FCDO e-Apostille for Colombia: Solicitor Certification

Do you need to use a UK document in Colombia?

Ginkgo Advisory provides solicitor verification, enhanced solicitor certification and FCDO apostille services for Colombia.

We assist with UK educational, company, court and personal documents. For urgent cases, our express e-Apostille option may take a few hours to one working day.

However, completion depends on verification, submission times and FCDO processing.

UK Documents for Use in Colombia

Colombia and the United Kingdom are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Therefore, an eligible UK document with an FCDO apostille can normally be presented in Colombia without further legalisation by the Colombian Embassy or a Colombian Consulate. Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that a foreign public document which already carries the correct apostille should receive direct recognition without further certification or legalisation in Colombia.

Before starting, ask the Colombian recipient whether it needs:

• an original or certified copy
• an e-Apostille or paper apostille
• an official Spanish translation
• separate apostilles for each document
• one combined legalised PDF
• a document issued within a set period

These checks can prevent delays and unnecessary costs.

Which UK Documents Can We Prepare?

Our solicitor can review many types of UK documents.

Educational documents

• Degree Certificates
• Academic Transcripts
• Diploma Supplements
• Higher Education Achievement Reports
• university letters
• school certificates
• professional qualifications

Company documents

• Certificates of Incorporation
• Companies House documents
• Articles of Association
• board resolutions
• shareholder resolutions
• powers of attorney
• commercial agreements

Court and legal documents

• Final Orders
• Decrees Absolute
• court orders
• judgments
• consent orders
• probate documents
• legal declarations

Personal documents

• certified passport copies
• proof of address
• employment letters
• consent forms
• statutory declarations
• professional certificates
• ACRO Police Certificates
• DBS certificates

The correct route depends on the document and its intended use in Colombia.

What Is Solicitor Certification?

Solicitor certification is a formal statement signed by a UK solicitor.

For example, the solicitor may confirm that a copy matches the original document.

Basic wording often states:

“I certify that this is a true copy of the original document.”

This statement may meet a simple certified-copy request. However, it does not confirm that the issuing university, court, company or public body created a genuine document.

Therefore, a Colombian university, employer, regulator or authority may ask for stronger evidence.

What Is Enhanced Solicitor Certification?

Enhanced solicitor certification goes beyond basic true-copy wording.

First, our solicitor checks the document through a reliable source. The source may include a university, Companies House, a court record or an official digital system.

Next, we prepare stronger wording, such as:

“I further certify that I have verified the authenticity of this document with the issuing institution.”

As a result, the Colombian recipient receives:

• a certified copy of the document; and
• confirmation that the solicitor checked its source.

This approach may help where the recipient wants more than a visual comparison with an original.

Solicitor Verification and Certification

Verification and certification are separate stages.

Verification means checking the document with its issuing source.

Certification means issuing the formal solicitor statement after completing that check.

For educational documents, we may use:

• direct university confirmation
• HEDD
• Gradintelligence
• Digitary
• Parchment
• an official university portal
• a secure document-sharing service

Company checks may involve official Companies House records.

Court-document checks can include the court seal, case number, issue email or other official evidence.

Afterwards, our solicitor prepares and signs the certificate.

What Does the FCDO Apostille Confirm?

The FCDO checks whether the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal matches its records.

When the document meets the legalisation rules, the FCDO issues an apostille. Qualification certificates, contracts, powers of attorney and certified document copies can qualify after certification by a UK solicitor or notary.

However, an apostille does not confirm every statement inside the underlying document.

Colombian guidance also explains that an apostille certifies the public signature but does not certify or review the content of the document.

For this reason, enhanced solicitor certification can provide a stronger evidence chain:

Source verification → enhanced solicitor certification → solicitor signature → FCDO apostille

The apostille authenticates the relevant signature or seal. The enhanced certificate records the verification completed before legalisation.

Does a UK Apostille Need Colombian Consular Legalisation?

Normally, no.

The Apostille Convention replaces the longer diplomatic or consular legalisation process for eligible documents moving between Convention countries. Both Colombia and the United Kingdom appear on the official HCCH status table.

Colombian government guidance also states that foreign documents which carry the correct apostille do not need further certification or legalisation by Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The UK FCDO must issue the apostille for a UK document.

Colombian authorities issue apostilles for Colombian documents intended for use overseas. They do not issue a Colombian apostille for a British document.

FCDO e-Apostille for Colombia

The FCDO offers both paper apostilles and e-Apostilles.

For an e-Apostille, a UK solicitor or notary electronically signs the PDF. Once the FCDO completes the process, the client can download and share the legalised file digitally.

Our solicitor’s electronic signature is registered with the FCDO for e-Apostille purposes.

Consequently, we can prepare eligible PDFs for electronic legalisation.

