Need a LSE degree apostille or academic transcript legalisation for overseas use? LSE’s certificate FAQ directs graduates outside the School when they need physical academic documents notarised or legalised. An older University of London award may also require a different records route from a more recent LSE-issued certificate.
Ginkgo Advisory offers a solicitor-led service covering verification of your degree certificate and transcript with the issuing institution or its approved verification route, solicitor certification, an express 2-working-day paper UK FCDO apostille option, or an eligible e-Apostille. We also arrange embassy legalisation where required, including for documents intended for the UAE, Kuwait or Qatar. The paper express period applies after verification, certification and preparation are complete; it is not the total end-to-end timescale.
London School of Economics and Political Science: the official apostille statement
The official London School of Economics and Political Science guidance states:
“LSE is not allowed to provide these services.”
In the context of notarisation, legalisation and apostille-related services for physical certificates, LSE states that it is not allowed to provide those services. The statement does not mean that LSE cannot supply academic records or that every receiving authority requires a notary.
Official institution source: https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/graduating-from-lse/degree-certificates-FAQs
Ginkgo Advisory is an independent service provider. The institution’s statement explains the boundary of its own service; it does not endorse Ginkgo Advisory or mean that you must appoint us.
Verifying your London School of Economics and Political Science degree certificate and transcript
We check the awarding institution, award date and certificate you actually hold before choosing the verification route. LSE’s FAQ distinguishes more recent digital certificates from awards completed before January 2008, for which it directs replacement-certificate enquiries to the University of London.
Document point to check: Send the whole certificate, including the awarding-body name, rather than describing the document simply as an LSE degree. This helps avoid a verification enquiry going to the wrong record holder when an older award is involved.
Our solicitor distinguishes a true-copy check from confirmation of the underlying academic record. A true-copy certification says that a copy matches the source inspected; it does not by itself establish the authenticity of an award. Likewise, confirmation that a degree was awarded does not automatically verify every module and mark in a separate transcript. Where transcript authenticity must be confirmed, we seek the appropriate official transcript or additional institutional evidence and certify only what the evidence supports.
For an overview of these distinctions, see our UK degree certificate and transcript certification guide.
Solicitor certification: prepare the right document before legalisation
After the necessary checks, our UK solicitor prepares certification appropriate to the document and the overseas instructions. We establish whether the recipient wants the original document, a solicitor-certified copy or an electronically certified PDF, and whether the certificate and transcript must be handled separately. This review is important even when you already have a university stamp.
GOV.UK’s legalisation guidance recognises eligible qualification documents certified by a UK solicitor or notary. However, where the receiving authority expressly requires notarisation, a solicitor-certified copy is not the same thing. Tell us about that requirement before ordering so the appropriate notarial route can be identified. Learn more about our solicitor-certified copy service.
Express 2-working-day paper UK FCDO apostille
For eligible, submission-ready documents, we offer an express 2-working-day paper UK FCDO apostille service. Our solicitor-led preparation brings the university verification, certification and submission requirements together, and we arrange the FCDO application and return of the apostilled documents.
When the express period starts: after the required university verification is complete, the document has been correctly certified, and we have the documents, payment and information needed to submit. University or archive enquiries, replacement-document production, additional evidence, embassy processing, translation and delivery are separate. We confirm the expected schedule on review; FCDO checks, service availability and exceptional delays can affect completion.
The apostille is issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, not by the university or Ginkgo Advisory. It authenticates the relevant signature, stamp or seal; it does not decide academic equivalence or guarantee an overseas job, visa, licence or admission. See our paper apostille service and UK degree apostille service.
e-Apostille: an electronic option where accepted
An FCDO e-Apostille may be suitable where the document is eligible and the receiving authority accepts electronic legalisation. Our solicitor can prepare the eligible electronically signed PDF and we arrange the FCDO electronic submission. An ordinary scan or an image of a paper apostille is not an e-Apostille.
The official FCDO application guidance explains the electronic delivery process. Before choosing this option, confirm acceptance with the ultimate recipient and any embassy involved. Do not assume that a university’s digital certificate automatically satisfies those requirements. Read about our UK e-Apostille service; the available timing is confirmed when we review your documents.
Embassy legalisation for the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and other destinations
Where further attestation is required, Ginkgo Advisory can coordinate embassy or consular legalisation after the necessary UK preparation and FCDO stage. For the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar or another destination, send the actual employer, ministry, professional-body or university instructions so we can assess the correct route rather than treating all overseas applications alike.
The receiving authority may require a particular certification, separate treatment of the degree and transcript, an additional university letter, translation or other supporting evidence. Paper and electronic requirements also differ. Embassy legalisation is an additional service, not part of the two-working-day paper apostille period. Our embassy attestation service is arranged only where it is required for the agreed use.
Official destination references: UAE Embassy in London attestation guidance; Qatar Embassy in London document legalisation guidance. For Kuwait and other missions, consult the UK government directory of foreign embassies for official contact details and confirm current document-specific requirements before submission.
What to send for a quotation
- Clear colour scans of the complete degree certificate and transcript, including all pages, seals and any existing certification.
- Your full name as recorded during study, course, award date or graduation year, and student number if available.
- The destination country, purpose, deadline and the receiving authority’s written document requirements.
- Details of any secure university document-sharing access, name change, historical awarding body or requirement for originals, separate apostilles or notarisation.
We will confirm the relevant verification and consent steps, certification format, paper or electronic apostille route, any embassy stage and the quotation. Do not post an irreplaceable original until we have checked whether it is needed. Remote handling can be assessed where source evidence, identity checks and the recipient’s requirements permit it; not every case can be completed from scans alone.
Frequently asked questions
Does London School of Economics and Political Science provide the apostille service described here?
In the context of notarisation, legalisation and apostille-related services for physical certificates, LSE states that it is not allowed to provide those services. The statement does not mean that LSE cannot supply academic records or that every receiving authority requires a notary.
Why does the awarding body on my LSE certificate matter?
The institution holding or issuing the record may differ for older awards. LSE’s own guidance identifies a University of London replacement-document route for certain earlier study. We check the actual certificate and the relevant record holder before certification.
Does the two-working-day service include the university’s reply?
No. The express paper apostille period begins once the required verification, certification and submission preparation are complete. University checks, archive enquiries, embassy legalisation, translation and courier delivery are additional stages with separate timescales.
Should my degree certificate and transcript have separate apostilles?
That depends on the receiving authority. We check whether each document needs separate certification and legalisation, rather than assuming that an apostille on the degree certificate also covers the transcript. Send the exact instructions before ordering.
Can I choose an e-Apostille instead of a paper apostille?
Only where the document is eligible and the receiving authority, including any embassy stage, accepts the electronic format. We review those requirements first and arrange the appropriate solicitor certification. An emailed scan of a paper apostille is not an e-Apostille.
Request your London School of Economics and Political Science document assessment
Send your documents and overseas instructions through our Ginkgo Advisory enquiry page. We will confirm how we can help with university verification, solicitor certification, express paper FCDO apostille or an eligible e-Apostille, and embassy legalisation where needed, together with the relevant costs and expected stages.