Bangladesh High Commission in London Attestation

Bangladesh is now a Contracting Party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. For most UK public documents intended for use in Bangladesh, an FCDO Apostille should therefore be sufficient without further attestation by the Bangladesh High Commission.

The Convention entered into force for Bangladesh on 30 March 2025. The United Kingdom did not object to Bangladesh’s accession, so the Apostille Convention operates between the UK and Bangladesh.

This change has significantly simplified the legalisation process.

Instead of the previous:

UK document → FCDO Apostille → Bangladesh High Commission attestation

the normal route is now:

UK document → FCDO Apostille → use in Bangladesh

Commercial documents are an important practical exception. The Bangladesh High Commission in London continues to provide commercial-document attestation, and a Bangladeshi authority, bank, importer or other recipient may still specifically request this additional stage.

Ginkgo Advisory can arrange the FCDO Apostille and, where specifically required, subsequent Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation.

Bangladesh document legalisation at a glance

Document / requirement	Normal route
UK public document	FCDO Apostille only
Birth or marriage certificate	FCDO Apostille only
ACRO Police Certificate	FCDO Apostille only
UK degree or educational document	FCDO Apostille after any required preliminary certification
Notarial document	FCDO Apostille
Commercial document	FCDO Apostille normally sufficient under the Convention
Commercial document where Bangladesh attestation is specifically requested	FCDO Apostille → Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation
Commercial Power of Attorney requiring High Commission attestation	FCDO Apostille → Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation

The requirements of the receiving authority in Bangladesh should still be checked before processing the document.

When did Bangladesh join the Hague Apostille Convention?

Bangladesh deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents on 29 July 2024.

The Convention entered into force for Bangladesh on:

30 March 2025.

This means UK public documents covered by the Convention can generally be authenticated with an Apostille instead of requiring a further diplomatic or consular legalisation stamp.

Strictly speaking, Bangladesh is a Contracting Party to the Apostille Convention. It is not necessary to describe Bangladesh as a member of the HCCH itself. The HCCH specifically notes that the Apostille Convention was the first HCCH instrument joined by Bangladesh.

Is an FCDO Apostille enough for Bangladesh?

For most UK public documents, yes.

The purpose of the Apostille Convention is to abolish the requirement for diplomatic or consular legalisation of qualifying foreign public documents between Contracting Parties.

Accordingly, a UK document carrying a valid FCDO Apostille should normally be accepted in Bangladesh without an additional Bangladesh High Commission attestation.

However, applicants should still check what the organisation receiving the document has asked for.

Banks, companies, importers, regulatory bodies or other organisations sometimes continue to request additional commercial authentication despite the Hague Convention route.

Do I still need Bangladesh High Commission attestation?

Usually not for an ordinary UK public document.

A valid FCDO Apostille should normally complete the UK authentication process.

High Commission attestation may still be relevant where:

• A Bangladeshi authority specifically requests it
• A bank requires additional commercial authentication
• A commercial counterparty insists on High Commission attestation
• An importer requests an attested company document
• A commercial Power of Attorney is involved
• A contractual requirement specifies High Commission authentication
• The recipient is following an older internal legalisation procedure

The recipient’s written requirements are useful where there is any uncertainty.

Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation

The Commercial Wing of the Bangladesh High Commission in London still provides commercial-document legalisation.

Its official website currently lists examples including:

• Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Company Registration Certificates
• MLR certificates
• Laboratory test reports for commercial imports
• Documents for opening bank accounts
• Commercial Powers of Attorney
• Documents relating to commercial dealings and transactions

The High Commission states that documents presented for this service must first be authenticated by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Accordingly, where additional commercial attestation has specifically been requested, the practical route is:

UK commercial document → FCDO Apostille → Bangladesh High Commission Commercial Wing attestation

Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation fees

The High Commission’s current official commercial-document page lists:

Regular service

£26 up to 5 pages

An additional £1.50 per page applies from the sixth page onwards.

Express service

£41 up to 5 pages

An additional £1.50 per page applies from the sixth page onwards.

These are High Commission charges only.

They do not include:

• FCDO Apostille fees
• Solicitor certification
• Notarial fees
• Verification fees
• Ginkgo Advisory professional fees
• Postage or courier charges

The High Commission’s Commercial Wing currently states that these fees are payable by pay order.

