UK company documents for Australia
For Australia, start with official Companies House certificates — often a Certificate of Good Standing — then an FCDO apostille if the recipient asks for legalisation. Australia has been a Hague Apostille Convention party since 1995, so embassy legalisation is not usually required. Confirm paper versus e-Apostille with the named recipient. CH documents are buy-now; apostille stays quote-only.
How a typical Australia document job runs
Working-day steps — confirm the recipient’s written list first.
Confirm the recipient checklist
Get the Australian bank, ASIC counsel or counterparty list in writing: exact documents, age window, paper vs e-Apostille, and any translation notes beyond Companies House originals.
Order Companies House originals (buy-now)
Order COGS, certified incorporation, articles or the pack. Standard CH aims ~10 working days; we then scan and send, typically within 1–3 working days of receipt.
Request an apostille quote if needed
If the checklist needs legalisation, submit a quote. We confirm fulfilment before taking apostille money. Official FCDO fees: paper £45 · e-Apostille £35 (GOV.UK).
Hague Apostille — Australia is a party
The HCCH Apostille Convention status table (last update 30 June 2026) lists Australia as a Contracting Party: accession 11 July 1994, entry into force 16 March 1995. Australia’s Attorney-General’s Department says foreign public documents for use in Australia are apostilled by the issuing country (UK FCDO for Companies House certificates). DFAT apostilles Australian documents for overseas use — the reverse direction.
GOV.UK Get your document legalised is the UK FCDO apostille service (including Companies House certificates). For Hague destinations the apostille is normally the UK legalisation step; GOV.UK’s embassy-then-ministry chain is for non-Hague countries. We will not invent extra embassy steps.
Confirm with the receiving authority
- Ask for paper vs e-Apostille, age window and the exact Companies House products.
- Banks, counsel and counterparties can differ — one Australian recipient is not a national rule.
- Private-agent document notes only — not legal, visa, immigration or bank-account-opening advice.
Paper versus e-Apostille
GOV.UK offers paper apostille and e-Apostille and tells you to check what the person asking actually wants. Official fees: paper £45 (+ courier/postage); e-Apostille £35. Standard paper is usually up to 25 working days; e-Apostille up to 2 working days — always recheck live GOV.UK. Australia’s AG Department likewise notes hard-copy or electronic format can be recipient-specific. e-Apostille is not universally accepted. Guide: Australia bank, UK COGS and e-Apostille. Apostille stays quote-only — no buy-now apostille button.
Typical company-document list (examples only)
Common checklist items include a Certificate of Good Standing, certified incorporation and certified articles — sometimes further filings. These are examples, not bank-account, visa or branch advice. Map the written list before you pay. Ambiguous wording? Use Which document?.
Buy-now Companies House prices (ex VAT)
- COGS — £79 std (CH £22) · £129 express (CH £65)
- Certified incorporation — £49 (CH £22)
- Documents pack — £249–£299 (typical £279; CH £66 on the standard three-doc set)
CH standard aims ~10 working days; we typically scan and send within 1–3 working days of receipt. Express COGS follows the before-11am CH rule where offered.
Freshness and translation
Companies House prints no legal expiry. Australian recipients often want documents within about 90 days — recipient practice, not UK law (AG Department notes freshness can be recipient-specific). Check age with the freshness helper. Extra translation is quote-only.
Related pages
- COGS · Pack · Incorporation
- United States · Singapore · Tools
Who we are
PASECOM GROUP LTD / Pasecom Group Ltd · 17139327 · 82a James Carter Road, Mildenhall, IP28 7DE · ICO ZC117546 · pete@pasecom.co.uk. Trading as UKCOGS. Private agent — not Companies House, not the FCDO, not GOV.UK, not DFAT.
Sources checked the week of publish: HCCH status table (cid=41, 30 June 2026 — Australia EIF 16 Mar 1995); AG Department Apostilles; GOV.UK legalisation. Page last updated 4 October 2026.
FAQ — UK documents for Australia
Confirm every answer against the recipient’s written checklist. Last updated 4 October 2026.
Is Australia in the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes. The HCCH status table for the 1961 Apostille Convention (last update 30 June 2026) lists Australia as a Contracting Party: accession 11 July 1994, in force 16 March 1995. An FCDO apostille is the usual UK legalisation step. Confirm the named recipient still wants it.
Do I still need Australian embassy legalisation?
Usually no for Hague-covered public documents. Australia’s Attorney-General’s Department says foreign public documents for use in Australia are apostilled by the issuing country — here, the UK FCDO. GOV.UK’s embassy-and-ministry chain is for non-Hague countries. If a checklist still names embassy attestation, ask in writing first.
What Companies House documents are commonly listed?
Examples: Certificate of Good Standing (company certificate with summary statement where eligible), certified Certificate of Incorporation, certified articles. Some Australian banks or counsel packs add further filings. Examples only — match the written list. Not legal, visa, immigration or bank-account advice.
What are UKCOGS prices for the Companies House stage?
Buy-now ex VAT: COGS £79 standard / £129 express (official CH £22 / £65), certified incorporation £49 (CH £22), pack £249–£299 (typical £279; standard three-document CH fees £66). Confirm official fees on GOV.UK.
Will an Australian recipient accept an e-Apostille?
Not universally. GOV.UK says ask whether the person wants paper or e-Apostille, and some document types are not eligible for e-Apostille. Australia’s AG Department also notes recipients may specify hard copy or electronic format. Ask in writing. Apostille remains quote-only with UKCOGS.
How fresh should the certificate be?
Companies House does not print a legal expiry. Recipients commonly ask for documents within about 90 days — sometimes 30 or 60. Australia’s AG Department notes freshness can be a recipient requirement. That is practice, not UK statute. Use the freshness helper and confirm the written window.
Do I need a translation?
Usually not into a language other than English for Australian English-speaking recipients, but confirm in writing. Any certified translation the recipient names is quote-only.
How long does this take in working days?
CH standard aims ~10 working days; we typically scan and send within 1–3 working days of receipt. Express COGS follows the before-11am CH rule where offered. GOV.UK lists standard paper apostille usually up to 25 working days and e-Apostille up to 2 working days — quoted case by case, not guaranteed.
Ready for an Australia document route?
Order Companies House originals now. Request a quote for FCDO apostille — quote-only, no apostille buy button.