Guides
Notary guides
Straightforward answers on notary fees, apostilles and legalisation, powers of attorney, and preparing documents for use overseas.
In a hurry? Our notary FAQs give the short version of the questions below.
The basics
Costs and process
Choosing the right service
Notary public vs solicitor - what is the difference?
Both are qualified lawyers, but only a notary is set up to authenticate documents for use in other countries. When each one is the right choice.
Read the guide → 2 min readDo I need a notary public?
A situation-by-situation checklist. If your document is going abroad, the answer is usually yes - here is why, and what happens next.
Read the guide →Legalisation and apostilles
What is an apostille and how do you get one?
An apostille is the FCDO certificate that makes a UK document usable abroad. When you need one, when you need embassy legalisation instead, and how the process works.
Read the guide → 2 min readNotarising documents for use abroad - the process
The route from a UK document to one a foreign authority will accept: notarise, apostille, and embassy legalisation where needed. What changes by document type and country.
Read the guide →How it works
Three steps, and we handle the rest
No calling round a dozen offices. One enquiry, one point of contact, from first question to finished document. Our general response time for booking is within 60 minutes in business hours (9am–5pm).
Tell us what you need
Fill in the enquiry form or call the helpline — the document, the country it’s for, and your postcode.
We find your notary
We connect you with a regulated notary near you who will provide you with a free estimate and a realistic timescale.
Meet & complete
The notary will book an appointment with you and arrange any apostille, embassy legalisation and courier.