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Changes to FCO legalisation office - 18 February 2011

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has announced that it is changing the way it handles applications for documents to be certified as authentic to make it a postal-only service from 1st April 2011. The FCO Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes will only accept applications received by post, but will also be able to process the majority of applications within 24 hours.

While the paperwork involved in buying a property and living overseas can seem to be interminable, having the correct documents certified and authorised can make the whole process much smoother and easier and save a considerable amount of time.

The FCO Legalisation Office already deals with more than 50 per cent of its customers through postal applications, but by removing the option of counter service the office will be able to process all straightforward applications within 24 hours (excluding postal time). Payments will be taken online to further speed the process.

Legalisation is the process by which the signature, stamp or seal on a UK document is verified and certified as genuine, although this legalization does not certify the authenticity of a document or grant FCO approval of its content. Legalisation is usually required by foreign authorities before they will allow a UK document to be used for official purposes in their country.

Julian Braithwaite, Director of Consular Services said: “We constantly look to improve the services we offer and make them more efficient. A postal only service will halve the turn-around time for the vast majority of our customers.”

For full details go to the FCO website

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