Notary services

A notary public is a specially qualified, independent legal professional whose primary role is to authenticate and certify documents, identities and signatures for use internationally. In England and Wales, they represent the oldest branch of the legal profession (over two thousand years old and found during the time of the Republic of Rome’s early Empire) and are regulated by the Master of the Faculties through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

While many notaries are also qualified solicitors, their role as a notary is distinct: a solicitor generally acts on behalf of a specific client in domestic legal matters, whereas a notary acts impartially to verify facts so that foreign courts, registries, and businesses can trust that a document is genuine.

You typically need a notary when you are conducting personal or business transactions that involve a foreign jurisdiction. Because overseas authorities can’t easily verify your identity or the authenticity of UK paperwork, they rely on a notary's global recognition.

Common reasons for using a notary include:

• corporate transactions: authenticating company incorporation documents, director identities, or board minutes for overseas branches.

• personal documentation: certifying paperwork for international marriages, visas, foreign adoptions, or overseas employment (such as degree certificates or police checks).

• buying or selling overseas property: managing land deeds or foreign mortgages.

• granting Powers of Attorney: authorising someone abroad to act on your behalf.

When a document is notarised, it means a notary public has officially certified its validity or verified facts.

To notarise a document, the notary will typically:

1. Verify identity and capacity: check your photo ID and proof of address, and ensure you fully understand the document you are signing.

2. Witness signatures: watch you sign the document in real-time (usually in person).

3. Attach a certificate: attach a formal, secure notarial certificate directly to the document, which is then validated with the notary's unique signature and official embossed ink seal.

While notarisation confirms that a document's signatures and contents are legitimate, legalisation (or authentication) is a secondary government check. It proves to a foreign authority that the notary's own signature and seal are genuine.

• Apostille: for countries belonging to the Hague Convention, legalisation is completed by obtaining an ’Apostille’ certificate. In the UK, this is issued exclusively by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office.

• Consular legalisation: if the destination country is not part of the Hague Convention (such as the UAE or Qatar), the document must go through a further step where it is stamped by that specific country's embassy or consulate.

Notarisation is legally required whenever the receiving country's laws, personals therein or institutions demand it to make a transaction legally binding.

There is no blanket UK law that dictates when a document must be notarised, because the requirement is almost always driven by foreign law.