FCDO e-Apostille for Argentina: Solicitor Certification

Do you need to use a UK document in Argentina?

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

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

However, completion depends on document checks, source verification and FCDO processing.

UK Documents for Use in Argentina

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

Therefore, an eligible UK public document can normally use an FCDO apostille instead of further legalisation by the Argentine Embassy or Consulate. Argentina’s official guidance explains that an apostilled document should not need additional stamps or legalisation when it moves between Convention countries.

Before starting, ask the Argentine recipient whether it needs:

• an original or certified copy
• an FCDO e-Apostille or paper apostille
• a Spanish translation
• separate apostilles for each document
• direct verification from the issuing body
• a document issued within a set period

These checks can prevent delays and unnecessary costs.

Does a UK Document Need Argentine Consular Legalisation?

Normally, no.

The UK FCDO issues the apostille for a UK document. Once the document carries a valid apostille, the Hague Convention removes the need for the traditional diplomatic or consular legalisation chain.

However, the apostille does not replace the recipient’s other requirements.

An Argentine university, court, immigration office, company registry or professional regulator may still request:

• the physical original
• a certified copy
• a Spanish translation
• academic reválida
• professional registration
• a recent police certificate
• a specific company-document format

Therefore, check the complete application requirements before arranging legalisation.

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
• GCSE and A Level certificates
• school records
• professional qualifications

Company documents

• Certificates of Incorporation
• Companies House certificates
• Articles of Association
• board resolutions
• shareholder resolutions
• powers of attorney
• registers of directors
• registers of members
• 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
• medical certificates
• professional certificates
• ACRO Police Certificates
• DBS certificates

The correct process depends on the document and its intended use in Argentina.

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 wording may satisfy a simple certified-copy requirement.

However, it does not confirm that the issuing university, court, company or public body genuinely created the document.

Therefore, an Argentine university, employer, regulator or authority may request 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. That source may include a university, Companies House, a court record or an official digital platform.

We can then prepare wording such as:

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

As a result, the Argentine recipient receives:

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

This approach may help where the recipient wants more than a visual comparison with the 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-document checks may involve official Companies House records.

Court-document checks can include:

• the court seal
• the case number
• the issuing email
• the order format
• other official evidence

After completing the appropriate checks, 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 copies may qualify after certification by a UK solicitor or notary.

However, an apostille does not verify every fact written inside the underlying document.

For that reason, enhanced solicitor certification can create a stronger evidence chain:

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

The enhanced certificate records the source check. The apostille then authenticates the relevant solicitor’s signature.

FCDO e-Apostille for Argentina

The FCDO offers paper apostilles and e-Apostilles.

For an e-Apostille, the document must be an eligible PDF electronically signed by a UK solicitor or notary. The completed file can then be downloaded and shared digitally.

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

Consequently, we can prepare eligible PDFs for electronic legalisation.

Argentina has operated an electronic apostille system for Argentine documents since 2019. However, this does not mean that every Argentine university, court, notary or registry automatically accepts every foreign e-Apostille through its own filing system.

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 file uploaded through an online portal

A paper apostille may work better where the recipient requires the physical original.

Express e-Apostille Service for Argentina

Straightforward cases may take a few hours to one working day through our express handling 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’s published processing time for an e-Apostille is up to two working days. Signature checks or document queries can extend that timeframe.

Therefore, urgent clients should provide the document and the Argentine recipient’s instructions as early as possible.

Educational Documents for Argentina

UK educational documents may support:

• Argentine university admission
• postgraduate study
• employment
• academic reválida
• professional registration
• public-sector recruitment
• teaching applications
• immigration procedures

Common documents include the Degree Certificate and Academic Transcript.

A Degree Certificate confirms the academic award.

An Academic Transcript records information such as:

• subjects studied
• grades achieved
• academic credits
• dates of attendance
• internships or placements
• completion of the qualification

However, an apostille does not determine the Argentine academic or professional status of a UK qualification.