Colombia operates a highly digital apostille system for its own documents. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that Colombian apostille procedures run online and that electronic apostilles can be checked digitally without printing.

However, this does not guarantee that every Colombian recipient accepts every foreign e-Apostille through its own filing system.

Therefore, ask the recipient whether it accepts:

• a UK FCDO e-Apostille
• an electronically signed PDF
• a printed version of the digital file
• a paper apostille attached to an original
• a document uploaded through an online platform

A paper apostille may work better when the Colombian authority requires a physical original.

Express e-Apostille Service for Colombia

Straightforward cases may take a few hours to one working day when:

• the document is clear and complete
• source verification has finished
• the PDF qualifies for an e-Apostille
• payment has arrived
• the FCDO requires no further checks

The FCDO publishes an e-Apostille processing time of up to two working days. Signature checks or document queries may extend that period.

Therefore, urgent clients should send the document and the Colombian recipient’s requirements as early as possible.

Educational Documents for Colombia

UK educational documents may support:

• Colombian university admission
• postgraduate study
• employment
• degree convalidación
• public-sector employment
• professional registration
• teaching applications
• immigration or visa procedures

Common documents include the Degree Certificate and Academic Transcript.

A Degree Certificate confirms the academic award. In contrast, an Academic Transcript records subjects, grades, credits and study dates.

However, an apostille does not decide how Colombia will recognise a UK qualification.

The applicant may also need:

• convalidación by the Ministry of Education
• an official Spanish translation
• direct university verification
• course descriptions
• evidence of study length
• professional registration
• separate apostilles

Convalidación of Foreign Degrees in Colombia

Colombia’s Ministry of National Education handles the convalidación of higher-education qualifications obtained abroad.

Convalidación gives the overseas qualification the same academic and legal effects as a qualification awarded by a recognised Colombian higher-education institution.

The procedure runs online through the Ministry’s electronic system. Applicants upload their documents digitally and follow the application through the platform.

When Is Convalidación Required?

Convalidación is not compulsory in every situation.

However, the Ministry of Education states that it commonly becomes necessary for:

• regulated professions
• obtaining a professional registration card
• public-sector employment
• public-sector contracts
• public tenders
• teacher salary or grading procedures

The receiving employer, university or professional body may also request it for other purposes.

Therefore, ask whether the recipient needs:

• full degree convalidación
• internal university assessment
• professional recognition
• proof that the university is recognised
• an apostilled degree without convalidación

Documents for Degree Convalidación

The Ministry of Education normally requires the applicant to upload:

• the application form
• a valid identity document
• the Degree Certificate
• the certificate of subjects or Academic Transcript
• apostilles or legalisation, as applicable
• Spanish translations

The Degree Certificate and certificate of subjects must carry the required apostille or legalisation.

Applicants may need extra documents where the institution or programme does not hold the relevant accreditation or recognition. These may include programme information, research records or other academic evidence.

Health, Law, Accounting and Education Qualifications

Some fields require additional evidence.

The Ministry of Education applies special requirements to qualifications in:

• healthcare
• law
• accounting
• education

All health-related degree convalidación applications proceed through an academic-evaluation criterion.

Healthcare applicants may need further evidence, such as:

• clinical practice records
• supervised training details
• procedure logs
• internship or rotation records
• programme certificates
• research documents

Law and accounting applicants may also need proof of specific Colombian legal or professional studies.

Therefore, obtain the current checklist before legalising a large group of documents.

Apostille and Convalidación Are Different

An apostille and convalidación perform different functions.

The FCDO apostille authenticates the relevant signature or seal.

The Colombian Ministry of Education assesses the overseas qualification and grants Colombian academic and legal recognition.

Neither process automatically replaces the other.

Likewise, convalidación does not always complete the separate professional-registration process required for a regulated profession.

UK Degree Verification for Colombia

A basic certified copy may not satisfy every Colombian recipient.

For stronger evidence, our solicitor can verify a UK qualification where the university provides a reliable verification route.

The process may include:

• reviewing the Degree Certificate
• checking the Academic Transcript
• accessing an official verification platform
• contacting the issuing university
• preparing enhanced certification
• electronically signing the PDF
• arranging the FCDO apostille

This process records how we checked the qualification.

However, it does not replace degree convalidación, university admission or professional registration where the Colombian recipient requires a separate decision.

Does Colombia Require a Spanish Translation?

In many cases, yes.

Documents written in English may require an official Spanish translation before a Colombian university, ministry, court, registry or immigration authority accepts them.

For degree convalidación, Colombia’s Ministry of Education requires overseas qualifications and supporting academic documents to be translated into Spanish.

Colombian visa guidance also states that documents issued abroad must normally carry an apostille or legalisation and an official Spanish translation when they are not already in Spanish.

