Frequently Asked Questions About Notary Public Services in Singapore
Find answers to common questions about notarisation, Apostille, certified true copies, witnessing, and ACRA document services.
Find answers to common questions about notarisation, Apostille, certified true copies, witnessing, and ACRA document services.
A Notary Public is a qualified lawyer appointed under the Notaries Public Act to perform notarial acts. In Singapore, a Notary Public is authorised to certify true copies of documents, witness signatures, administer oaths, and issue notarial certificates. Notarised documents are typically required for overseas use and must be accompanied by an Apostille issued by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).
A Notary Public certifies true copies of documents, witnesses signatures on documents, administers oaths and affirmations, and issues notarial certificates. These notarial acts authenticate documents for use overseas. All notarised documents in Singapore must be accompanied by an Apostille issued by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).
A Notary Public in Singapore provides the following services:
These services are used to authenticate documents for overseas use.
Notary Public fees in Singapore are prescribed by law. The cost depends on the type of notarisation required (certified true copy or witnessing) and the number of documents. The Apostille fee is $80 + GST per Apostille certificate, payable to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).
Use the fee calculators for a specific quote:
Yes. Notary Public fees in Singapore are prescribed by law. All Notaries Public in Singapore charge the same prescribed fees for notarial services. This ensures transparency and consistency for all clients.
Yes, an appointment is required to see a Notary Public. You can book an appointment online at a time that is convenient for you.
The documents you should bring depend on the type of notarisation:
A Certified True Copy (CTC) is a copy of a document that has been verified and certified by a Notary Public as being a true and accurate copy of the original document. The Notary Public compares the copy against the original and issues a Notarial Certificate confirming it is a true copy.
Documents that can be certified as true copies include:
Yes, for Certified True Copy (CTC) services, multiple documents can be combined under a single Notarial Certificate. This is more cost-effective as the prescribed fees are lower for a single certificate covering multiple documents.
However, you should confirm with the overseas recipient whether they accept a single combined Notarial Certificate or require individual certificates for each document before your appointment.
A single Notarial Certificate covering multiple documents is more cost-effective. However, if the overseas recipient specifically requires an individual Notarial Certificate for each document, then individual certificates should be obtained.
When in doubt, check with the overseas recipient before your appointment.
The Certified True Copy (CTC) is completed at your appointment. The Notary Public will certify your documents during the appointment itself.
However, the Apostille is issued separately by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), takes a few working days, and is collected directly from SAL (not from the Notary Public's office).
Notary Public witnessing is the process of signing a document in the presence of a Notary Public. The Notary Public verifies the identity of the signatory and witnesses the signing of the document, then issues a Notarial Certificate confirming that the document was signed in the Notary Public’s presence.
No. For witnessing services, each document requires its own individual Notarial Certificate. Each document also requires its own individual Apostille. This is mandatory and cannot be combined.
Yes. For witnessing services, you must sign the document in the presence of the Notary Public at the Notary Public’s office. Do not sign the document beforehand. Bring the unsigned document to your appointment.
Generally, no. The signatory must be personally present at the Notary Public’s office to sign the document. The Notary Public needs to verify the identity of the person signing and witness the signing in person.
An Apostille is a certificate issued under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the Hague Apostille Convention). It authenticates public documents for use in countries that are parties to the Convention. In Singapore, the Apostille is issued by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).
Yes. Under Singapore law, the Apostille is mandatory for all notarised documents. You cannot opt out of the Apostille when obtaining notarisation. The Apostille is issued by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), which is the sole competent authority for Apostille services in Singapore.
The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is the sole competent authority for issuing Apostilles in Singapore. All Apostille certificates are issued by SAL, whether applied for through a Notary Public or directly by the applicant for eligible government documents.
The Apostille fee is $80 + GST per Apostille certificate when applied for through a Notary Public. For eligible Singapore government documents, you can apply directly to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for an Apostille at $10 + GST per certificate.
The $80 + GST Apostille is applied for through a Notary Public and is for notarised documents (non-government documents or government documents that require notarisation).
The $10 + GST Apostille is applied for directly at the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) and is for eligible Singapore government documents that only require an Apostille without notarisation.
No. If you have an eligible Singapore government document and the overseas recipient requires only an Apostille without notarisation, you can apply directly to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for an Apostille at $10 + GST per certificate, without needing a Notary Public.
