Important: apostilles are not accepted in Guinea-Bissau
The document legalisation for Guinea-Bissau does not involve an apostille, even though the UK issued one. Guinea-Bissau has not joined the Hague Convention that created the apostille system. Instead, you need two separate steps: first, the UK apostille, then the consular legalisation at the Guinea-Bissau embassy.
Getting your Edinburgh documents legalised for Guinea-Bissau
If you have a Scottish birth, marriage or death certificate, Edinburgh Registration Service keeps the original records. You can order a fresh certified copy to use for processing, rather than risking your only original. The office offers a postal service where they issue certified extracts directly to the address you give them. There is no need to visit in person.
The apostille for Guinea-Bissau starts at the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. You send your paper to their Milton Keynes address by secure mail. They will attach the apostille certificate to verify the signatures. Once you have this step done, the rest of the work happens at the consulate.
The Consulate of Guinea-Bissau in London: what they require
Documents bearing the apostille from United Kingdom to Guinea-Bissau must then go to the consulate in London. They charge a fee for each page they stamp. The consulate does not offer walk-in services, so you must plan to mail the papers with enough time before your deadline.
You will need to complete an application form from the consulate with your contact details and the purpose of using the paper. The form asks you to list the document type and state where and how it will be used in Guinea-Bissau. A staff member at the consulate reviews everything before applying their final stamp. The London office does not answer questions over the phone, so plan to use email for status updates.