Using a Singapore Notary Public as a Foreigner, Expatriate or Visitor

Singapore Notaries Public act for anyone who appears before them, regardless of nationality or residence status. Expatriates working in Singapore, students, business visitors and tourists all use Singapore notaries for documents that must be signed here and used somewhere else. Typical examples include a power of attorney for a property sale at home, an affidavit for a foreign court, a consent letter, a company document for an overseas subsidiary, and certified copies of a passport for a bank or employer abroad.

The notary’s role is the same for everyone: confirm identity, witness the act, and issue a notarial certificate through the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) system so that the certificate can be apostilled or authenticated if the destination requires it.

A current passport is the standard identification for non-residents. Some notaries will also ask to see a Singapore pass, such as an employment pass or student pass, or evidence of your entry into Singapore, particularly if the document is significant. Bring the original passport; a photocopy or a photograph on a phone is not sufficient for identification.

The name on the document should match the passport exactly. If the document uses a shortened name, a married name not yet reflected in the passport, or a different transliteration, raise this with the notary before the appointment. The notary may be able to note the discrepancy in the certificate, or you may need to have the document corrected first.

A frequent misunderstanding is that a Singapore notary can “notarise” a foreign birth certificate, degree or company record so that it becomes valid abroad. A Singapore notary can certify that a copy matches the original you show them, and can witness you signing a statement about the document. What the notary cannot do is confirm that the foreign document is genuine, because they have no way to verify the issuing authority.

If the receiving organisation needs assurance that a home-country document is genuine, that assurance comes from an apostille or legalisation issued in the country that produced the document. Many people arrange that through family or a lawyer at home. A Singapore certified copy may still be useful for other purposes, so ask the recipient which it needs.

Many foreign documents arrive in the language of the destination country. A Singapore notary can witness a signature on a foreign-language document, but the notary must understand enough about it to act responsibly. The office may ask for a translation or summary, may ask questions about the document’s purpose, or may add a note in the certificate about the language. The SAL directory lists languages spoken and written by each professional, and NearbyNotary lets you filter by those languages, which can simplify the appointment.

If the recipient requires a certified translation, that is a separate task performed by a translator, with the translator’s declaration witnessed by the notary if necessary. The translations guide on this site explains the common formats.

A notarial certificate issued in Singapore is a Singapore public document. To be recognised in another country it generally needs an apostille from SAL if that country is a party to the Apostille Convention, or SAL authentication followed by legalisation at that country’s embassy in Singapore if it is not. The notary’s office can usually arrange the SAL step. For embassy steps, some embassies require the applicant to attend personally, which matters if your stay in Singapore is short.

If you are leaving Singapore soon, say so when booking. The office can tell you whether the apostille can be issued electronically and delivered to you after departure, and whether any embassy step must be completed before you leave.

Singapore notarial fees are set out in the Notaries Public Rules, and SAL’s authentication fee is published in its FAQ. Offices usually quote in Singapore dollars and accept local payment methods; ask about card payment or transfer if you do not carry cash. A quote should list the notarial act, each certificate, the SAL fee and any courier or embassy handling charge.

Most notaries work in law firms with normal office hours and appointment systems. Walk-in service is uncommon for non-trivial documents. Contact the office before travelling, send the document in advance where the office allows, and confirm the professional’s name against the SAL directory.

• Bring your original passport and, if asked, your Singapore pass.
• Bring the complete, unsigned document and any supporting documents the recipient requires.
• Tell the office the destination country and whether you are leaving Singapore soon.
• Ask whether an electronic apostille can be delivered after you leave.
• Ask for an itemised quote in writing before the appointment.