What does a Notary Public do?

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A Notary verifies, authenticates and records deeds, documents and facts for cross-border transactions, performing a vital function in international trade and business.

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What is an Apostille? 

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Not to be confused with an "apostle".  An Apostille is a certificate issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government. The certificate verifies that the signature and seal of the Notary Public who signed and seal the document is genuine. To find out whether you require an Apostille it is always best to contact the intended recipient of the document. 

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What is Legalisation? 

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In some cases when you are asked for your document to be legalised this can mean they require an Apostille. However, in other circumstances, your document may need further legalisation. This is usally the case when the document will be used in a country which is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention. This means that the document will need to be legalised by the country's Consulate. 

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My US Attorney says I cannot use an English Notary Public, I have to go to the US Embassy and have my document notarised. 

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Whilst we do not recommend going against your Attorney's advice, we do recommend having a discussion with them and pointing out the following: 

• It can be very difficult to get an appointment at the US Embassy in London at short notice. Furthermore, the website for the US Embassy in London endorses the use of a Notary in England for your notarisation requirements, as can be seen here. (Scroll down to "Notarization through the British System".

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What are your fees? 

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Our fees are usually £70 for the first notarisation, £50 for the second and £40 for each additional notarisation. However, this can vary based on each individual document and therefore, we suggest calling us for an accurate quote.