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 16 September 2026.
FAQ — UK documents for Australia
Confirm every answer against the recipient’s written checklist. Last updated 16 September 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.