Get a Document Legalised During Covid-19 Pandemic – FAQs

Are we open?

Yes, the office is open and we are accepting documents for apostille legalisation. We have a team of staff working in the office and we have social distancing measures in place. Several team members are working remotely to handle customer enquiries by chat, email and phone.

Are we issuing apostilles?

Yes, we are legalising documents with the apostille. Most documents are being processed in around 1 to 3 working days. You can order the apostille today and post your document to us.

If the FCO is closed how can we issue apostilles?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has closed the ‘public’ service. This means that members of the public cannot send any documents to the FCO Legalisation Office.

However, the FCO has asked us as a service provider to work with them to continue submitting documents for apostilles. Only registered apostille services can submit documents to the business counter for legalisation with the apostille.

Why are the FCO allowing us to submit documents?

The FCO has limited resources and limited office space. Implementing social distancing and staff self-isolating meant they could no longer handle the volume of documents. It is more efficient for us to deal with enquiries, process hundreds of orders every week and submit these to the FCO in batches. Otherwise they would need to open hundreds of envelopes, check hundreds of payments, process each order separately and then package and dispatch each document on completion. They do not have the resources for this at present.

Who can visit our office?

We are allowing couriers services, the post office deliveries and solicitors to visit our office. Social distancing measures are in place to protect our employees.

We are NOT allowing customers to visit and hand documents directly to staff. If you need to hand deliver a document, please put this in an envelope with your contact details on a letter or use the apostille service order form. This must then be posted into our secure, locked post box at the front door.

Can I call the apostille service?

Yes, please contact us for free advice and help getting the apostille. 

About the Author

The Apostille Service are pleased to provide advice on a wide range of document legalisation matters. Our team of advisors contribute to the blog.