If you have been asked to provide an apostilled doctor's letter for an overseas employer, an insurance company abroad, a foreign hospital or a visa application, you are not alone - it is one of the more common medical document requests in the legalisation process. The route to apostille depends on who signed the letter and whether it carries a wet-ink signature.
Letters signed by a registered doctor
A letter or report signed in wet ink by a doctor registered with the General Medical Council can be submitted directly to the FCDO for apostille. Registered doctors are among the categories of professional whose signatures the FCDO holds on record and can authenticate. The FCDO authenticates the wet-ink signature, seal or stamp on the document. The apostille is a physical paper certificate attached to the back of the original letter.
Electronic or unsigned medical letters
Many GP letters and medical reports are now produced digitally and do not carry a wet-ink signature. Where the letter does not carry a verifiable wet-ink signature - even if it is printed on practice letterhead - it must first be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public before the FCDO will accept it. The solicitor applies their own wet-ink signature and stamp, and the FCDO authenticates that instead.
Getting a wet-ink signed letter from the GP
If the letter was issued without a wet-ink signature, it is worth contacting the GP surgery and requesting a signed version before paying for solicitor certification. Not all practices will accommodate this, but where they do it avoids the additional cost and time of the solicitor step. Ask specifically for a wet-ink signature - a printed or electronic signature does not meet the FCDO's requirement.
Urgent timeline?
Express and next-day apostille services are available. Call our team on +44 (0) 204 630 7500 and we will confirm the correct route for your medical letter, arrange solicitor certification if needed, and manage every stage of the process.