Apostille Death Certificate

An apostilled death certificate is certified with an apostille stamp. The certificate and stamp ensure the document is legally valid and recognised in the Hague Apostille Convention member countries. The apostille guarantees the document’s authenticity for use in international legal matters.

You may need to apostille a death certificate if you plan to use it in a foreign country that is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. This makes the document legally recognised in those member countries.
Reasons to Apostille a Death Certificate:
Registering a death in another country e.g, if the deceased was not born in the UK or held dual citizenship
Inheritance claims overseas
Selling a property
Transferring pension benefits
Resolving the deceased’s estate, assets, or bank accounts overseas
Registering the UK death of a foreign national overseas
You may also need to have copies of last wills and testaments, probate documents, court papers, and other related document legalised by apostille. In some cases an apostilled coroner’s report signed by the coroner will be required. Resolving international estates often requires that Power of Attorney is given to an overseas family member or legal representative.

In the UK, apostilles are issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through its Legalisation Office. When issuing an apostille, the FCDO will affix a certificate to the original documents to show that the document and signatures are genuine. However, authorised service providers like Fatchett Legalisation can facilitate the process on your behalf, making it more convenient and often faster. For further assistance or to initiate the apostille process for your death certificate, please get in touch with Fatchett Legalisation. Our knowledgeable team is here to guide you through every step of the process.

We can arrange apostille for original or certified copies of death certificates. Scans or photocopies of death certificates are not acceptable for FCDO apostille.

The cost to apostille a death certificate can vary depending on the service provider and the urgency of the request. At Fatchett Legalisation, we offer competitive rates for apostille services. For detailed pricing, please contact our office or visit our website order form, where we regularly update our fee structure.

The time it takes to apostille a death certificate can vary. Typically, the process can take from a couple of working days to a couple of weeks, depending on the workload of the Legalisation Office. At Fatchett Legalisation, we offer expedited services to meet urgent requirements.

To obtain an apostille for a death certificate in the UK, follow these steps:

• Obtain the original death certificate or a certified copy of the death certificate.
• Submit the document to the Legalisation Office or authorised service, such as Fatchett Legalisation.
• Pay the necessary fees.
• Wait for the document to be processed and returned with the apostille.

At Fatchett Legalisation, we can streamline this process, ensuring your documents are handled correctly and efficiently.

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The FCDO will not issue an apostille certificate if the signature on the death certificate is not recognised. Rejection typically occurs when the registrar or other authorised person is not in their official database, as the death certificate is very new or very old. Currently, there is no way to check the signature before submission.

If the FCDO rejects your certificate for apostille and the death certificate is very new, contact the local registrar’s office and ask the person who signed the certificate to register their signature with the FCDO.

For very old certificates, order a new official replacement copy from the GRO website or local registry office. A new certificate takes around four working days and costs £11.

Alternatively, one of our solicitors can certify the death certificate and get the apostille. However, we do not recommend this as the FCDO will then issue the apostille based on the solicitor’s signature, not the signature on your death certificate. Some overseas authorities will not accept this. So, if you decide to go on this route, you should first contact the relevant overseas authorities to confirm that this would be acceptable for your intended use.

You may be able to legalise a death certificate issued in a foreign country in the UK. You can have a copy of the original foreign death certificate notarised and then have this apostilled by the FCDO. However, there may be additional steps such as further legalisation by the Consulate or Embassy of the requesting country. Even, then this process may not satisfy all requirements.