If you need to use a UK document abroad, one of the first questions you will usually ask is: how much does an apostille cost?

The answer depends on the type of document you have, whether solicitor certification is required first, and whether the destination country also requires embassy attestation in addition to the apostille.

This guide explains the costs involved in obtaining a UK apostille, what affects the price, and what you should watch out for when comparing services.

What Is Included in the Apostille Cost?

An apostille is issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to confirm that a UK document or signature is genuine for international use.

The overall price you pay to an apostille service include:

• The FCDO apostille fee
• Handling and administration
• Document checking
• Courier or delivery costs
• Solicitor certification (if required)
• VAT

Some providers advertise a low headline fees, but hide the government fees, upsell faster processing, or add solicitor certification fees. What you need is a clear up-front price to decide which apostille service to choose.

Apostille Only

This is for documents that already contain a recognised UK official signature or seal.

Examples include:

• UK birth certificates
• UK marriage certificates
• UK death certificates
• ACRO police certificates
• Companies House documents with recognised signatures

1Apostille cost:

• £82 per document

1Apostille also discount fees for customers with three or more document to legalise.

When Solicitor Certification is Also Required

Some documents cannot receive the apostille directly because they do not contain a signature recognised by the FCDO.

These documents must first be certified by a UK solicitor or notary before the apostille can be issued.

Examples include:

• Degree certificates
• DBS certificates
• Passport copies
• Driving licence copies
• Employment letters
• TEFL certificates
• HMRC downloads

1Apostille cost with Solicitor Certification AND Apostille:

• £94 per document

Our solicitor will add the required certification and signature to your document. We then submit the document for the apostille.

There are several reasons why apostille prices differ between providers.

Processing Speed

Some services submit documents using standard postal processing. Postal applications to the FCDO take several weeks.

New apostille services do not have sufficient volumes to submit documents every day to the FCDO and delay orders for several days or send them to fast apostille services (like us) to complete the legalisation.

1Apostille do not offer different speeds of service. Every document is processed in the fastest time possible.

Solicitor or Notary Fees

If certification is required, the price can increase to pay the solicitor their fee. Here at 1Apostille we keep the solicitor fees as low as possible. We only add an extra £12 for the certification. This is cheaper than locating your own solicitor and travelling to their office with your document.

Embassy Attestation

For non-Hague Convention countries, the apostille alone is not enough. Countries such as the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Thailand, and Vietnam may also require embassy legalisation after the apostille.

This will increase the legalisation fees as every embassy charges an attestation fee.

Cheapest vs Reliable Apostille Services

The cheapest service is not always the best option.

Very low advertised prices can sometimes mean:

• Slow processing times
• Hidden fees
• No document checking
• No delivery included
• Additional charges later in the process

For important documents such as degree certificates, criminal record checks, or company documents, mistakes can become expensive if documents are rejected overseas.

Conclusion

The cost of an apostille in the UK depends mainly on:

• The type of document
• Whether solicitor certification is required
• The destination country
• Delivery method
• Processing speed

Using a reliable, trusted and FCDO recognised apostille service will make sure your document is legalised quickly with no errors.

If embassy attestation is also required, consider whether to use the apostille service to handle this or to attempt the attestation yourself.

When comparing providers, it is important to check exactly what is included in the quoted price rather than focusing only on the headline fee.