The applicant may also need:

• reválida through a national university
• direct university verification
• a complete Academic Transcript
• course descriptions
• a Spanish translation
• professional registration
• separate apostilles

Recognition of Foreign University Degrees in Argentina

Argentina uses two main routes for recognising overseas university qualifications:

1. Convalidación for qualifications from countries with a mutual recognition agreement.
2. Reválida for qualifications from countries without such an agreement.

Argentina’s current convalidación list includes countries such as Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru and Ukraine. The United Kingdom does not appear on that list. Therefore, a UK university qualification will normally follow the reválida route when formal Argentine recognition is required.

Reválida of a UK University Degree

For a qualification issued by a country without a recognition agreement, the applicant must normally approach an Argentine national university, rather than a private university.

The chosen national university should offer the same or a sufficiently similar degree. The university then sets the academic and documentary requirements for the reválida process.

The university may consider:

• the Degree Certificate
• the Academic Transcript
• the course curriculum
• contact or teaching hours
• examinations completed
• internships and practical training
• final projects or dissertations
• differences between the UK and Argentine programmes

It may also require the applicant to complete:

• additional examinations
• specific subjects
• supervised practice
• a final assessment
• further academic evidence

The exact process depends on the university and profession.

Convalidación and Reválida Are Different

Convalidación is a national-government process for qualifications from countries covered by a recognition agreement.

Reválida takes place through a national university where no applicable agreement exists.

For most UK university qualifications, the relevant question is therefore whether formal reválida is necessary for the intended use.

Apostille and Reválida Are Different

An FCDO apostille and an Argentine reválida perform different functions.

The FCDO apostille authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal.

The national university assesses the qualification’s academic equivalence in Argentina.

Neither process automatically replaces the other.

An apostilled UK Degree Certificate does not prove that the degree is equivalent to a particular Argentine qualification.

Likewise, a reválida decision does not replace an apostille where the university, employer or professional regulator separately requires legalisation.

Is Reválida Required for Postgraduate Admission?

Not always.

Argentina’s official higher-education guidance states that a foreign university qualification does not normally need convalidación or reválida merely to enter postgraduate study. The receiving Argentine university may admit the applicant after assessing the previous qualification and curriculum.

An exception may apply to postgraduate programmes and specialisations in the health sciences.

Therefore, applicants seeking admission to a master’s degree or doctorate should first ask the university whether it needs:

• the apostilled Degree Certificate
• an Academic Transcript
• direct verification
• a Spanish translation
• formal reválida
• internal academic assessment only

This can prevent an unnecessary recognition application.

Documents for University Reválida

The selected national university decides the final document list.

Common requirements may include:

• the final Degree Certificate
• the complete Academic Transcript
• the syllabus or curriculum
• proof of course duration
• details of credits or contact hours
• dissertation or final-project information
• internship or practical-training evidence
• proof that the UK university is recognised
• identity documents
• apostilled documents
• Spanish translations

Argentina’s general guidance for foreign university recognition identifies the diploma, grade certificate and evidence of course hours among the types of academic evidence that may be required.

Therefore, apostilling only the Degree Certificate may not complete the wider reválida process.

UK Degree Verification for Argentina

A basic certified copy may not satisfy every Argentine 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
• confirming the source of the qualification
• preparing enhanced solicitor certification
• electronically signing the PDF
• arranging the FCDO apostille

This process records how we checked the qualification.

However, it does not replace a university reválida, professional registration or postgraduate admission decision where a separate process applies.

Secondary and School Qualifications

Foreign school qualifications can follow a separate recognition process from university degrees.

Argentina provides different procedures for school certificates from countries with and without education agreements. For documents from a country without an applicable agreement, the school records may need an apostille and a Spanish translation prepared in Argentina by a registered public translator.

