Remote Solicitor Certification of a Certificate of Incorporation for a Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa

Do you need a certified Certificate of Incorporation for a Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa or another Cyprus immigration application? Ginkgo Advisory provides a convenient remote solicitor certification service for UK company documents. You can send your Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Change of Name and any related Companies House documents to us electronically. Once the documents have been reviewed and payment received, our solicitor can prepare the certified copies, email scanned copies to you and send the signed originals by courier.

The Cyprus Migration Department states that documents accompanying Digital Nomad application forms should be officially translated where required and duly certified or ratified. Applicants should therefore examine the exact wording of their current document checklist before submitting ordinary, uncertified Companies House PDFs.

Quick answer

For many UK applicants, solicitor certification can be completed without attending an office.

You normally send us:

1. The employer’s Certificate of Incorporation.
2. The Certificate of Change of Name, if the company has changed its legal name.
3. The exact wording of the Cyprus document checklist.
4. Your return address and postcode.

We review the documents, confirm how many separate certificates require certification and provide a quotation. We then prepare the signed certified copies, send scans by email and courier the originals to your chosen address.

Why does Cyprus ask for the employer’s registration certificate?

An employee applying under the Cyprus Digital Nomad route may be asked to establish that their employer is a genuine company registered outside Cyprus. The company registration document helps identify the employer’s legal entity and connect it with the employment contract and employer confirmation letter.

For a UK limited company, the equivalent document will usually be its Certificate of Incorporation. Companies House explains that this certificate provides evidence that the company has been registered. It normally shows the company’s full legal name, unique company number, date of incorporation and the Registrar’s seal.

A downloadable Companies House PDF may contain the necessary information, but an immigration checklist asking for a “duly certified copy” usually requires something more than simply printing the PDF yourself. The receiving authority may expect a solicitor, notary, Companies House official or another recognised public official to certify or authenticate the document.

What happens if the employer has changed its company name?

This is a common issue.

A Certificate of Incorporation normally remains in the name under which the company was originally incorporated. It is not reissued every time the company changes its name. When Companies House registers a company name change, it issues a separate certificate showing the new company name and the date on which the change was registered.

For example, the documents may show:

• Certificate of Incorporation: the employer’s former legal name.
• Certificate of Change of Name: the employer’s current legal name.
• Employment contract or employer letter: the current legal name.

In this situation, it is generally sensible to submit the incorporation certificate and the name-change certificate together. The two documents create a clear chain between the company’s original registration and its current legal identity.

Certifying only the original Certificate of Incorporation could leave the Cyprus caseworker wondering why the company name differs from the name on the employment documents. Certifying only the name-change certificate may not provide complete evidence of the company’s original incorporation. Providing both documents helps explain the history without relying on the caseworker to search the Companies House register.

Does a Certificate of Incorporation show all company particulars?

Not always.

A standard UK Certificate of Incorporation primarily confirms the company’s formation, legal name, company number and date of incorporation. It may not show all the additional particulars requested by a foreign immigration authority, such as:

• the current registered office;
• current directors;
• the company’s business activity;
• previous company names;
• the company’s objects; or
• confirmation that the company remains active.

Companies House can separately issue company certificates containing certain certified facts, including the registered office address, directors, company objects and a summary statement where the relevant conditions are met.

If the Cyprus checklist asks for a registration certificate showing the employer’s legal name and other company particulars, send us the complete wording before ordering certification. We can then identify whether the incorporation certificate and name-change certificate appear to cover the request or whether an additional Companies House document should be considered.

Solicitor certification confirms the document or copy examined by the solicitor. It does not add information that is absent from the underlying document.

Can a Certificate of Incorporation be certified remotely?

In many cases, yes.

Corporate documents are particularly suitable for remote solicitor certification because Certificates of Incorporation and name-change certificates are commonly issued or stored electronically. An in-person appointment is not normally necessary where the document source can be satisfactorily reviewed and the required certification does not involve witnessing a person’s signature.

Our remote process is straightforward:

1. Email the company documents

Send clear PDF copies of the Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Change of Name and any relevant company extract or supporting document.

2. Send the destination requirement

Include the Cyprus checklist, email or instruction showing exactly what is required. Terms such as “certified”, “notarised”, “legalised”, “ratified” and “apostilled” do not always mean the same thing.

3. We review the documents

We check the names, company number, document type and apparent source. Where a company has changed its legal name, we can confirm that the incorporation and name-change certificates should be treated as separate documents.

4. We issue the invoice

The certification fee is normally calculated per document. Courier charges depend on the delivery address and are quoted separately.