Official Translations Prepared in Colombia

Colombia recognises translations completed by appropriately accredited official translators.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that an official translation prepared in Colombia for use inside Colombia does not itself need an apostille or legalisation. However, the underlying foreign document must still carry the correct apostille or legalisation from its country of origin.

For greater legal certainty, Colombian guidance recommends obtaining the apostille on the original document before arranging the translation.

Therefore, the usual sequence is:

UK document → FCDO apostille → official Spanish translation in Colombia

Translations Prepared Outside Colombia

A translation completed outside Colombia may follow a different route.

Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that translations issued abroad must receive apostille or legalisation in the country of origin before they can take legal effect in Colombia.

Accordingly, ask the Colombian recipient whether it prefers:

• a translation completed in Colombia
• a translation completed in the UK
• apostille of the translator’s signature
• a translation of the solicitor certificate
• a translation of the FCDO apostille
• translation of every annex

In many cases, a Colombian official translator offers the simpler route.

Company Documents for Colombia

UK company documents may support:

• establishing a Colombian subsidiary
• opening a foreign-company branch
• opening a corporate bank account
• foreign investment
• commercial contracts
• public tenders
• proving directors or shareholders
• appointing a representative in Colombia

Official Companies House certificates may qualify for direct FCDO legalisation.

Company-created documents will usually need an appropriate signature or solicitor certification before the FCDO can apostille them.

Examples include:

• board resolutions
• shareholder resolutions
• company powers of attorney
• registers of directors
• registers of members
• authorised signatory letters
• commercial agreements

Opening a Foreign-Company Branch in Colombia

A foreign company that plans to carry on permanent business in Colombia may need to register a Colombian branch.

Official Colombian guidance states that the company may need to execute a public deed and attach authentic copies of documents such as:

• the company’s constitutional document
• its articles or bylaws
• the resolution approving the Colombian branch
• evidence that the company exists
• evidence identifying its representatives

The branch must then complete commercial registration with the relevant Chamber of Commerce.

Where the documents are not in Spanish, Colombia requires an authorised translation. The same guidance states that each foreign document should carry the corresponding apostille.

Therefore, ask the Colombian lawyer, notary or corporate service provider whether it requires:

• official Companies House documents
• solicitor certification
• notarisation
• an FCDO apostille
• an official Spanish translation
• individual apostilles for each company document

Powers of Attorney for Colombia

A UK power of attorney may support:

• company registration
• a property transaction
• court proceedings
• estate administration
• representation before a Colombian authority
• commercial transactions

The Colombian lawyer or recipient should provide the required wording before the document is signed.

Depending on the transaction, the power may require:

• execution before a solicitor or notary
• identity verification
• witness details
• an FCDO apostille
• an official Spanish translation
• protocolisation before a Colombian notary
• an original paper version

Some transactions may require a notarial act rather than ordinary solicitor certification.

Therefore, do not use a general power-of-attorney template without checking the Colombian requirements.

Court Documents for Colombia

UK court documents may need legalisation for:

• divorce recognition
• probate
• inheritance
• family proceedings
• civil claims
• debt enforcement
• commercial disputes

Examples include:

• Final Orders
• Decrees Absolute
• court judgments
• consent orders
• Grants of Probate
• Letters of Administration

A court document with a recognised wet-ink court seal may qualify for direct FCDO legalisation.

By contrast, an electronic court document may first need solicitor verification and certification.

A Colombian court, notary or registry may also require:

• an original document
• a paper apostille
• an official Spanish translation
• further recognition proceedings
• documents issued within a certain period

Confirm the exact requirements before selecting the e-Apostille route.

Visa and Immigration Documents

UK documents may support Colombian applications involving:

• work visas
• business visas
• family visas
• student visas
• residence
• marriage
• proof of qualifications
• proof of family relationships

Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that supporting documents issued abroad must generally carry an apostille or legalisation. Documents not written in Spanish also need an official Spanish translation, subject to limited exceptions.

Visa supporting documents other than passports or valid travel documents may also need an issue date no more than three months before the application. The visa authority can still ask to inspect the physical originals even where the application takes place online.

Therefore, check the current visa checklist before ordering or apostilling a document.

Birth, Marriage and Civil-Status Documents

UK civil-status documents may support:

• marriage registration
• birth registration
• family visas
• nationality matters
• proof of relationship
• divorce procedures
• inheritance matters

Common documents include:

• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• death certificates
• civil partnership certificates
• divorce orders

The Colombian recipient may require:

• the original paper certificate
• an FCDO paper apostille
• an official Spanish translation
• a recent issue date
• a complete long-form certificate

Because these documents come from the General Register Office, they cannot use the FCDO e-Apostille route.

