What this covers
Many organisations, including banks, universities, employers and overseas bodies, ask for certified copies of documents such as passports, degree certificates or company documents. Certification confirms that a copy is a true copy of an original that the certifier has seen.
I provide this service by appointment at 2 Victoria Square, St Albans, for personal and business documents.
Who I help
- Individuals who need certified copies of identity or personal documents.
- Businesses that need certified copies of company or commercial documents.
What is included
- Comparing your copy with the original document in person.
- Certifying the copy as a true copy of the original, with my signature, name, the date and my professional details.
- Using specific certification wording if the receiving organisation requires it, provided I can properly give that confirmation.
What is not included
- Notarisation or any notarial act.
- Apostilles or legalisation for use abroad.
- Sworn or certified translations.
- Statutory declarations, affidavits or oaths.
- Witnessing signatures.
- Advice on whether a document is genuine or valid for a particular purpose. Certification confirms only that the copy matches the original I have seen.
If you need any of these services, the receiving organisation can usually tell you who is able to provide them, for example a notary public.
Before you book: check the requirements
Before booking, please ask the receiving organisation:
- Whether a certification by a solicitor of England and Wales is acceptable.
- Whether it requires specific wording.
- Whether each page needs to be certified, or only the first page.
- Whether it needs the certifier's details in a particular format.
- Whether the document will be used outside the UK. If so, it may need notarisation or an apostille instead, which I do not provide.
How an appointment usually works
- Email info@sadikbugra.com with the number and type of documents and any instructions from the receiving organisation.
- I confirm whether I can help and arrange an appointment in St Albans.
- Bring the original documents, clear copies of them and identification.
- I check each copy against the original and certify it.
Most straightforward appointments are short. Multi-page bundles take longer and are quoted separately.
Costs
Certification fees are set out on the fees page. Multi-page bundles are quoted before the appointment.
How to start
Email info@sadikbugra.com. Tell me what documents you need certified, how many there are and what the receiving organisation has asked for. Appointments are in person only, because I need to see the originals.
If you have any access needs for the appointment, please mention them by email so that we can discuss arrangements.
This page is general information about certifying copy documents in England and Wales as at 26 October 2026.
Fees
| Certification — first straightforward document | £30No VAT charged — I am not currently VAT-registered (VAT added only if applicable in future, with notice). Includes
Not included
|
|---|---|
| Certification — each additional straightforward document at the same appointment | £15No VAT charged — I am not currently VAT-registered (VAT added only if applicable in future, with notice). Includes
Not included
|
Questions people often ask
What is a certified copy?
It is a copy of a document that someone of good standing, such as a solicitor, has compared with the original and confirmed as a true copy, usually by writing a certification statement on it, signing and dating it and adding their name and occupation.
Can you certify a document I email to you?
No. I need to see the original document in person, together with the copy, so that I can compare them. Appointments are in St Albans.
Can you notarise documents or get an apostille?
No. I do not provide notarial services, apostilles, sworn translations, statutory declarations, affidavits or witnessing of signatures. For documents to be used abroad, you may need a notary public. The receiving organisation can tell you what it requires.
Will the organisation definitely accept your certification?
I cannot guarantee that. Each organisation sets its own rules about who can certify, what wording to use and whether every page must be certified. Please check their requirements before the appointment and bring any instructions they have given you.
Can you certify a copy of my photograph or passport?
I can certify a copy of an identity document against the original if that meets the receiving organisation's requirements. Passport applications have their own countersignatory rules, which are different from certifying a copy, and I do not provide that service through this page.
Do you need to check my identity?
Yes. I may ask you to show identification at the appointment so that I can record who presented the documents.