Notary Public Singapore — frequently asked questions

A Notary Public is a senior advocate & solicitor authorised to witness signatures, administer oaths, certify true copies and authenticate documents so they're legally recognised in other countries. It's the key step that lets a Singapore document be trusted abroad.

Notarisation is the official act of a Notary Public verifying your identity, witnessing your signature or the execution of a document, and then attaching a notarial certificate and seal. That seal confirms to a foreign authority that the document and the signing are genuine.

Only a practising advocate & solicitor who has been formally appointed can act as a Notary Public. The appointment is made under the Notaries Public Act and regulated by the Singapore Academy of Law. A general lawyer or clerk who hasn't been appointed cannot notarise.

A Commissioner for Oaths handles documents used within Singapore. A Notary Public notarises documents for use overseas. If your document is going abroad, you need a Notary Public — a Commissioner for Oaths' stamp will usually be rejected by foreign authorities.

Notary fees follow an official government-regulated schedule, so the price is fixed and fair. Witnessing a signature is S$40 per signer and the notarial certificate is S$75; the SAL apostille is a statutory S$87.20. The total depends on your document type and whether apostille or embassy legalisation is required. Send us the details on WhatsApp for a clear all-in quote.

Notary fees are prescribed by the First Schedule of the Notaries Public Rules and cannot be discounted — they're the same for every notary. Statutory charges like the S$87.20 SAL apostille are passed on at cost. We confirm your complete, itemised price before any work begins.

If your document is going to a country in the Hague Apostille Convention, a single SAL apostille after notarisation is usually enough. For other countries, it also needs legalisation by the MFA and the destination embassy. Tell us the country and we'll confirm exactly what's needed.

In most cases, yes. It's compulsory under Singapore law for the notary to issue a notarial certificate, and for documents used overseas the Singapore Academy of Law must authenticate or apostille it after notarisation. We prepare the certificate and handle the SAL step — including collecting and delivering the completed document at a fixed cost.

Yes — these are among the most common destinations we handle. Powers of attorney for India, degrees and contracts for the UK, and affidavits and PoAs for the US are all notarised and apostilled to each country's requirements. Just tell us the destination and purpose.

Yes. Where your destination country requires it, we arrange certified translations alongside the notarisation and apostille, and we provide interpreter support in over 200 languages so nothing is signed that you don't fully understand.

Notarisation itself is usually done on the spot. Apostille through the SAL is typically quick, while embassy legalisation timelines vary by country. We'll give you a realistic timeline upfront and offer same-day service where possible for urgent matters.

Bring your original document (unsigned, unless told otherwise) and your original NRIC or passport — the same identity document named on the document. If a company is involved, bring proof of your authority to sign, such as a board resolution. Don't sign anything before you meet the notary.

Yes, in almost all cases. The notary must witness you signing, so please don't sign beforehand — a pre-signed document usually has to be re-done. Bring the document unsigned unless we've specifically told you otherwise.

Singapore notarisation requires you to attend in person so the notary can verify your identity and witness your signing — it can't be done remotely by video call. If you're outside Singapore, you'd use a notary in your own country.

Yes. To certify a document as a true copy, the notary must sight the original in person and compare it against the copies. Please bring the original document together with the exact number of photocopies you need certified.

Yes. Our mobile notary visits offices, homes and hospitals islandwide, including evenings and weekends by appointment — ideal for elderly or unwell signatories and urgent corporate signings.

It takes one message. WhatsApp or email us a photo of your document and tell us which country it's for. We confirm the exact steps, a fixed all-in price and a time — then you visit our Suntec City office or we come to you. Same-day and after-hours appointments are available.