UK documents, apostilled in Bristol, ready for use abroad.
We procure FCDO apostilles and arrange consular legalisation, sworn translation and notarial services, handled with care from our South Bristol office and prepared for use across the world.
What is an apostille, exactly?
An apostille is an official certificate from the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (the FCDO) that authenticates the signature, seal or stamp of the public official on your document. It confirms who signed or sealed it, not the contents, so it can be recognised in other Hague Convention countries without further FCDO or embassy legalisation. We’ll handle the jargon; here’s exactly what one looks like, then the whole idea in three steps.
This is what the FCDO adds to your document.
An official FCDO certificate: signed, sealed and given a unique reference number, then fixed to your document. This is a genuine apostille we obtained; the personal details are redacted.
- Crown seal & signature of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- Unique reference number, verifiable on GOV.UK
- Hague Convention (1961) wording, recognised in 120+ countries
e.g. a birth certificateYour UK document
An original certificate, degree or company paper issued in the UK.
official FCDO apostilleThe FCDO adds the apostille
The FCDO attaches a signed, numbered certificate authenticating the official signature, seal or stamp on the document.
ready to use overseasAccepted abroad
Now valid in 120+ Hague Convention countries, with no embassy step needed.
Not sure if you even need one?Ask us, it’s free.
Paper apostille or e-Apostille?
The FCDO can issue an apostille in two formats: a paper certificate, or an electronic e-Apostille for certain documents. Which format you need is set by the authority receiving your document. Pegasus arranges paper apostilles.
Paper apostille
A physical certificate, returned by post or courier
- A signed, sealed certificate physically fixed to your original or notarised document
- Returned to you by tracked post or courier
- The format we arrange, and the only option for the documents listed below
e-Apostille
A digital certificate, delivered as a signed PDF
- An electronic certificate attached to a PDF that a UK notary or solicitor has electronically signed
- Issued by the FCDO as a digital file, with nothing posted
- Available for certain documents only, not the types listed below
- Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership and adoption certificates (and anything else from the General Register Office)
- ACRO police certificates (England & Wales)
- DBS certificates (England & Wales)
- Disclosure certificates for Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Fingerprint certificates
- ACCA membership certificates
Formats and eligibility per GOV.UK: Get your document legalised. If you’re unsure which you need, check the requirements of the authority receiving your document, or take advice from a lawyer in that country.
Will an apostille be accepted in your country?
For the 127 countries where the Hague Convention is in force, a single FCDO apostille is enough. Everywhere else, your document needs extra consular legalisation at the embassy. Check your destination below.
- Contracting parties
- 129
- In force now
- 127
- Joining soon
- 2
Source: HCCH status table (Convention No. 12), verified 27 June 2026. Membership changes over time, so we always confirm your destination before you commit.
Skip the month-long FCDO queue.
Posting documents to the Foreign Office yourself can take over a month, and a single mistake means starting again. We do it properly, in days.
- Free eligibility checkWe confirm your document qualifies before anything is submitted, with no wasted FCDO fees.
- We handle the FCDOWe work with registered next-day FCDO agents and manage the entire Foreign Office process on your behalf.
- Kept informed throughoutWe keep you updated on exactly where your document is at every stage of the legalisation process.
- Always tracked deliveryYour documents always travel by tracked delivery, whether returned to you or couriered worldwide.
Over forty document types, handled daily.
From a single birth certificate to a full set of company papers: search for yours, or just ask if it isn’t listed.
Not listed? We handle many more document types, just get in touch.
Simple pricing, per document.
Our pricing is per document and excludes the FCDO’s apostille fee of £40.
Sending several documents? We offer bulk discounts: get in touch for a tailored quote.
- Document eligibility check
- Submission to the FCDO
- Secure return delivery
- Pre-check of all your documents
- Priority FCDO submission
- Scan of final documents sent by email
- Free return via Royal Mail
- Express FCDO submission
- We’ll collect your document (free within Bristol)
- Free express hand-delivery within Bristol
Prices are per document and exclude the FCDO’s £40 apostille fee. We confirm your full total in a free quote before you pay.
A calm, four-step path to legalisation.
Send or drop off
Post your originals, drop them at our office, or use our free document pick-up & drop-off across the Bristol area (included with Premium).
We review & prepare
We confirm your document meets FCDO criteria, and ask you anything we’re unsure of.
Apostille at the FCDO
Working with registered next-day FCDO agents, we obtain your apostille from the FCDO, with most orders ready in 3–7 working days depending on the service you choose.
Returned to you
We dispatch your legalised documents by tracked post, anywhere in the world.
Bristol's Floating HarbourFrom Bristol, for Bristol.
We help internationals, students and businesses across Bristol, Bath and the wider South West make their UK documents usable abroad: quickly, correctly, and without the jargon.
- A complete serviceNotarial certification, sworn translation and embassy legalisation, all under one roof, then couriered by DHL to recipients anywhere in the world.
- Days, not weeksWe turn around apostilles in 3–7 working days, as fast as 3 on our Premium service.
- Checked before submissionA free eligibility review helps avoid the common reasons documents are rejected by the FCDO.
- Ask us anythingUnsure what you need? Speak to us directly and we’ll explain it in plain English.
Apostille & legalisation, explained.
Questions, answered.
Can’t find what you need? Email us and we’ll reply quickly, usually the same working day.
info@pegasusnotaries.com
Tell us about your document. We’ll do the rest.
Send us a quick message and we’ll confirm exactly what you need, the price and the timescale, in plain English, usually the same working day.
Find us in South Bristol.
Visits are by appointment only, so please message or call us first and we’ll arrange a time that suits. There’s free on-site parking when you come.