How Long Does an E-Apostille Take?
One of the main reasons clients choose the e-Apostille route over a traditional paper apostille is speed. Because the entire process happens digitally — no original document is posted, couriered, or physically handled at any stage — turnaround times are consistently faster and far more predictable than the paper route.
At Staple Inn Notaries, we offer two clear timeframes for our e-Apostille service, so you know exactly what to expect before you order.
Our E-Apostille Turnaround Times
Standard service — 3 working days. From the point we receive your document and complete our eligibility check, to delivery of your finished e-Apostilled document by secure email.
Urgent service — 1 working day. For time-critical matters, we prioritise your document through notarisation, certification, and FCDO submission within a single working day.
Both timeframes begin once we've confirmed your document is eligible for e-Apostille and received a clear, correctly prepared PDF from you — so getting these two things right at the outset is the biggest factor in staying on schedule.
Why the E-Apostille Route Is Faster Than Paper
A traditional paper apostille depends on physical logistics: posting or couriering your original document to our office, our submission of it to the FCDO, and its return to you (or onward delivery abroad) once complete. Each of those steps adds time, and delays at any point — postal delays, FCDO processing volume, international shipping — can extend the overall timeline considerably.
The e-Apostille process removes the physical logistics entirely. Once your document is electronically certified with our Notary's Qualified Electronic Signature, it's submitted to the FCDO digitally and returned to you the same way. This is what allows us to offer such a tight, dependable turnaround — and why it's particularly well suited to clients based outside the UK who would otherwise be waiting on international post.
What Can Affect Turnaround
A few factors can extend the timeline beyond our stated service windows:
Document eligibility issues. If your document type isn't suited to e-Apostille, we'll need to move you to the standard paper route, which has a different timeline.
Incomplete or unclear documents. If a document requires amendment or clarification before it can be certified, this pauses the clock until resolved.
FCDO processing volume. While rare, the FCDO itself can experience delays during unusually high demand periods.
We flag any of these issues to you as early as possible, so there are no surprises partway through.
Our Fees
£95 plus VAT — Standard service, 3 working days
£125 plus VAT — Urgent service, 1 working day
Both prices include the FCDO's own apostille fee. This is separate from our notarial fee, which applies only if your document needs notarising before it's eligible for apostille.
Order Online
👉 Order your e-Apostille here: https://www.internationalnotary.co.uk/product-page/e-apostille-and-electronic-certification
Need it urgently? Select our 1 working day service at checkout, or contact us directly to confirm we can meet your deadline before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can I get an e-Apostille?Our urgent service delivers a completed e-Apostille within 1 working day of receiving a correctly prepared, eligible document. Our standard service takes 3 working days.
Does the turnaround include the eligibility check?The stated timeframes begin once we've confirmed your document is eligible for e-Apostille and received a clear PDF from you. We recommend contacting us to confirm eligibility before ordering if you're on a tight deadline.
Is e-Apostille always faster than a paper apostille?Generally yes, since there's no posting or courier of an original document involved. However, our standard and urgent service timeframes are the same length for both routes — the difference is in the underlying process.
What could delay my e-Apostille?The most common causes are a document turning out to be ineligible for e-Apostille, unclear or incomplete documents requiring clarification, or occasional FCDO processing delays during high-demand periods.
Contact Us
Staple Inn Notaries
Fox Court, Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London
📞 020 3488 4195
About the Author
Sheikh Najam LLB TEP MA MBA is a Notary Public for England and Wales and CEO of Staple Inn Notaries, based in Central London. He is also a European Attorney and a STEP-qualified International Private Wealth Lawyer, and serves as Vice President for Notarial Affairs and an Advisory Board Member at Justinian Lawyers, the Berlin-headquartered international legal network of the Association of European Attorneys. Appointed by the Court of Faculties under Royal Authority and regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sheikh Najam advises on cross-border corporate, property, and private client matters across common law, civil law, and international jurisdictions.
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