Notarial and documentary services guide for Iran
Documents, certificates, letters and notes available at British Embassy Tehran.
Overview
The British Embassy provides notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Iran. If there is no specific formal requirement for a notarial service or certificate to be provided by the consular section, a UK notary, local notary, or local lawyer may be able to provide the service more conveniently, quickly and cheaply.
Before booking, make sure you have selected the correct service and that the document(s) will be accepted by the relevant authority. This information cannot be verified by the embassy.
Should you need to contact the embassy prior to making an appointment or your arrival, send an enquiry using our contact form.
Services we provide in Iran
- prepare a certificate, declaration or document in English or the local language
- administer an oath or attest to a signature on a declaration or affirmation
- witness a signature
- make a certified copy of a UK passport
- unite documents
- receive a notice of intended marriage
- issue a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) in English for a British national wishing to marry
Proof of address and identity
For all appointments, you will need to bring acceptable proof of your identity and address. We accept passports as proof of identity.
For proof of your address, we accept a local residency card, hotel reservations, utility bills and/or bank statements.
Prepare a document in English or the local language
In a limited number of cases, consular staff can write a statement of fact (‘preparing a certificate’) to help British nationals with various local authorities. The wording must be cleared with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London, which means these documents, will take longer to prepare.
We can only provide this service if we have proof that the wording/content you require is correct and unambiguous. This service is provided at the discretion of consular staff and we can refuse to provide it. Contact the consular section before making an appointment.
We can prepare these documents in English or in Farsi in some cases. Make sure you select the correct service.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the wording or content and proof it is correct and unambiguous
- proof of identity and address
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
Administer an oath or attest to a signature on a declaration or affirmation
This service is for people who need to swear an oath, make an affirmation or make an affidavit in front of a consular officer. The consulate will not draft documents for you. First check with the consulate what format they need and then have the document drawn up or checked by a professional.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the oath, affirmation or affidavit that you will swear or affirm
- proof of identity and address
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
Witness a signature
This service is for customers who need to sign a document and have their signature witnessed by a consular officer. The document must be prepared before your appointment.
We do not handle wills or probate, or witness deed polls. Please do not sign the document before your appointment.
Prior to making an appointment, contact the consular section to check whether or not we are able to provide this service for your specific document.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the document that you will sign before a witness
- proof of identity and address
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
Book an appointment to witness a signature at the British Embassy in Tehran
Make a certified copy of a UK passport
This service is for customers who need certified photocopies of British passports.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the original UK passport to be copied
- proof of identity and address
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
Book an appointment to make a certified copy of a document at the British Embassy in Tehran
Unite documents
This service joins documents together using ribbon and a seal and can only be done as part of a wider notarial service.
If you require this service, please tell us using the “additional comments” section when booking the other service.
A separate fee will be charged.
What you will need to bring with you:
- the document to be united
- proof of identity and address
- the correct fee – see the list of fees and payment options
Informative notes and letters
The British Embassy Tehran provides the following free informative notes that can be downloaded and used in place of some certificates which may otherwise be charged for:
Services we cannot provide
- legalisation of foreign documents: the British Embassy in Tehran will no longer legalise any foreign documents. As previously advised the document should be officially translated and certified by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs but there is no requirement for the Ministry’s signature and stamp to be legalised by the British Embassy in Tehran.
If the document is to be used in another country, you should contact the legalisation authorities of the country where the document will be used for advice.
What to bring to your appointment
See the individual services below for details of supporting documents to bring. Make sure you have acceptable proof of address and identity, and payment for any fees. See the current consular fees list.
How to pay for notarial and documentary services
We only accept payment in cash in the local currency, Iranian Rials (IRR). You can make this payment at a bank. We will contact you before your appointment with payment details. Please bring the bank receipt with you.
Services provided elsewhere
- legalising UK documents/certificates: Legalisation Office
- British marriage, birth and death certificates. You should apply to the General Register Office for copies of these documents
- UK educational documents. If you need to send your UK educational certificate for legalisation, the British Council can provide the original verification of the original document and help you with sending it to the Legalisation Office for an apostille. However, there is no British Council in Iran, so it must be done through a British Council office outside Iran
- getting married in the UK, see Marriages and civil partnerships in the UK
- pension certificates: Department for Work & Pensions
- taxation and UK national insurance contributions certificates: HMRC
- renew British driving licences or provide certificates regarding British driving licences: DVLA
- certificates confirming British nationality or proving you are not British: UK Visas and Immigration
- renunciation, naturalisation or registration as a British citizen: UK Visas & Immigration
- provide good conduct certificates: Disclosure and Barring Service
Data protection
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.
Disclaimer
This information is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the embassy by the relevant authorities and may be subject to change at any time with little or no notice. Accordingly, the FCDO and the British embassy will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. For all notarial and legalisation services it is the responsibility of the customer to ascertain the precise requirements of the person requesting the notarial or legalisation service and to satisfy themselves that the service provided by the embassy will be accepted.
Last updated 29 May 2023 + show all updates
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We no longer provide this service in Iran: administering oath of British Citizenship under the British Nationality Act of 1981.
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update on legalisation services of foreign documents
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First published.