Important distinction between commercial and general attestation fees

The High Commission has separate fee schedules for general consular attestation and commercial-document attestation.

Its general consular fee page currently lists ordinary attestation at:

• £15 regular service, up to five pages
• £22 express service, up to five pages

Those figures should not be confused with the Commercial Wing’s £26 regular / £41 express tariff for commercial documents.

Where the document concerns a business or commercial transaction, the Commercial Wing requirements should therefore be checked.

Current FCDO Apostille fees

The UK Government currently charges the following FCDO legalisation fees:

Apostille service	FCDO fee per document
Standard paper Apostille	£45
Next-Day paper Apostille	£40
e-Apostille	£35
Restricted Urgent paper Apostille	£100

The Next-Day and Restricted Urgent services are available to registered businesses subject to the FCDO’s applicable conditions.

Return courier or postage charges are additional for paper Apostilles.

FCDO Apostille processing times

Current FCDO processing times are:

Standard paper Apostille

The FCDO currently advises allowing:

Up to 25 working days

plus return courier or postal time.

The live timeframe displayed during the application should always be checked, as standard processing times can change.

Next-Day Apostille

The official Next-Day service is:

Next working day

It is available through registered business providers rather than as the ordinary public standard service.

Restricted Urgent Apostille

The FCDO’s Restricted Urgent service is:

Same day

This service is restricted to registered businesses and applications must receive prior FCDO approval.

It should not be treated as a generally available premium service.

e-Apostille

The current FCDO timeframe is:

Up to 2 working days

Only eligible electronically executed documents can use the e-Apostille service.

Does the document need solicitor certification before the Apostille?

It depends on the document.

Some UK public documents can normally be Apostilled directly. Examples can include:

• UK birth certificates
• UK marriage certificates
• UK death certificates
• Certain court documents
• Certain official certificates
• ACRO Police Certificates where eligible

Other documents may require certification or notarisation first.

Common examples include:

• Passport copies
• Powers of Attorney
• Company documents
• Private agreements
• Affidavits
• Statutory declarations
• Copies of educational documents
• Commercial documents
• Letters and declarations

The FCDO checks the signature, stamp or seal rather than confirming the substantive truth of the document.

The correct preliminary certification should therefore be established before an Apostille application is made.

Paper Apostille or e-Apostille for Bangladesh?

Both formats are based on the Apostille Convention, but applicants should check what the receiving authority in Bangladesh will accept.

The FCDO specifically advises applicants to ask the recipient whether they need a paper-based Apostille or can accept an e-Apostille.

A paper Apostille remains appropriate where:

• The original physical document must be submitted
• The receiving authority asks for a paper Apostille
• The document cannot be electronically legalised
• The document type is excluded from e-Apostille processing

An e-Apostille may be suitable where the recipient accepts electronic legalisation and the underlying document meets the FCDO’s technical requirements.

e-Apostille requirements

The FCDO’s electronic legalisation system requires an eligible digital document.

Documents submitted electronically generally need to carry an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) or Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) from an eligible public official, solicitor or notary.

The FCDO then adds its own digitally signed e-Apostille.

Certain document types remain unsuitable for e-Apostille processing.

Recipients in Bangladesh should also confirm that they can process an electronic Apostille before this route is selected.

Bangladesh and electronic Apostilles

Bangladesh has also implemented the electronic Apostille programme.

The HCCH’s current e-APP implementation chart records Bangladesh’s e-Apostille implementation from 5 April 2025.

That development supports wider electronic authentication.

It does not remove the need to confirm that the specific Bangladeshi authority receiving a UK document can accept the UK’s electronic format.

Birth certificate Apostille for Bangladesh

A UK birth certificate intended for use in Bangladesh should now normally require:

UK Birth Certificate → FCDO Apostille

Further Bangladesh High Commission legalisation should generally not be necessary under the Apostille Convention.

The original or an eligible official copy must meet the FCDO’s requirements.

Marriage certificate Apostille for Bangladesh

The normal route for a UK marriage certificate is now:

UK Marriage Certificate → FCDO Apostille

The Apostille authenticates the UK public document for use in Bangladesh.

Applicants should still check whether a Bangladeshi marriage-registration, immigration or other authority requires additional supporting documents or a translation.

