Document attestation is the process of confirming that a document is genuine so it can be used officially in another country. This can include personal papers like a degree, birth certificate, or marriage certificate, as well as business papers like invoices, contracts, and company documents.

You may also hear attestation called legalisation, authentication, stamping, verification, or certification. It is important to follow the exact steps required by the relevant embassy and UK authorities for your document type. If the paperwork is not authenticated correctly, it may be rejected when you try to use it abroad.

SaudiUKVisa is registered with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which allows us to complete document attestation on behalf of our clients.

How document attestation works

In most cases, documents must first be certified by a solicitor (some exclusions apply), then authenticated by the FCDO. After that, the relevant embassy in the UK can verify the document so it can be accepted in the country you are travelling to.

Documents that often need attestation

• Degrees and educational certificates
• Birth certificate or death certificate
• Marriage certificate or divorce certificate
• Adoption certificate
• Court documents and ACRO police documents
• Passport copy
• Driving licence
• Financial documents

Documents that may not need solicitor certification

Some documents are usually exempt from solicitor certification and can go straight to the next stage, depending on the requirements:

• Original UK birth certificate or death certificate
• Original UK marriage certificate
• Original UK police clearance certificate (ACRO only)
• Original UK medical report signed by a UK doctor

For a UK doctor’s medical report to be accepted for attestation, the doctor may need to be registered with the FCDO Legalisation department. If they are not registered, the signature may not be accepted for legalisation.