Birth certificate apostille for UK use
A U.S. birth certificate destined for the United Kingdom — for a spouse visa, British citizenship claim by descent, or UK residency application — needs an apostille from the California Secretary of State or U.S. Department of State before UK Visas and Immigration or the Home Office will accept it.
The United Kingdom is a Hague Apostille Convention member. For a U.S.-issued birth certificate used in the UK, the correct apostille authority is the California Secretary of State (for CA-issued certificates) or the U.S. Department of State (for federal documents). The UK FCDO Legalisation Office apostilles UK-origin documents — we handle the U.S.-side apostille only.
What this page covers
Clients need an apostilled U.S. birth certificate for the United Kingdom most often when applying for a UK spouse visa (Settlement Visa or Indefinite Leave to Enter), registering a claim to British citizenship through descent (one or both parents British-born), or proving identity and lineage for UK property, pensions, or NHS/teaching credential recognition. The document must be the certified long-form copy issued by the California Department of Public Health or county vital records office — not a hospital keepsake or short form — and apostilled by the California Secretary of State. We confirm which version is needed, assist with ordering the correct certified copy if you don’t have one, and route it through the California Secretary of State apostille process.
Common reasons people need this
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires an apostilled birth certificate from the sponsoring UK partner’s foreign spouse to prove identity and eligibility for a Settlement Visa (spouse/civil partner route), Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), or family reunification.
Adults born in the U.S. to a British parent or grandparent may register a claim to British citizenship. The Home Office and HM Passport Office require the apostilled U.S. birth certificate as evidence of the lineage chain — often alongside the British parent’s own birth certificate.
U.S.-born children of British parents living in the UK often need an apostilled U.S. birth certificate to register UK citizenship, apply for a British passport, or enroll in UK schools and NHS as a dual national.
Certain UK employers, NHS trusts, and teaching bodies request an apostilled birth certificate as part of right-to-work or professional registration checks — particularly for roles in health, education, and financial services.
How it works
Send us a photo of your birth certificate. We confirm it is the current long-form certified copy issued by California CDPH or the county recorder — not a hospital record, short form, or abstract — and confirm which apostille authority is correct for your document.
Mail the original certified birth certificate to us (or we can meet in Los Angeles County). We complete the apostille submission package for the California Secretary of State and track the order through processing.
The California Secretary of State attaches the apostille to your birth certificate. We ship the apostilled document back to you in Los Angeles or directly to your UK solicitor, UKVI application centre, or family member in the UK.
What will and won't be accepted
Realistic timelines
Before you contact us
Birth Certificate Apostille FAQ — UK Use
Yes. The United Kingdom is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a California Secretary of State apostille is the correct and sufficient authentication for U.S.-origin documents used in the UK. No additional authentication from the U.S. Embassy, UK Consulate, or UK FCDO is required for U.S. documents.
UK Visas and Immigration typically requires the long-form (full) certified birth certificate, which shows parents’ names, place of birth, and other details. A short-form abstract birth certificate is often insufficient for spouse visa, citizenship, and ILR applications. Confirm with your UK immigration solicitor before ordering a replacement copy.
We can coordinate the apostille process for you, but if your birth certificate was issued in another U.S. state, it must be apostilled by that state’s apostille authority — not the California Secretary of State. We can advise on the correct state apostille office and, for California clients, handle the mail-in process with other states.
If you hold a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) issued by the U.S. State Department, that document must be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. — not by a state Secretary of State. We can guide you through the federal apostille process.
No — a UK-issued birth certificate must be apostilled by the UK FCDO Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes, UK. We only handle U.S.-issued documents and the U.S.-side apostille process.
UKVI processing times vary by visa route and current caseload — typically 8–24 weeks for settlement applications and faster for visit visas. Our job is to get the apostilled document to you or your UK solicitor as quickly as possible. Check the UK Home Office website for current processing estimates.
Other UK documents