The Notary Solution

I have just received the pre-publication copies of the business development book that I have written specifically for notaries in England and Wales. Only three weeks to go....

Legalisation- 5 things you need to know:

1. Legalisation is a generic term which is used interchangeably with attestation, apostille, verification and authentication. Not technically correct but this is what happens in practice.
2. Legalisation means getting your document verified as authentic by a public body. In the UK this is the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and they add a little piece of paper to the back of the document called an apostille, which confirms that the document has been signed by someone that has their signature lodged with the FCDO.
3. Some documents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates can be “apostilled” directly, other documents need to be verified as authentic by another professional first, such as a notary public.
4. For many countries, the apostille is all that is required for the British document to be accepted as authentic in that country. Other countries require the document to be stamped by their embassy in the UK after it has been legalised and this is generally called attestation. Again, not technically correct but this is what we find in practice.
5. Most notaries use the services of a Legalisation Agent to streamline this process. This makes it much faster and more secure for the client for a relatively small fee. Legalisation Agents are specialised in dealing with the many different requirements of the embassies and ensure that the document gets through the legalisation process in order for it to be accepted overseas.

Do I need a notarised consent for my child to travel?

In the vast majority of cases, there is no need for a travel consent to be “notarised” for a minor to travel. This requirement only really applies to parts of Eastern Europe, South America and South Africa. Most of the time, it is not relevant for British children being taken on holiday.

You can create a formal consent yourself detailing the travel arrangements which can be signed by both parents (or the parent that is not travelling). Attach a copy of the parents’ passports and keep this with the travel papers, together with the child’s birth certificate and passport.

If you feel that you still need a notarised travel consent, please get in touch and we will assist you. [email protected]