This can apply to documents such as:

• GCSE certificates
• IGCSE certificates
• GCE O Level certificates
• GCE A Level certificates
• school transcripts
• school-leaving certificates

Applicants should ask the Argentine education authority or receiving institution which route applies to the specific UK qualification.

Professional Qualifications in Argentina

Argentina regulates many professions.

Applicants may need separate approval before working as:

• doctors
• dentists
• nurses
• pharmacists
• psychologists
• engineers
• architects
• teachers
• lawyers
• accountants
• other regulated professionals

The responsible authority may operate at:

• national level
• provincial level
• the level of the City of Buenos Aires
• a professional council or colegio

The professional authority may request:

• the Degree Certificate
• the complete Academic Transcript
• course or syllabus information
• practical-training records
• proof of UK registration
• certificates of professional standing
• reválida or convalidación
• apostilled documents
• Spanish translations
• examinations or supervised practice

Therefore, obtain the regulator’s current checklist before legalising a large group of records.

Healthcare Professional Registration

A foreign-trained health professional must normally obtain recognition of the overseas qualification before applying for professional registration.

Argentina’s national health-registration service states that an overseas qualification must have been convalidated or revalidated in Argentina before the professional can obtain the relevant registration.

Depending on the profession and place of practice, the applicant may need:

• the foreign diploma
• the reválida or convalidación decision
• an Argentine identity document
• professional-registration forms
• additional evidence of training
• a certificate of good standing
• provincial registration

An FCDO apostille does not itself grant permission to practise a healthcare profession in Argentina.

Doctors and Dentists

Foreign medical and dental qualifications can involve additional academic and regulatory checks.

A national university may compare:

• medical-school subjects
• clinical hours
• internships
• hospital rotations
• examinations
• practical experience

After reválida, the applicant may still need registration with the relevant health authority or provincial professional body.

Argentina’s health-registration rules confirm that an overseas diploma must first receive Argentine recognition before professional registration.

Company Documents for Argentina

UK company documents may support:

• registering a foreign company
• establishing an Argentine branch
• incorporating a subsidiary
• opening a corporate bank account
• foreign investment
• commercial contracts
• public tenders
• proving directors or shareholders
• appointing an Argentine representative

Official Companies House certificates may qualify for direct FCDO legalisation.

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

Examples include:

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

Requirements can differ between:

• the Inspección General de Justicia
• provincial public registries
• Argentine banks
• notaries
• accountants
• legal advisers

Foreign Company Documents and the IGJ

The Inspección General de Justicia, known as IGJ, handles company and legal-entity matters within its jurisdiction, including many registrations in the City of Buenos Aires.

Its current rules state that foreign documents must follow the formalities of their country of origin and must be apostilled or otherwise legalised as applicable.

Where the documents are not in Spanish, they must also include a version prepared by a registered public translator. The translator’s signature must receive legalisation from the relevant professional college or authorised body.

Therefore, ask the Argentine lawyer or filing agent whether it needs:

• a Companies House Certificate of Incorporation
• a Certificate of Good Standing
• the Articles of Association
• a board resolution
• evidence of directors and shareholders
• an apostilled power of attorney
• a Spanish public translation
• separate apostilles for each document

Registering a UK Company in Argentina

The precise route depends on how the UK business plans to operate.

Possible structures include:

• registering a foreign-company branch
• participating in an Argentine company
• incorporating a local subsidiary
• appointing a representative
• entering a particular commercial transaction

The documents may need to prove:

• the company’s valid existence
• its registered office
• its directors
• its authorised representative
• the decision to operate in Argentina
• the representative’s powers
• its governing constitution

An apostille confirms the relevant signature or seal. It does not itself register the company or create the Argentine business structure.

Powers of Attorney for Argentina

A UK power of attorney may support:

• company registration
• banking
• property transactions
• court proceedings
• inheritance
• tax matters
• representation before an Argentine authority

The Argentine lawyer, notary 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
• witness details
• identity verification
• an FCDO apostille
• a Spanish public translation
• protocolisation before an Argentine escribano
• a physical original
• registration with a local authority

Some Argentine procedures may specifically require notarisation rather than ordinary solicitor certification.