ACRO Police Certificate Apostille for Bangladesh

A UK ACRO Police Certificate requested for Bangladesh can normally follow the FCDO Apostille route.

Further High Commission authentication should not generally be necessary solely because the certificate will be used in Bangladesh.

Police certificates are normally handled as paper documents rather than through the e-Apostille process.

Where a Bangladeshi employer or authority has supplied its own legalisation instructions, those requirements should be reviewed before submission.

Degree certificate Apostille for Bangladesh

UK educational documents can require different preparation depending on the document.

A university degree may need:

Degree → appropriate certification or verification where required → FCDO Apostille

Once the Apostille has been issued, additional Bangladesh High Commission attestation should not normally be required under the Convention.

The university, employer or professional regulator in Bangladesh may still impose separate verification requirements.

Those checks concern the qualification itself rather than the Apostille.

Company documents for Bangladesh

Corporate documents can include:

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Articles of Association
• Companies House documents
• Certificate of Good Standing
• Board resolutions
• Shareholder resolutions
• Powers of Attorney
• Company declarations
• Commercial agreements
• Bank documents
• Certificates used for import or trade matters

The appropriate UK certification depends on the particular document.

Where the Bangladeshi recipient only requests Hague authentication, the process should generally end after the Apostille.

If the recipient specifically requests Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation, the document can then proceed to the Commercial Wing.

Commercial Powers of Attorney

Commercial Powers of Attorney remain one of the document types specifically identified by the Bangladesh High Commission’s Commercial Wing.

Its current instructions state that, for a Power of Attorney, the submission should include:

• Passport-size photographs
• Passport copy of the person giving the Power of Attorney
• Passport copy of the person receiving the Power of Attorney

The document must first be legalised by the FCDO before Commercial Wing authentication.

Company authority and execution requirements should also be checked before the document is signed.

Is Bangladesh High Commission attestation compulsory for commercial documents?

Not automatically.

Since the Apostille Convention entered into force between Bangladesh and the UK, qualifying UK public documents should normally benefit from the Convention’s simplified authentication system.

Nevertheless, the Bangladesh High Commission continues to operate a commercial attestation service.

In practice, additional attestation should therefore be considered where the Bangladeshi recipient specifically requests it.

This avoids unnecessary High Commission fees and processing where an Apostille alone is sufficient.

Commercial-document processing time

Older operational guidance commonly referred to approximately five working days for regular commercial attestation.

The Bangladesh High Commission’s current Commercial Wing webpage, however, does not presently publish a fixed regular processing time alongside the £26 and £41 fees.

For that reason, we recommend confirming the current turnaround when the document is ready for submission.

An urgent deadline should be raised before documents are dispatched.

Postal return of commercial documents

Older guidance stated that legalised documents were returned by post and that a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery arrangement was required.

The High Commission’s current commercial-document page does not expressly restate a postal-return-only rule.

Current submission and return arrangements should therefore be reconfirmed rather than treating the older procedure as permanent.

Where postal return is required, Royal Mail Special Delivery or another permitted secure return arrangement should be included.

Bangladesh High Commission address in London

The High Commission is located at:

High Commission for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
28 Queen’s Gate
London SW7 5JA

This remains the High Commission’s London address.

Bangladesh High Commission opening hours

The High Commission’s official website currently lists general office hours as:

10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Monday to Friday

Current Consular Section hours are:

Monday to Thursday

10:30 am – 1:00 pm
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Friday

10:30 am – 12:30 pm
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

The Commercial Wing may operate separate submission arrangements.

Applicants should check the relevant department before travelling to the High Commission.

Common reasons Bangladesh document authentication is delayed

Problems can arise where:

• The document is not eligible for direct FCDO legalisation
• Solicitor certification is required first
• Notarisation is needed
• The signature cannot immediately be verified by the FCDO
• The wrong type of Apostille service is selected
• An e-Apostille is obtained but the recipient requires paper
• A commercial recipient still requires High Commission attestation
• A commercial Power of Attorney lacks supporting passport documents
• The High Commission fee is calculated incorrectly
• Documents exceed five pages
• Current High Commission submission arrangements have not been checked

Assessing the document before submission can reduce unnecessary repeat work.

Do documents still need Embassy legalisation after 30 March 2025?

