Crossbows LLP | Notarial & Commissioning Services
Frequently Asked QuestionsYou Have Questions?
Do I need to make an appointment to get my documents notarised?
We would highly recommend making an appointment. Just call us at 6532 9980 or send us an email. This will ensure that your work is handled in an efficient manner.
Do I really need my documents to be certified by a Notary if I am using them in another country?
You don't need to but in certain circumstances, you may be required to do so by the party in the other jurisdiction.
Parties in other countries may not have any knowledge that the document you have produced to them has been validly executed or if it is a true copy of the original.
The process of Notarizing documents removes any doubts as to validity and/or authenticity.
How long will it take before I get my documents certified and a Notarial Certificate issued?
If you are not required to provide a chain of authentication, ie, authentication by the Singapore Academy of Law, verification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and legalisation by embassy, you can expect the document along with the Notarial Certificate to be ready within half an hour.
If a complete chain of authentication is required, this can take about 7 working days.
Please do bear in mind that we have no control over the external agencies mentioned and our estimation is just that - an estimation.
Must I be present at the Notary’s office or can I just send the documents to you?
If you are required to sign the document in the presence of a Notary, then you must be present at the office. Our Notary cannot witness your signature if you have not signed the document before him.
Are the charges negotiatiable? Can you give me a discount?
No, Notarial fees are prescribed by law and are not negotiable. Notaries are in fact not allowed to give discounts.
What do I need to bring along when I come and see you?
That depends.
If you have been asked to sign a document before a Notary Public as a witness, apart from the document, bring along your identification document, which could be your identity card or your passport.
If you have been asked to have your documents certified as true copies of the originals by a Notary, bring along the original documents and your identification document.
I have multiple documents to be certified. Do I need multiple Notarial Certificates or just 1 Certificate?
It makes complete sense to have only 1 Notarial Certificate even if you have multiple documents, provided that these are prepared to be given to just 1 foreign based entity. This will save you considerable costs.
Unfortunately, if the foreign based entity requires a Notarial Certificate for each document, or if you are required to submit documents to different entities or if the embassy requires separate certificates, then you may have no choice but to have a certificate for each document.
I have been asked to get my documents 'apostilled'. Can you do this and how much will it cost?
Read about apostille and what this means here.
As highlighted, Notaries in Singapore do not issue apostilles and the only way to get your document authenticated and legalized is through the chain of authentication process as explained here.
Can you certify a document that is not in the English language?
If you mean certify a copy to be a true copy of the original even though the original is not in the English language, yes we can. Please do produce the original at the appointment.
Can you witness the signing of a document that is not in English?
Guidelines issued by the Singapore Academy of Law states that a Notary can do so as he/she is witnessing and attesting to the identity of the signature and not the validity of the contents of the document.
However, the guidelines further provide that it would be prudent for a Notary to only witness a such a document when there is an English equivalent of the document translated by an official interpreter and the deponent, ie, you, sign both documents, ie, the document in the foreign language and the English translation. So Yes, it is possible but subject to the Notary's discretion and his request for a translation before he witnesses the execution of the document.
I have lost my original documents but I have a certified true copy. Can you still certify my document to be true and correct?
We can only certify that the document is a true copy of the original certified true copy. We cannot certify that the copy is a true copy of the original if the original has not been produced to the Notary.
Can you notarise my documents and I then deal with the Singapore Academy of Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy on my own?
Yes, you certainly can and if you decide to do so, you would be saving yourself service costs but you will need to pay the charges imposed by the agencies mentioned, directly to them. For SAL, this would be $42.80 and for MFA, this would be $10. As for the Embassy, the fees vary between embassies and you would need to check with the embassy at which you need to get your documents legalised. You can also get us to do the legwork for you for a service fee - please call or email us with your requirements and we will give you a quote.
If you would like to make an appointment with us or just speak to us over the phone to see if we can meet your requirements, just call or send us an email with your questions/requirements and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Get In Touch
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Crossbows LLP
14 Robinson Road, Far East Finance Building, 07-02A
Singapore 048545
gulab@crossbows.com.sg
+65 6532-9980
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