Authentication
Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) provides authentication services for the signatures of Notaries Public appointed in Singapore.
Legalisation is not compulsory and the need for notarisation is determined entirely by the party receiving the documents. If notarisation is desired, then these documents must be notarised and be authenticated and legalised by SAL.
All documents that require notarisation by a Notary Public in Singapore will have to be authenticated and legalised by SAL.
A Notarial Certificate must be issued for ALL documents notarised by a Notary Public and be bound by a Red Ribbon in the SAL prescribed format.
A Notary Public will issue the Notarial Certificate upon payment of the Authentication Fee. When the notarised document is presented at the SAL an Apostille will be issued in place of the Authentication Certificate and Legalisation stamp. The notarised document is deemed as authenticated and legalised by SAL.
A Notarial Certificate must be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law in order to be valid. A Notarial Certificate shall be deemed to be validly authenticated by the affixing of an Apostille to the back of the Notarial Certificate.
The following payments are payable at the Notary Public’s office:
Notarisation Fee to the Notary Public; and
Authentication Fee of $85.60 (incl of GST) to the Singapore Academy of Law.
Legalisation
Legalisation is a process of document authentication observed by international governments. If you intend to use a document overseas then local authorities may require it to be legalised before it can be considered valid.
You can get official Singapore documents legalised by asking SAL to confirm that the signature, stamp or seal is from a Singapore public official. At SAL, an officer will verify the authority (stamp of appointment) and signature of the Singapore notary public and ensure that the notarised document is in compliance with the Notaries Public Rules.
You might need to do this if an official in another country has asked you to provide a Singapore document and they have said it must be legalised.
Apostilles to be Issued for all Documents Legalised by SAL
SAL will affix an Apostille Certificate on all Singapore documents bound overseas which requires authentication and legalisation.
An Apostille is a certificate authenticating the origin of a public document.
A document intended for use in a country or territory which is a Contracting Party to the Apostille Convention will need to be legalised by SAL. Members of the public can proceed to submit the document directly to the overseas recipient after the document has been legalised by SAL.
SAL will affix Apostilles for ALL documents irrespective of which country the document is destined to be used. Once the Apostille has been issued to a document, it can then be presented outside of Singapore in any member country and will be accepted as a document containing legitimate legal signatures or seals.
If the document is to be used in a non-member country and territory, not party to the Apostille Convention, the document will require further legalisation through the relevant foreign embassy in Singapore, and should be presented to the consular section of the mission representing that country.
Legalising a Government Document
Certified True Copy
A photocopying fee of $1.07 is payable for every Certified True Copy document (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, etc.) legalised (regardless of the number of pages).
Certified True Document
Original documents issued by the Singapore Government (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, etc.) will be directly legalised. Computer-generated documents will only be able to be legalised after they have been certified by the issuing department.
To Certify True Document, legalisation stamp cannot be affixed on laminated documents. If you need to legalise an original document that has been laminated, please request the issuing agency to
issue a certified true copy for legalisation (SAL will then legalise the document by Certifying True Signature); or
issue an extract of the original document for legalisation (SAL will then legalise the document by Certifying True Document);
Legalising a Non-government Document
Non-government documents can only legalise after they have been referred to a Notary Public (any law firm offering notarial services) for notarisation and then to SAL for certification.
Legalising Commercial Documents
Commercial documents such as Invoices, Bills of Sales, Certificates of Origin, Fumigation certificates, etc. can be legalised after they have been certified or seen by any of the four Chambers of Commerce (International, Chinese, Indian or Malay) or the Singapore Manufacturers' Association.
Cost
The Legalisation Fee for each document legalised is S$10.70 (including GST).
For requests for legalisation of Certified True Copies, a photocopying fee of $1.07 is payable for every Certified True Copy legalised (regardless of the number of pages). This is a flat fee.
Legalisation fees will be WAIVED for all notarised documents. Please inform your Notary Public that you require your documents to be legalised after notarisation
Bundling Multiple Documents together with one Notarial Certificate
Subject to the requirements of the embassy and recipient country, bundling is allowed only for Certified True Copies, i.e. more than one document (i.e. Certified True Copy) can be bundled with one notary certificate.
One Notarial Certificate for Each Document
It is mandatory for all notaries public to issue a Notarial Certificate for each document attested by the notary public. For multiple copies of the same document, a separate Notarial Certificate is required for each copy. The only exception applies for Certified True Copies.
Commissioners for Oaths
Commissioners for oaths who are advocates and solicitors are only competent to take any affidavit or affirmation or for the swearing of executors and administrators and of taking and receiving Statutory Declarations.
Notaries Public
A notary public's duty is to attest deeds, contracts, and other instruments that are to be used abroad and to give a certificate of the due execution of such documents duly authenticated by his signature and notarial seal. Unlike commissioners for oaths, a notary public is in a position to witness a document signed in front of him which is in a foreign language.
The practical functions of a notary public follow those applicable in England, with some variations, and are principally as follows: -
a. Administer any oath or affirmation in connection with any affidavit or statutory declaration which is executed-
For the purpose of confirming or proving the due execution of any document;
By any master or member of the crew of any vessel in respect of any matter concerning the vessel; or
For the purpose of being used in any court or place outside Singapore;
b. Take or attest any affidavit or statutory declaration referred in (a).
Appoint a Proxy
You may appoint Bestar to carry out the Legalisation on your behalf. Contact us.
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