When an employee relocates abroad, the receiving country's immigration authority, employer or licensing body will almost always need authenticated proof of UK employment. That means an apostilled employer letter - whether it is an employment contract, an offer letter, a reference, or a confirmation of employment. For companies managing international placements, understanding how to prepare these documents correctly prevents delays that push back start dates.

All employer letters are commercial documents

An employment contract, offer letter, reference letter or confirmation of employment is issued by a company on its own letterhead. It carries no government signature, seal or stamp. The FCDO authenticates wet-ink signatures, seals or stamps from recognised officials - a company HR manager's signature is not one of them. Every employer letter must be certified by a UK solicitor or Notary Public before the FCDO will accept it for apostille.

What the letter should contain

The letter should be printed on official company letterhead, signed in wet ink by someone with authority to issue it, and dated. At minimum it should confirm the employee's full name, job title and dates of employment. Many overseas authorities also require confirmation of salary, responsibilities and reason for leaving. An unsigned, undated or unheaded letter will cause problems at the solicitor certification stage.

Getting it certified

The solicitor examines the original letter, certifies it as a genuine employer-issued document or a true copy of the original, and applies their wet-ink signature and stamp. The FCDO authenticates the solicitor's certification and attaches the apostille - a physical paper certificate - to the back of the certified document.

e-Apostille and non-Hague destinations

Where the solicitor's or Notary Public certification carries a verifiable digital signature, the e-Apostille service may be available. For countries outside the Hague Convention, embassy attestation follows the apostille. If your employee's start date is approaching and the documents are not yet legalised, call our team on +44 204 646 9400. We can turn most employer letters around within 24 to 48 hours, handling solicitor certification and FCDO submission in one go.