Yes, you can get an Apostille directly from the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) without a Notary Public, provided your document is an eligible Singapore government document and the overseas recipient only requires an Apostille without notarisation. The fee is $10 + GST per certificate.
Documents eligible for direct SAL Apostille include:
An e-Apostille is an electronic Apostille issued for ACRA documents in the Open Attestation format. This digital format has been available since 4 March 2023. The e-Apostille serves the same function as a physical Apostille but is issued in digital form.
The processing time for an Apostille varies. The Apostille is issued separately by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) after the notarisation appointment. Collection of the Apostille requires a separate appointment.
You collect the Apostille directly from the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), not from the Notary Public's office. The Apostille is issued by SAL a few working days after the notarisation is completed. Refer to SAL's legalisation website for collection arrangements and contact details.
The Apostille is accepted by all countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. You can check whether your country is a member by consulting the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) member list.
Yes, China is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention and accepts Apostilles issued by member countries, including Singapore.
Yes, ACRA documents such as business profiles, certificates of incorporation, and company constitutions can be notarised by a Notary Public as Certified True Copies.
Yes, if ACRA documents are intended for overseas use, they require an Apostille. The Apostille authenticates the document for use in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Yes, if the overseas recipient only requires an Apostille without notarisation, you can apply directly to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for an Apostille on your ACRA document at $10 + GST per certificate.
The Open Attestation format is a digital format used for e-Apostilles issued for ACRA documents. This format has been available since 4 March 2023 and allows ACRA documents to receive an electronic Apostille rather than a physical one.
The e-Apostille is an electronic version of the Apostille certificate issued by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). It serves the same legal purpose as a physical Apostille — authenticating notarised documents for use in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. The e-Apostille is issued digitally, allowing for electronic verification and eliminating the need to collect a physical certificate from SAL.
e-Notarisation is the process by which a Notary Public creates an electronic Notarial Certificate (e-NC) using SAL’s legalisation portal. The Notary Public uploads the notarised documents digitally, and SAL issues the e-Apostille electronically. The client receives the e-Apostille via email and can forward it to the overseas recipient.
Both the e-Apostille and the physical Apostille serve the same legal purpose of authenticating notarised documents. The main difference is in the format: the e-Apostille is issued and delivered electronically, while the physical Apostille is a printed certificate that must be collected in person. The e-Apostille can be verified digitally by the overseas recipient, whereas the physical Apostille is verified by visual inspection. The fee for both is the same ($80 + GST per certificate for notarised documents).
After the e-Apostille is issued, you will receive an email from SAL with a link to access your documents. You will need to verify your identity via OTP (one-time password) to access the e-Apostille. Once accessed, you can download and forward the documents to the overseas recipient. For detailed instructions, refer to SAL’s guide for clients (PDF).
The overseas recipient can verify the e-Apostille electronically using the verification link or QR code provided with the e-Apostille document. For detailed instructions on how recipients can verify the e-Apostille, refer to SAL’s guide for end recipients (PDF).
If the overseas recipient does not accept or has not confirmed acceptance of the e-Apostille, a physical Apostille will be issued instead. Physical Apostilles remain available and continue to be the default option. Always confirm with the overseas recipient before opting for the e-Apostille.
Yes. Physical Apostilles remain available and continue to be the default option. The e-Apostille is an additional option that is available only when the overseas recipient has confirmed that they will accept it.
The e-Apostille fee for notarised documents is $80 + GST ($87.20) per certificate, payable to SAL. This is the same fee as the physical Apostille. For direct e-Apostille of ACRA documents (without notarisation), the fee is $10 + GST ($10.70) per document, payable directly to SAL at the SAL Legalisation Portal.
The e-Apostille changes only the Apostille format (electronic instead of physical); it does not enable remote witnessing. Witnessing of signatures and certified true copies of physical originals still require in-person attendance (or an in-Singapore outcall) and wet-ink signing where applicable. Some digitally verifiable documents (e.g. ACRA) may be submitted without attendance after confirmation. Zoom/video witnessing is not offered.
Attendance is required for witnessing and for physical originals; some digitally verifiable CTCs are different:
We may require a valid passport or NRIC.
No. Notary Public fees are prescribed by law and are the same regardless of whether the document is physical or digital.