Remote Solicitor Passport Certification for Overseas Clients

Yes. Ginkgo Advisory can arrange remote solicitor certification of a suitable valid non-UK passport while you remain overseas. Following satisfactory checks, the certification can confirm both that the copy matches the original passport presented by live video and that the photograph is a true likeness of the holder seen during the call.

The receiving organisation must accept the remote process and the wording. Send us its instructions before booking so we can check the requirements and confirm the fee.

Request remote passport certification

A certified passport copy while you are abroad

A UK legal team, bank or professional adviser may ask for a certified passport copy before proceeding with a matter. If you are outside the UK, arranging this in person can be inconvenient.

Our remote solicitor certification service allows suitable clients to complete the required checks without travelling to the UK. Where the remote route is suitable, you retain your original passport throughout.

Your passport does not have to be British for us to consider the request. Tell us which country issued it, where you are currently located and who will receive the certified copy. We assess the document and the intended use before confirming that we can proceed.

True copy and true likeness explained

The two statements address different questions.

True-copy certification confirms that the copied page or pages accurately reproduce the original passport examined by the solicitor.

True-likeness certification confirms that the passport photograph resembles the person the solicitor has seen.

If your legal team requests both, a statement confirming only that the copy matches the original may leave its requirements incomplete. The holder must therefore attend the live appointment personally and show their original passport.

GOV.UK guidance on document certification identifies solicitors as professionals who can certify copies and advises applicants to check the receiving organisation’s rules. Its general guidance does not establish that every recipient must accept remote certification.

Passport certification for an employment settlement payment

If a UK legal team handling your employment settlement asks for a certified passport copy with both statements, send us its email or certification form.

We will review the request, including whether the team requires:

• Certification by a solicitor of England and Wales.
• Express true-copy and true-likeness wording.
• Confirmation of the live video examination.
• Particular pages, signatures or professional details.
• A PDF, a wet-ink paper copy or delivery directly to the legal team.

Before booking, ask the legal team to confirm that it accepts examination of the original passport and its holder by live video. This is particularly useful where its instructions simply say that the solicitor must have “seen the original”.

Passport certification supports the identity-document requirement. The legal team remains responsible for deciding whether its conditions for releasing payment have been met. Advice on the settlement agreement itself is a separate service.

How remote solicitor certification works

1 Send the receiving organisation’s instructions

Start with its written request and a clear copy of the passport page it wants certified. Include your current country, time zone and deadline.

Tell us at the outset if you need both true-copy and true-likeness statements.

2 Confirm the process and quotation

We review the document, requested wording and delivery format. We then explain the checks needed and confirm whether the remote route is suitable.

If the recipient requires physical inspection, notarisation or its own identity-checking procedure, we will explain how that affects the request.

3 Attend the live video appointment

Have your original passport with you. Use good lighting, a stable connection and a camera that clearly shows your face and the document.

You may be asked to show the passport cover, identification page, relevant additional pages and visible document features. The solicitor must be able to compare the supplied copy with the passport presented.

4 Complete any further checks

Depending on the case, further identity evidence or electronic verification may be needed. A scan and a brief video call are not automatically sufficient.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority highlights the risks of relying on video calls for identity verification. Certification proceeds only when the solicitor is satisfied that the checks support the statements being made.

5 Receive the certified copy

Once the checks are complete, we prepare the certification in the agreed format. Confirm whether the recipient needs a PDF or a paper copy bearing the solicitor’s original signature.

A scanned signed copy and a digitally signed PDF are different formats. If the legal team specifies an electronic-signature standard, send us that requirement before the appointment.

What to prepare

For your enquiry, have the following ready:

• A clear colour copy of the relevant passport page, with all edges and text visible.
• The receiving organisation’s exact instructions or form.
• Your current country and time zone.
• Your deadline and preferred delivery format.
• Details of any difference between your passport name and the name used in the matter.

Keep the valid original passport available for the appointment. Avoid filters, retouching, cropped text or glare that obscures the details.

If you are unsure how to provide identity documents, contact us first for submission instructions.

Fees and turnaround

Our solicitor certification service starts from £68 per document. We confirm the total price for your remote passport request after reviewing the checks, wording and delivery requirements.

Tell us if the matter is urgent. We will confirm appointment availability and the expected completion time before you proceed. Additional verification, paper delivery or legalisation can affect timing and cost.

A deadline for issuing the certified copy is separate from the receiving organisation’s processing time.

Do you need an apostille or a notary

Being overseas does not, by itself, mean that your certified passport copy needs an apostille. For a copy being sent to a UK legal team, begin with that team’s written requirements.

An apostille is a separate legalisation step. The FCDO checks relevant signatures, stamps or seals against its records; it does not perform the solicitor’s comparison of your face with the passport photograph. See GOV.UK guidance on legalisation.

If the copy will be used outside the UK, ask the recipient whether solicitor certification is sufficient or whether it also requires notarisation, an apostille or consular legalisation. Where a UK apostille is appropriate for a solicitor-certified copy of a foreign passport, it concerns the UK certification, not authentication of the foreign issuing authority.

If the instructions specifically require a notary, send them to us before booking solicitor certification.

Why choose Ginkgo Advisory

Ginkgo Advisory assists overseas clients with document certification and legalisation requirements. Our certification work is overseen by KH Lam, a practising solicitor of England and Wales. You can read more about his role on our About page.

For remote passport requests, the practical priorities are clear: establish what the recipient needs, complete the appropriate checks and prepare wording that reflects the examination carried out.

We review the recipient’s instructions at the start so that the required statements and delivery format can be addressed before certification.

Frequently asked questions

Can you certify a foreign passport while I remain abroad

Yes, in a suitable case. We consider valid non-UK passports for remote certification, subject to the document checks, your circumstances and the recipient’s acceptance of the remote process. Send the issuing country and your current location with your enquiry.

Can one certification include both statements

Yes. Where the solicitor is satisfied, one certification can confirm that the copied page matches the original presented by live video and that the photograph is a true likeness of the holder seen during the call.

Do I have to post my original passport to the UK

Where the approved remote process is suitable, you keep your original passport and present it during the appointment. Contact us before posting any original document.

Is an emailed scan enough

An emailed scan helps us assess the request. For this remote true-copy and true-likeness service, the holder also needs to attend the live appointment with the original passport and complete any further checks required.

Does a true likeness statement prove passport authenticity

It confirms the comparison between the photograph and the person seen. It does not, by itself, establish that the passport was issued by the stated authority. The certification must reflect the checks actually completed.

Will every UK law firm accept a remotely certified copy

No. A firm may require physical inspection, additional identity evidence or a particular certifier or format. Ask it to confirm acceptance of the proposed process and wording before booking.

Is this the same as countersigning a passport application

No. This service concerns a certified copy of an existing passport. Passport applications and photographs can have separate countersignature requirements.

Arrange your remote passport certification

Send us the legal team’s instructions, the passport issuing country, your current location and your deadline. Tell us that you need both true-copy and true-likeness wording.

We will confirm whether we can assist remotely, the checks needed, the delivery format and the quotation.

Email: certify@ginkgoadvisory.com

WhatsApp: +44 7388 833283

Contact Ginkgo Advisory