Consular legalisation
Embassy legalisation when your document is already apostilled but the destination country requires an extra step.
Consular legalisation
Consular legalisation is a procedure complementary to apostille, required by some non-Hague Convention countries. It consists of having your apostilled document endorsed by the destination country's embassy in London.
You're on this page if you already have an FCDO apostille but are now being asked for an additional embassy step. No panic: we handle this last step for you.
If you don't yet have an apostille, look instead at our non-Hague Pack Afrique, which includes both steps together — more economical and faster.
Consular legalisation : 1 option pour vous.
Choose the option that fits your situation. Click any card for details.
Why it's complex without us
Three pitfalls individuals face when attempting these procedures alone.
Embassies in London each have their own rules, hours, working languages, and format requirements. There's no unified procedure.
Turnarounds vary considerably (3 days to 4 weeks) and change with periods (diplomatic holidays, political events).
Consular fees are rarely clearly published and can be adjusted without notice.
Frequently asked questions
For non-Hague Convention countries: Cameroon, DRC, Congo, Chad, Gabon, Madagascar, Comoros, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti. If your destination is in this list, yes. Ideally, plan ahead with our non-Hague Pack Afrique, which combines both steps.
If you trust us with the file from the start, yes — that's what the non-Hague Pack Afrique does. Many clients however arrive with a document already apostilled (sometimes done long ago) and discover at that point that an additional step is required. For those cases, standalone Legalisation is the right fit.
Variable depending on the embassy and document type: typically £40-£150. Our £325 price includes £80 of consular fees. Above £80, the surplus is invoiced as transparent third-party fees, never as hidden margin.
3-5 weeks on average. The fastest embassies (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire) process in 1-2 weeks. The slowest (DRC, Central African Republic) can exceed 6 weeks. We communicate a realistic timeline for your country at the quote stage.