Therefore, do not rely on a general power-of-attorney template without checking the local requirements.

Court Documents for Argentina

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 UK court document carrying 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. GOV.UK distinguishes between court documents carrying an original court seal and documents that require certification by a UK public official.

The Argentine court, lawyer, civil registry or authority may also request:

• the original document
• a paper apostille
• a certified copy
• a Spanish public translation
• local recognition proceedings
• evidence that the judgment is final
• a document issued within a set period

Confirm the format before selecting the e-Apostille route.

Recognition of a UK Divorce in Argentina

An apostilled UK Final Order or Decree Absolute proves the authenticity of the relevant UK court signature or seal.

However, the apostille does not automatically place the divorce on an Argentine civil-status record or make the foreign judgment directly enforceable in every context.

Depending on the circumstances, the applicant may need:

• the complete final court order
• evidence that the judgment is final
• an FCDO apostille
• a Spanish public translation
• recognition proceedings before an Argentine court
• registration with the relevant civil registry

The Argentine family lawyer or registry should confirm the correct route.

Does Argentina Require a Spanish Translation?

Foreign-language documents commonly require a Spanish translation for official use in Argentina.

Immigration rules state that documents in a foreign language must include a Spanish translation prepared by an Argentine registered public translator. The translator’s signature must then be legalised by the relevant Colegio de Traductores.

Similar requirements appear across education, company-registration and administrative procedures.

Therefore, an English UK document may still require translation even though many Argentine professionals understand English.

Traductor Público Matriculado

An official translator in Argentina is commonly known as a:

traductor público matriculado

For formal use, the translator normally works within an authorised language combination and is registered with the professional college for the relevant jurisdiction.

The translation may need to include:

• the full underlying document
• the solicitor certificate
• the FCDO apostille
• stamps and seals
• handwritten notes
• schedules and annexes

Afterwards, the relevant Colegio de Traductores may legalise the translator’s signature.

Should Translation Take Place Before or After the Apostille?

In many cases, the safer sequence is:

UK document → FCDO apostille → Argentine Spanish translation

This allows the translator to translate the complete legalised package, including the apostille.

Some Argentine procedures expressly require the translation to include the apostille text.

However, the receiving authority should confirm the required order before the translation begins.

Immigration and Residence Documents

UK documents may support Argentine applications involving:

• temporary residence
• permanent residence
• employment
• family reunification
• study
• proof of qualifications
• proof of family relationships

Argentina’s immigration guidance states that foreign documents must be apostilled where the issuing country participates in the Hague Convention. The documents may need to be originals, and foreign-language records require Spanish translation by a registered public translator with legalisation by the translators’ college.

Applicants may need documents such as:

• birth certificates
• marriage certificates
• police certificates
• employment records
• Degree Certificates
• Academic Transcripts
• powers of attorney

The exact list depends on the residence category.

Police Certificates for Argentina

A UK ACRO Police Certificate may support:

• residence applications
• employment
• professional registration
• immigration procedures
• security or background checks

The FCDO does not issue e-Apostilles for ACRO Police Certificates.

Therefore, an ACRO Police Certificate must use the paper apostille route.

The Argentine recipient may also require:

• the original certificate
• a recent issue date
• a paper apostille
• a Spanish public translation
• police certificates from other countries of residence

Check the issue-date and residence-history requirements before ordering the certificate.

Birth, Marriage and Civil-Status Documents

UK civil-status documents may support:

• birth registration
• marriage matters
• divorce proceedings
• citizenship
• residence applications
• proof of family relationships
• inheritance

Common documents include:

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

The Argentine recipient may require:

• the original paper certificate
• an FCDO paper apostille
• a long-form certificate
• a recently issued copy
• a Spanish public translation
• supporting identity documents

General Register Office documents cannot receive an FCDO e-Apostille. They must use the paper apostille route where legalisation is required.