5. The solicitor prepares the certified copies

The certification wording is selected according to what the solicitor has examined. For example, the wording should accurately reflect whether the source is an electronic Companies House certificate, an official online record or an original paper document.

6. Scans and originals are sent to you

After certification, we can email scanned copies for your initial review or electronic application. The signed paper originals can then be sent by courier to your home, workplace, adviser or overseas address.

Solicitor certification, Companies House certification and an apostille

These are related but different services.

Service	What it does
Solicitor-certified copy	A solicitor certifies that the copy corresponds with the document or electronic record examined.
Companies House certified certificate or document	Companies House issues an official certified certificate or certified copy from the company register.
FCDO apostille	The UK Legalisation Office authenticates a recognised signature, stamp or seal so the document can be presented abroad.

The words “duly certified copy” do not automatically mean that an apostille is required. Equally, solicitor certification should not be assumed to be sufficient when the instruction specifically asks for an apostille, legalisation or consular authentication.

GOV.UK advises applicants to ask the receiving person or authority whether it requires an original or certified copy and whether the document must be signed by a particular professional, such as a UK solicitor or notary. The FCDO can legalise eligible documents certified by a UK solicitor by attaching an apostille.

We can therefore provide:

• solicitor certification only;
• solicitor certification followed by an FCDO apostille; or
• advice on obtaining an appropriate Companies House-issued document before certification.

The correct route depends on the precise Cyprus requirement.

Example: employer incorporated under a previous company name

A typical enquiry involves a UK-based employee applying for the Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa. The applicant has:

• a Certificate of Incorporation showing the employer’s original name;
• a Certificate of Change of Name showing its present legal name; and
• a Cyprus checklist asking for a duly certified copy of the foreign employer’s registration certificate showing its legal name and company particulars.

In this scenario, certifying both company certificates creates a clearer documentary record. The incorporation certificate establishes the company’s original registration, while the name-change certificate connects that registration to the current legal name appearing on the applicant’s employment documents.

The client can instruct us entirely by email. After payment, scanned copies of the two certified documents can be sent electronically, followed by courier delivery of the signed originals.

Why use Ginkgo Advisory?

Ginkgo Advisory provides remote certification for clients throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our service is suitable for employees, directors, business owners, immigration applicants and professional advisers who need UK corporate documents prepared for use abroad.

Our service includes:

• certification by a solicitor in England and Wales;
• remote instructions by email;
• review of incorporation and company name-change documents;
• clear certification wording appropriate to the document examined;
• scanned certified copies by email;
• courier delivery of the signed originals; and
• optional FCDO apostille arrangements where required.

You do not need to be located in London to use the service.

Frequently asked questions

Can a solicitor certify a Companies House PDF?

In many cases, yes. The solicitor must be satisfied with the document and its source and must use wording that accurately describes what has been examined. Send us the PDF for review before placing an order.

Do I need to certify the company name-change certificate?

Where the employer’s current legal name differs from the name on the Certificate of Incorporation, including the Certificate of Change of Name is generally advisable. It provides the formal link between the former and current company names.

Is the name-change certificate enough on its own?

Usually, the two documents serve different purposes. The incorporation certificate evidences the company’s formation, while the name-change certificate evidences the later change. Supplying both presents the clearest company history.

Does solicitor certification prove that the company is active?

Not necessarily. Certification confirms the copy or document examined. If current company status or good standing must also be proved, you may require a current Companies House certificate, company extract or summary statement.

Does the certification include an apostille?

No. An apostille is a separate FCDO legalisation service. We can arrange it after solicitor certification when the receiving authority requires it.

Can the whole process be completed remotely?

The instructions, document review and payment can normally be completed remotely. We email scanned copies after certification and send the signed originals by courier.

Will the Cyprus authority accept a solicitor-certified copy?

Acceptance is determined by the relevant Cyprus authority or caseworker. Before ordering, applicants should provide the most recent checklist and confirm whether solicitor certification, notarisation or an apostille is required.

Do the documents need to be translated?

The Cyprus Migration Department states that application documents should be officially translated where required and duly certified or ratified. Applicants should confirm the accepted language and translation arrangements with the authority handling their application.

Obtain remote solicitor certification

To request certification, email the following to info@ginkgoadvisory.com:

• the Certificate of Incorporation;
• any Certificate of Change of Name;
• the relevant Cyprus checklist or authority’s instructions; and
• your full courier delivery address and postcode.

We will review the documents and confirm the certification fee, courier cost and whether any additional certification or apostille step appears to be required.

This article provides general information about UK document certification. It does not constitute Cyprus immigration advice, and final document requirements are determined by the receiving authority.