Police Certificates for Colombia

An ACRO Police Certificate may support:

• visa applications
• residence
• employment
• professional registration
• family procedures

The FCDO does not issue an e-Apostille for an ACRO Police Certificate.

Therefore, an ACRO certificate must use the paper apostille route.

The Colombian recipient may also request:

• the original certificate
• a recent issue date
• an official Spanish translation
• separate legalisation
• direct delivery

Check the required validity period before ordering the police certificate.

Documents That Need a Paper Apostille

The FCDO does not issue an e-Apostille for certain document types.

These include:

• UK birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• death certificates
• civil partnership certificates
• adoption certificates
• ACRO Police Certificates
• DBS certificates
• disclosure certificates
• fingerprint certificates
• ACCA membership certificates

These documents normally require a paper apostille.

A Colombian recipient may also request a physical document even where the FCDO offers an electronic route.

Separate or Combined Apostilles?

Several related documents can sometimes form one solicitor-certified PDF.

However, this approach does not suit every Colombian application.

Separate apostilles may work better when:

• the Degree Certificate and Transcript have separate uses
• the Ministry of Education expects separate academic documents
• each document will go to a different authority
• the recipient requests an individual apostille for each document
• the documents come from different issuing bodies

GOV.UK advises applicants to ask whether the recipient wants one apostille for a group of documents or separate apostilles.

For degree convalidación, the Diploma and certificate of subjects must each meet the apostille or legalisation requirements.

Our Process

Step 1: Send the Document

Send us a clear PDF of the UK document.

Step 2: Provide the Colombian Requirements

Include any instructions from the Colombian authority, employer, university, court, bank, regulator, lawyer, notary or company.

Step 3: Check Whether Legalisation Is Needed

We first determine whether the recipient requires an apostille.

Step 4: Select the Correct Route

We check whether the document needs:

• an e-Apostille
• a paper apostille
• solicitor certification
• source verification
• notarisation
• separate legalisation

Step 5: Verify the Document

Where possible, our solicitor checks the document with its issuing source.

Step 6: Prepare Enhanced Certification

We draft the appropriate certification wording and apply the solicitor’s electronic or wet-ink signature.

Step 7: Arrange the FCDO Apostille

Our team submits the document through the suitable FCDO route.

Step 8: Send the Completed Document

Finally, we provide the completed digital document or arrange return delivery of the paper document.

A Colombian recipient can verify a UK paper or electronic apostille using the issue date and apostille number.

Need an Apostille for Colombia?

Send Ginkgo Advisory:

• a copy of the UK document
• its intended use in Colombia
• the name of the Colombian recipient
• any written requirements
• whether convalidación is required
• the required completion date

We will check whether an apostille is necessary and confirm the suitable verification, certification and legalisation route.

Eligible express e-Apostille cases may take a few hours to one working day, subject to document checks and FCDO processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Colombia accept an FCDO apostille?

Yes. Colombia and the United Kingdom are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. A correctly apostilled UK public document should not need further Colombian consular legalisation.

Does Colombia accept an FCDO e-Apostille?

A UK e-Apostille may suit a digital application. However, the Colombian recipient should confirm that its filing system accepts an electronically signed PDF.

Does the Colombian Embassy need to legalise an apostilled UK document?

Normally, no. Colombia states that properly apostilled foreign documents should receive direct recognition without further certification or legalisation.

Is true-copy certification enough?

It depends on the purpose. Some Colombian recipients may also want confirmation that the solicitor verified the document with its issuing body.

Can you verify a UK Degree Certificate?

Yes, where the issuing university provides a reliable verification route.

Does an apostille replace Colombian degree convalidación?

No. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature or seal. Convalidación gives the overseas degree equivalent academic and legal effects in Colombia.

Is convalidación always required?

No. However, it is commonly required for regulated professions, public-sector work, public tenders and teacher-grading procedures.

Can you apostille an Academic Transcript?

Yes. We can review, verify and certify an eligible Academic Transcript before arranging the FCDO apostille.

Does Colombia require a Spanish translation?

Often, yes. Degree convalidación, visa applications and many official procedures require an official Spanish translation of documents written in English.

Should the translation be completed before the apostille?

Usually, the original UK document should receive the FCDO apostille first. A Colombian official translator can then translate the full legalised document. Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends apostilling the source document before translation for greater legal certainty.

Does a translation completed in Colombia need another apostille?

An official translation prepared in Colombia for use inside Colombia does not normally need apostille or legalisation. The underlying foreign document must still carry the correct apostille.

Can an ACRO Police Certificate receive an e-Apostille?

No. An ACRO Police Certificate must use the FCDO paper apostille route.

Can several documents share one apostille?

Sometimes. However, the Colombian recipient may request a separate apostille for each document.