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
• other General Register Office documents
• ACRO Police Certificates
• DBS certificates
• Scottish and Northern Irish disclosure certificates
• fingerprint certificates
• ACCA membership certificates

These documents normally require a paper apostille.

An Argentine recipient may also require a physical document even where the document type is technically eligible for an e-Apostille.

Separate or Combined Apostilles?

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

However, this approach does not suit every Argentine application.

Separate apostilles may work better when:

• the Degree Certificate and Transcript serve different purposes
• a national university requires separate academic records
• a professional regulator requires individual documents
• each document will go to a different organisation
• the IGJ or a provincial registry needs separate company records
• the documents come from different issuing bodies

GOV.UK advises applicants to ask whether the recipient needs one apostille for a group of documents or a separate apostille for each document.

Our Process

Step 1: Send the Document

Send us a clear PDF of the UK document.

Step 2: Provide the Argentine Requirements

Include any instructions from the Argentine:

• authority
• university
• employer
• professional regulator
• court
• bank
• lawyer
• escribano
• company-registration adviser

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
• enhanced 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 electronic file or arrange return delivery of the paper documents.

The Argentine recipient can verify a UK paper or electronic apostille using its issue date and apostille number.

Need an Apostille for Argentina?

Send Ginkgo Advisory:

• a copy of the UK document
• its intended use in Argentina
• the name of the recipient
• any written document requirements
• whether university reválida is required
• whether professional registration is involved
• your required completion date

We will check whether an apostille is necessary and confirm the appropriate 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 Argentina accept an FCDO apostille?

Yes. Argentina and the United Kingdom are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. An eligible UK document carrying an FCDO apostille should not need further Argentine consular legalisation.

Does an apostilled UK document need Argentine Embassy legalisation?

Normally, no. The Hague Apostille Convention replaces the traditional diplomatic or consular legalisation chain.

Does Argentina accept an FCDO e-Apostille?

A UK e-Apostille may suit a digital application. However, the receiving Argentine organisation should confirm that its procedure accepts an electronically signed PDF.

Is true-copy certification enough?

It depends on the purpose. Some Argentine recipients may also want confirmation that the solicitor verified the document with the issuing university, company or public authority.

Can you verify a UK Degree Certificate?

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

Does an apostille recognise a UK degree in Argentina?

No. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature or seal. It does not determine the degree’s Argentine academic equivalence.

Does a UK degree need convalidación or reválida?

The United Kingdom is not on Argentina’s current list of countries with mutual university-degree recognition agreements. Therefore, a UK degree will normally follow the reválida route through a national university when formal recognition is required.

Can a private Argentine university grant the reválida?

The official guidance states that reválida should take place through a national university offering the same or a similar qualification.

Is reválida required for postgraduate study?

Not normally. An Argentine university may admit a foreign graduate to postgraduate study after assessing the qualification. Health-science programmes can be an exception.

Does the Academic Transcript matter?

Yes. A national university may assess subjects, grades, hours, credits and curriculum content when considering reválida.

Can you apostille an Academic Transcript?

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

Does Argentina require a Spanish translation?

Often, yes. Official procedures commonly require a translation by a traductor público matriculado, followed by legalisation through the relevant professional college.

Should the apostille also be translated?

Frequently, yes. Some Argentine procedures expressly require the public translation to include the apostille text.

Can an ACRO Police Certificate receive an e-Apostille?

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

Do UK birth and marriage certificates need a paper apostille?

Where an apostille is required, General Register Office certificates must use the paper route because they are not eligible for an e-Apostille.

Can several documents share one apostille?

Sometimes. However, a national university, professional regulator, court, IGJ filing or other Argentine recipient may request a separate apostille for each document.

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