Embassy legalisation, not apostille, for Burkina Faso
Documents processed through legalisation for use in Burkina Faso require a different route than many other countries. While the UK is a party to the Hague Convention, Burkina Faso does not accept apostilles. This means you must follow the longer consular legalisation path. For instance, an Edinburgh-issued birth certificate meant for Burkina Faso must go through the embassy in London after standard UK certification. The process involves several steps and usually takes longer than apostille routes for other destinations.
Starting with the Edinburgh Register Office
Your first step for document legalisation for Burkina Faso involves obtaining a certified copy from the Edinburgh Register Office on High Street. This office can provide official extracts of Scottish birth, marriage, or death certificates with the appropriate seals. Since preservation of originals is crucial, order fresh certified copies specifically for legalisation rather than risking your only copy in the post. The register office works by post and appointment rather than offering immediate walk-in services, so plan ahead.
Legalisation via the Foreign Office
Once you have your certified Edinburgh documents, they must be authenticated by the Legalisation Office. Send your papers to their Milton Keynes postal address for verification. This step confirms the signatures on your Scottish documents are genuine but remember this is different from an apostille from United Kingdom to Burkina Faso. The Foreign Office will add their own authentication certificate to your documents, which is necessary before they can proceed to the next stage.
Final step at the Burkina Faso embassy
After the UK foreign office completes their part, the document legalisation process requires submission to the Burkina Faso embassy in London. They will add the final certificates and stamps for use in their country. This step is essential because an apostille for Burkina Faso alone is not valid. The embassy will check the UK's authentication and then apply their own legalisation stamps. Always check current requirements directly with the embassy as their specific needs may change, and they maintain their own fees schedule.
Preparing your documents
Before starting what you need for an apostille for Burkina Faso, confirm if your papers require translation. Official translations may be needed if your documents are not in French, the official language of the receiving country. These translations often need to be certified before your papers can be legalised. If dealing with business documents, educational certificates, or court papers, additional notarisation may be required before submission to the Foreign Office and then the embassy.