Notarial & Document Legalisation Services in the United Kingdom

How to prepare UK documents for use in Ghana — and Ghanaian documents for use in Britain — through notaries, the FCDO Legalisation Office and the Ghana High Commission in London.

Document work is one of the most common reasons Ghanaians in the UK contact the Belgrave Square mission. Buying or inheriting land in Ghana, appointing a relative to act on your behalf, getting a UK degree recognised by a Ghanaian employer, registering a UK marriage in Ghana, or presenting Ghanaian certificates to a British university or employer — all of these turn on getting documents authenticated in the right order. The order matters, and doing steps in the wrong sequence is the most common (and most expensive) mistake.

The Three Layers of Authentication in the UK

1. Notarisation or certification. In England and Wales this is done by a notary public (regulated by the Faculty Office); solicitors can certify copies and administer oaths for many purposes. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own notaries. The notary verifies your identity and witnesses your signature or certifies a copy as true.
2. Apostille (FCDO legalisation). The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Legalisation Office issues apostilles confirming that the UK signature, seal or stamp on a document is genuine. Applications are made online through GOV.UK and documents are processed by post from the Legalisation Office in Milton Keynes, with premium counter services for urgent business cases.
3. Consular legalisation at the High Commission. The Ghana High Commission in London can then legalise the document for use in Ghana, confirming it to Ghanaian authorities.

Whether a given Ghanaian receiving institution requires the full chain — notary, then apostille, then consular legalisation — or accepts an apostilled document alone depends on the document and the institution. Ask the body in Ghana that will receive the document exactly what it needs, then confirm the current legalisation procedure with the High Commission before you pay for any step.

Documents the Mission Commonly Handles

• Powers of attorney — by far the most requested. A UK-resident Ghanaian appoints someone in Ghana to buy, sell or manage land, operate bank accounts, or handle court and probate matters. The document is usually drafted, signed before a notary in the UK, then legalised for Ghana. Land-related powers of attorney should be drafted to meet Ghana Lands Commission expectations — take Ghanaian legal advice on the wording before you sign.
• Educational certificates — UK degrees and transcripts being presented in Ghana, or Ghanaian (WAEC, university) certificates needed for UK study and employment.
• Civil status documents — UK marriage, birth and death certificates for use in Ghana; statutory declarations of marital status for those marrying in Ghana.
• Affidavits and statutory declarations — sworn statements for Ghanaian courts, name-change confirmations, and declarations supporting family or property matters.
• Certified true copies — of passports, Ghana Cards and certificates where originals cannot be sent.
• Commercial documents — certificates of incorporation, board resolutions and export documents for UK companies doing business in Ghana.

A Worked Example: Power of Attorney for Land in Ghana

Suppose you live in Manchester and need your brother in Kumasi to complete a land purchase for you. A typical sequence looks like this: have the power of attorney drafted (ideally reviewed by a lawyer in Ghana); sign it before a notary public in the UK; if required, obtain an FCDO apostille on the notarised document via GOV.UK; then submit it to the Ghana High Commission in London for consular legalisation with the original, a copy, your ID and the fee. Finally, send the legalised original to Ghana, where it may need stamping or registration locally before use. Build in several weeks end-to-end — each stage has its own queue, and the FCDO postal service and the mission’s processing (typically a few working days once received) run sequentially, not in parallel.

Using Ghanaian Documents in the UK

Traffic flows the other way too. British universities, employers and the Home Office frequently ask for Ghanaian documents — birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic records — to be verified. Depending on the receiving body, this may mean authentication by the issuing authority in Ghana and Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translation is rarely an issue since Ghanaian documents are in English, and the High Commission can advise on verification routes. UK bodies set their own evidential standards, so always start from what the UK institution says it will accept.

Fees, Timing and Practicalities

• Fees vary by document type and are set by each stage separately: the notary sets professional fees, the FCDO charges per apostille, and the High Commission charges its own legalisation fees. Confirm the mission’s current fee and payment method before submitting — published third-party figures go stale quickly.
• Typical mission processing is a few working days (around 3–5 for straightforward documents), but allow more in busy periods and always ask when lodging.
• Check submission rules. Whether the mission accepts postal applications for legalisation, and how documents are returned (prepaid special delivery envelopes are the usual pattern), changes from time to time — confirm before posting originals.
• Never send irreplaceable originals without tracking. Use Royal Mail Special Delivery or a courier both ways.

Official Sources

• Ghana High Commission London – legalisation requirements and fees
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana – authentication of Ghanaian documents
• Ghana Immigration Service
• National Identification Authority
• Ghana e-Visa Portal

Last updated: 2026-08-04. This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Legalisation chains depend on the receiving institution — confirm requirements with the body in Ghana and with the High Commission before paying for any step.