You will almost certainly need to get an Apostille on your UK police certificate (specifically an ACRO Criminal Records Check) if you need to use it abroad for visas, work permits or immigration.

This is everything you need to know about how to get an ACRO Apostille in the UK, including the steps, the time frame, and the requirements.

What does an ACRO Apostille mean?

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issues an ACRO Apostille, which is a certificate that proves the signature and seal on your ACRO police certificate are real. This means that it is legally valid in all countries that are part of the Hague Convention. The Golden Rule: Look at the Signature You need to make sure your ACRO certificate has been signed before you send it for an apostille.

This is the most important step that sets the process in motion.

If a police officer or other official SIGNED your ACRO certificate: It is often ready to be apostilled right away. You can send it straight to an apostille service provider, like apostilleseal.co.uk, or to the FCDO.
If your ACRO certificate does not have a signature: It can't be apostilled. You need to get a UK solicitor or notary public to sign it first. They will check your identity and the document's authenticity, and then they will sign it and stamp it.

Apostille service providers, like the one mentioned in the source, often offer in-house solicitor certification as an extra service. This means you don't have to look for a solicitor yourself.

The Steps: How to Get It Done Apostille UK says that the general process is easy: Check or Certify: Check to see if your ACRO is signed. If not, get a lawyer to sign it. Send in the Document: Hard Copy: Send the original signed (or certified) ACRO certificate to the apostille office. In electronic form: Many providers offer an E-Apostille service if you have a digital PDF of your ACRO. You can just send them the PDF by email. Legalisation: The provider looks over the document and sends it to the FCDO. Get: You get your document back with the official apostille on it.

How fast is it? (Timelines)

The speed depends on the service you pick. You can expect the following from providers like Apostille UK: Next-Day (Emergency) Service: One day of work Quick Service: 3 to 5 business days Standard Service: 7 to 8 business days Value Service: 10 to 12 business days If your ACRO needs to be certified by a lawyer first, add one to two days to these times. Why hire a service provider? You can send documents straight to the FCDO, but using a registered provider like apostilleseal.co.uk has some benefits: Expert Checking: They make sure your document is perfect before you send it in, so it won't be turned down. Solicitor Services: They can do the certification step for you in-house. Speed: Providers that are close to the FCDO office in Milton Keynes can often get documents legalised faster.

E-Apostille: You don't have to send anything in the mail for them to process electronic documents. International Shipping: They can safely send your apostilled document to any place in the world. You can go to their website to get the official prices, a full list of document types, and to begin the process. apostilleseal.co.uk/

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