask for a specific certification wording on copies of your passport. Whatever the request, show it to the notary before the appointment so the notarial certificate matches it.

The reverse: UK documents cannot be apostilled in Australia

If you hold a British document, such as a UK birth certificate, and need it apostilled for use somewhere else, DFAT cannot do it. The UK's Legalisation Office at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issues apostilles on UK documents, including an electronic apostille for documents electronically signed by a UK notary or solicitor. An Australian notary's certified copy of a UK certificate is an Australian document, which DFAT can apostille, but many receiving authorities want the apostille from the country that issued the original. Ask first.

Frequently asked questions

Will a Justice of the Peace do for the UK? Do not assume so. A JP is not a notary, and a JP certification cannot be apostilled. For HM Land Registry's overseas route, the guidance names a lawyer or notary public.

My UK conveyancer says any solicitor can sign my ID1. Is that right? The Registry's guidance names a lawyer or notary public qualified to practise in your country of residence. An Australian solicitor may qualify; follow the conveyancer's instructions on what evidence of qualification to attach.

How long does it take? It depends on the notary's availability and, if an apostille is needed, DFAT. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.