TRUE COPIES

Certified Copies


This page will give you an idea of how we charge for true copies and true print outs. 


Physical or Electronic Originals

We will sometimes refer to “physical originals” and “electronic originals”. This means the format of the original document.


Physical Originals

Passports and driving licenses are straight forward examples of physical originals. Other examples include bills and statements posted to your address or documents you might have been given that were wet ink signed (signed with a pen as opposed to an e-signature) or stamped with a rubber stamp or seal.


A print out or photocopy of a document is not a physical original.


If there are no features to indicate a document is original then we will not treat it as an original. We recommend that you get the issuer to physically sign and stamp a document. If you have any concerns about your document and whether we will treat it as an original then please ask.


Typical wording for certification of a true copy will state that the document is a true copy of an original document that I have inspected. The certificate will normally state whether or not the original has been verified.


If you are getting true copies of physical originals then you need to bring the original documents to the appointment for inspection.


Electronic Originals

If a document was created electronically and sent to you in that original format then the original would be considered an electronic original. Typical examples include utility bills and bank statements generated through a banking app or emailed to you.


If a document has been printed and scanned then it is not an electronic original. It is a scan of a physical document. A common issue is for employer references. If the employer prints, signs, and scans a document to you then the document you have is a scan of an original document. If they generate a document and apply an electronic signature and email that document to you then it is an electronic document.


If you require true print outs of electronic originals then at your appointment you will need to have the means of accessing your original. We will need to see the original as it was originally sent. This will usually mean logging into your app or portal to generate the document or showing me the original email from which it was sent. If a document was emailed to you then we would need to see the original email from the sender and not a subsequently forwarded email. Please ensure that you know your passwords and usernames as well as how to access the information if necessary. 


Documents we cannot copy

Certain documents cannot be copied due to copyright. The commonest examples are GRO certificates (birth / death / marriage certificates) and DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) certificates. For these documents the notarial certification is written directly on your original document. If you require additional originals then these can be obtained from the government website.


Multiple page documents

Documents that are more than one page long need to be bound or secured. Usually we will bind the document as this is the more widely accepted option, however, if your documents are being emailed to the eventual recipient of the documents (common for Australia) or your recipient has asked for the documents not to be bound (common for the USA) then we can secure the documents without binding.


For bound documents a double sided page is treated as one page.


For unbound documents a double sided page is usually treated as two pages but there are exceptions.


Documents must be complete. We are unable to notarise one page of a document without including the entire document. This is because we seek to ensure that all our documents comply with the FCDO standards and this is one of their requirements. There will sometimes be a fee reduction applied to the multiple page fee for utility bills (ie where only a rivet is required and not ribbon)


Verification

If a document requires verification then there would be an additional verification charge. If verification is required then we will normally recommend that the verification process is started ahead of the appointment to minimise delay.


Usually each document for verification will require its own process, however there are situations where multiple verifications can be done together eg a degree and corresponding transcript or school GCSE certificates where there are multiple certificates from different exam boards for the same student.


More information on verification can be found here.


Estimates and Pricing Guide

We try to offer predictable fixed fee pricing wherever possible.


This is an idea of how pricing is calculated. The default presentation is that the notarial certificate is written directly on the copy. Where verification is required there might be third party verification charges which would be charged as disbursements.


  • Base appointment cost - £70 (reduced to £40 if it is a second visit during the same calendar year)
  • For each document add £10
  • For each electronic document add an additional £10
  • For each document that is 2+ pages add an additional £10*
  • For documents requiring binding add an additional 20p for each page after page 10*
  • For documents not requiring binding add an additional £1 for each page after page 10*
  • *not utility bills – for utility bills requiring only a rivet seal add £5
  • Verification - £50 per verification process
  • Notarisation on a covering certificate and not on the document add £50 for the first document of the bundle and an additional £5 for subsequent documents in the same bundle.
  • Additional client attending the same appointment – add £20


Fixed fee pricing assumes that you are prepared and able to access electronic documents with ease. We recommend checking each process in advance on the device you are bringing.


If you require additional support in preparing your documents or the documents are not ready at the appointment then additional charges might apply.


Quote

If you would like a quote then please send the following:-

  1. List of documents
  2. For each document - the number of pages
  3. For each document – the format of the original (eg physical or electronic original)
  4. Destination country
  5. If any of the documents do not originate from the UK please state their origin
  6. If documents require verification please state the issuing institution



Appointments

We operate by appointment only and do not see walk ins. Please do not turn up at our address unless we have confirmed that we are expecting you.


More information on appointments can be found here. Appointments can be arranged via whatsapp or email.


Updated July 2025