Notary Public Witnessing and Attestation in Singapore
What is Notary Public Witnessing?
Notary Public witnessing involves signing a document in the presence of a Notary Public, who then issues a Notarial Certificate confirming that the document was signed in his or her presence.
The Notary Public verifies the identity of the signatory, observes the signing of the document, and thereafter issues a Notarial Certificate attesting to the fact that the document was signed before him or her. The Notarial Certificate, together with the signed document, is then submitted to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for the issuance of an Apostille, which authenticates the Notarial Certificate for use overseas.
Witnessing and attestation by a Notary Public is distinct from the certification of true copies. In the case of witnessing, the Notary Public must be physically present when the document is signed. The signatory must not sign the document prior to attending before the Notary Public.
Signing in the Presence of the Notary Public
You must attend in person to sign the document in the physical presence of the Notary Public. The Notary Public verifies your identity, observes you signing the document, and then issues a Notarial Certificate.
Do not sign the document before your appointment. The Notary Public must personally witness you signing the document. If you have already signed the document, it may need to be reprinted for signing during the appointment.
Apostille options: The Apostille may be issued as a physical Apostille or an e-Apostille, if the overseas recipient accepts the e-Apostille.
When You Need Notary Public Witnessing
Notary Public witnessing is typically required when an overseas authority, institution, or counterparty requires a document to be signed in the presence of a Notary Public. Common situations in which witnessing is required include:
- Overseas authorities: Government agencies, courts, and regulatory bodies in foreign jurisdictions that require notarised signatures on documents submitted from Singapore.
- Powers of attorney: Documents granting authority to another person to act on your behalf, which are frequently required to be witnessed by a Notary Public for use overseas.
- Statutory declarations: Declarations of fact made under oath or affirmation, required by overseas authorities for immigration, legal, or administrative purposes.
- Affidavits: Sworn statements of fact for use in foreign court proceedings or legal matters.
- Corporate resolutions: Board resolutions, directors' resolutions, and shareholder resolutions required for overseas corporate filings, registrations, or transactions.
- Contracts and agreements: Commercial contracts, deeds, and agreements that must be executed before a Notary Public as required by the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction or by the counterparty.
Mandatory Rule for Witnessing: Individual Notarial Certificates
Each document requires its own individual Notarial Certificate and its own individual Apostille.
Unlike certified true copies, documents for witnessing/attestation CANNOT be combined under a single Notarial Certificate.
One document may contain multiple signatures (all witnessed together in the same session).
This means that if you have three documents to be witnessed, you will require three separate Notarial Certificates and three separate Apostilles. The fee for each Notarial Certificate and each Apostille is charged individually. Please take this into account when calculating the total cost of your witnessing appointment.
Where a single document requires multiple signatories, all signatories should attend the same appointment so that the Notary Public can witness all signatures on that document in a single session. A single Notarial Certificate will be issued for that document, covering all signatures witnessed during that session.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
To ensure that your witnessing appointment proceeds smoothly, please bring the following:
- Unsigned documents: Bring all documents that require witnessing. The documents must be unsigned. Do not sign any of the documents before attending your appointment. The Notary Public must personally witness you signing the documents.
- Identification: Bring a valid form of identification. For Singapore citizens and permanent residents, this is your NRIC. For foreign nationals, this is your passport. The Notary Public is required to verify your identity before witnessing your signature.
Important: Do not sign the documents before your appointment. If you have already signed the documents, the Notary Public will not be able to witness your signature, and the documents may need to be reprinted for signing during the appointment.
After the Appointment: Collection of Apostille
After your witnessing appointment, the Notary Public will submit your Notarial Certificate(s) and the witnessed document(s) to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for the issuance of the Apostille. The Apostille is a separate certificate issued by SAL that authenticates the Notarial Certificate for use in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.
The Apostille is not issued on the same day as your witnessing appointment. Once the Apostille is ready, you will need to collect it directly from the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) — not from our office. Please refer to SAL's legalisation website for collection arrangements and contact details.