For qualifying UK public documents intended for Bangladesh, normally no.

Bangladesh’s entry into the Apostille Convention changed the authentication framework from 30 March 2025.

An FCDO Apostille should ordinarily replace the previous requirement for further Bangladesh diplomatic authentication.

Commercial High Commission attestation remains available where there is a specific reason for obtaining it.

Documents legalised before Bangladesh joined the Apostille Convention

Documents processed under the old FCDO-plus-High-Commission route do not become invalid merely because Bangladesh subsequently joined the Convention.

Whether an older document remains acceptable depends on:

• The nature of the document
• Whether it has an expiry period
• The purpose for which it is being used
• The receiving authority’s requirements

Police certificates and other time-sensitive documents can have separate validity requirements.

Can I apply directly to the FCDO?

Yes.

Individuals can use the FCDO’s standard paper Apostille or e-Apostille application where eligible.

The Next-Day and Restricted Urgent paper services operate through registered business providers.

Where certification or notarisation is required first, that stage must be completed before the FCDO can legalise the document.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bangladesh a Hague Apostille country?

Yes.

The 1961 Apostille Convention entered into force for Bangladesh on 30 March 2025.

Does Bangladesh require Embassy attestation after an Apostille?

Normally, no, for UK public documents covered by the Apostille Convention.

The FCDO Apostille should ordinarily be sufficient.

Does the UK recognise Bangladesh under the Apostille Convention?

Yes.

The UK is not among the Contracting Parties listed by the HCCH as having objected to Bangladesh’s accession.

Do commercial documents still need Bangladesh High Commission attestation?

Not automatically.

However, the Bangladesh High Commission continues to offer commercial-document attestation, so it can be obtained where a Bangladeshi recipient specifically requires it.

How much does Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation cost?

The current regular fee is:

£26 for up to five pages

The express fee is:

£41 for up to five pages

Each additional page from page six onwards costs £1.50.

How much is an FCDO Apostille?

Current FCDO fees are:

• Standard paper Apostille: £45
• Next-Day paper Apostille: £40
• e-Apostille: £35
• Restricted Urgent Apostille: £100

How long does the standard FCDO Apostille take?

The FCDO currently advises allowing up to 25 working days, plus return delivery.

The actual current timeframe is shown during the application process.

How fast is the FCDO Next-Day Apostille?

It is processed by the next working day through the registered-business service.

Is there a same-day Apostille?

The FCDO operates a Restricted Urgent same-day service for registered businesses.

Every application must be approved by the FCDO before submission.

Can I get an e-Apostille for Bangladesh?

Potentially, yes.

The document must be eligible for electronic legalisation, and the Bangladeshi recipient should confirm that an e-Apostille is acceptable.

Where is the Bangladesh High Commission in London?

The High Commission is at:

28 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5JA.

What are the Bangladesh High Commission Consular Section opening hours?

Current official hours are:

Monday–Thursday: 10:30 am–1:00 pm and 2:00 pm–4:00 pm

Friday: 10:30 am–12:30 pm and 2:00 pm–4:00 pm.

Can you provide Apostille only for Bangladesh?

Yes.

For most UK documents intended for Bangladesh, this is now the appropriate service following Bangladesh’s accession to the Apostille Convention.

Can you also arrange Bangladesh High Commission commercial attestation?

Yes, where the additional High Commission stage is specifically required and the document meets the Commercial Wing’s requirements.

Arrange document legalisation for Bangladesh

Send Ginkgo Advisory a clear scan of the document before posting the original.

Please provide:

1. The complete document
2. Its intended use in Bangladesh
3. Details of the Bangladeshi receiving authority or organisation
4. Any written legalisation instructions received from Bangladesh
5. Whether a paper Apostille or e-Apostille has been requested
6. Whether High Commission commercial attestation has specifically been requested
7. Your required completion date

We can then establish whether the document requires:

FCDO Apostille only

or, in a commercial case where specifically required:

FCDO Apostille → Bangladesh High Commission attestation

This prevents unnecessary Embassy or High Commission processing now that Bangladesh participates in the Apostille Convention.

Bangladesh High Commission procedures, FCDO processing times, fees and document requirements can change without notice. The receiving authority in Bangladesh may also impose requirements separate from authentication. Final acceptance remains subject to that authority.