Whether you have received an apostilled document and want to check it is genuine, or you need to confirm to a foreign authority that your own apostille was legitimately issued, the UK government provides an official online verification service that works for both paper and electronic apostilles. The service is free, instant and available to anyone worldwide.
Where to verify
The official verification service is provided by the FCDO at www.gov.uk/verify-apostille. This is the only authoritative source for verifying a UK-issued apostille. Always access the service directly through the GOV.UK website - do not rely on links from other sources, as third-party websites are not authoritative and may be fraudulent.
What you need to verify
To verify an apostille, you need two pieces of information - both of which are printed on the apostille certificate itself. The first is the apostille number, which appears in section 8 of the apostille certificate. The second is the date the apostille was issued. Enter both into the verification service and submit. The system checks the details against the FCDO's secure database of issued apostilles and confirms whether a match is found.
What the verification confirms
If the apostille is genuine, the verification service confirms the date it was issued, the name of the person whose signature was authenticated on the document - typically the solicitor, Notary Public, registrar or court official - and the FCDO official who processed the apostille. It confirms the apostille itself was legitimately issued by the FCDO. It does not verify the content of the underlying document - only that the FCDO issued an apostille with that number on that date.
If verification fails
If the system does not find a match, there are several possible explanations. The apostille number or date may have been entered incorrectly - even a small error will prevent a match. The apostille may have been issued very recently and may not yet appear in the database. The FCDO advises allowing at least 24 hours from the date of issue for the record to be propagated. If the details have been entered correctly and sufficient time has passed, the apostille may not be genuine.
Paper and electronic apostilles
The verification service works for both paper apostilles and e-Apostilles. A paper apostille is a physical certificate attached to the back of the document. An e-Apostille is a secure digital certificate embedded within a PDF. Both carry an apostille number and date of issue that can be checked through the same GOV.UK verification service. For e-Apostilles specifically, the digital signature within the PDF can also be independently verified using standard PDF software to confirm the document has not been altered since it was issued.
Why verification matters
Overseas authorities - including foreign courts, universities, employers, immigration offices and banks - increasingly use the GOV.UK verification service to check apostilles before accepting documents. Verifying your own apostille before submitting it abroad ensures there are no issues at the point of acceptance. Call our team on +44 (0) 204 630 6700 if you have any questions about the verification process or need help with your apostille.
