Notary Public Services in London, Apostille certificate, all locations

Notary Pubic London We are pleased to offer a full range of notary public services to the highest standard.

We use all of the latest and new technologies and innovations, to help and support our clients, who require the services of a notary public.

We are experienced and knowledgeable in all aspects of notary public work and we are a modern and dynamic firm, offering a quick and efficient notary service.

We understand that time is precious and matters to you and the importance of us being immediately available to you at short request, for urgent notarial matters, can be essential to you.

We provide a bespoke notary public service, tailored according to all of your specific notary public needs and requirements.

Examples of the notary public work types we can undertake for you, where we have years of experience, include but is not limited to, the following areas.

GENERAL SERVICES

Notary Public Certification
Witnessing & authenticating signatures
Affidavits & Oaths & Declarations
Certifying copies of documents & E-Notarisation

SPECIFIC SERVICES

Companies House Documents
Corporate/Company Powers of Attorney
Doctors and nurses transferring their employment to Australia
Indian High Commission – OCI & PIO Card Applications
Land Registry ID Forms
Life Certificate for private pension providers
Marriages overseas
Name Change / Change of name deeds
Parental Consent for child to travel Passport applications for minors
Passport & Identity Certification
Polish Service
Powers of Attorney
Selling property overseas
Sponsorship Declarations
United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Notary Stamp
Witnessing Wills
Albanian documents
Shqipëria dhe Kosova

Notary Public Certification

Legal documents, to be signed or created in the UK but which are then subsequently required to be submitted overseas outside of the UK, commonly require certification by an English Notary Public.

Different countries have different requirements for documents certified by a notary public. We are expert and extremely experienced in advising about the contrasting requirements of different countries.

We will take all reasonable steps, to notarise your document in a manner and form that can reasonably be expected, to be acceptable to the overseas country, where you will ultimately submit your document.

Additionally we will also advise you, if Foreign Office legalisation and/or consular legalisation are required by the overseas country, where you are planning to submit your document.

The fundamental purpose of a document certified by a notary public is to provide legal evidence and communicate and preserve information and authority. The certification of the notary public, as an official legal document, that can later be relied upon and recognised at law internationally, can often therefore become of significant importance.

Witnessing & authenticating signatures

Witnessing & Duthenticating Documents A fundamental request made of a notary public, is often to witness the signatures of parties to legal documents, all having previously been duly identified to the notary, by way of producing their passports and/or other proof of identification documents.

The notary public will normally write and record the following information on the document itself, and/or on an attached notarial certificate:

The signature of the notary public;
The date when the document was signed before the notary public;
The place where the document was signed.
Certain documents may require the notary to write on the document itself, the form of identification he took from each signing parties, including passport or drivers license numbers.

By authenticating a document in this way, an important and primary part of the notary public’s role and service to their client is completed, in that legal verification has been given to the document, which the client will now be able to safely submit and use abroad.

Please note as a standard part of our service to you we are able to supply you, as our client, with a full notarial certificate, confirming the witnessing and execution of the document and the verification of proof of identity documentation of the individual parties signing.

Affidavits & Oaths & Declarations

Any notary public is fully recognised at law as being duly authorised to administer Oaths and Affidavits and take Statutory Declarations, such authority being granted by the Statutory Declarations Act 1835.

The Court and Legal Services Act 1990 gives general notaries all of the legal powers of Commissioners for Oaths, as conferred by the Commissioner for Oaths Acts 1889 and 1891.

We are expert and experienced, in preparing Oaths and Affidavits and Statutory Declarations. Our clients are able to swear or declare their Oath or Affidavit with us and obtain notarisation of the same.

Please feel welcome to contact us to discuss you requirements and we are pleased to prepare and tailor a bespoke document according to your requirements.

Certifying copies of documents

We are pleased to make and certify copies of many types of original documents and confirm the genuine and authentic nature of the documents, after completing any necessary verification checks.

Certain jurisdictions and certain bodies may have a very specific form of wording required for the certification made by the notary e.g. Australian Medical Council requirements. It is important to ensure the wording used in the certification specifically follows and accords with exactly what is required by the overseas body or person to whom the document will be ultimately be sent.

Please be aware that we cannot certify copies of UK documents protected by Crown Copyright laws. For example if a British Birth Certificate or Marriage Certificate requires notarisation, then it is an original certificate supplied by the General Registry Office (GRO) that can be notarised.

Please note that the Legalisation department of the Foreign Office will only legalise the original of any document protected by Crown Copyright (e.g. a British Birth Certificate or Marriage Certificate). The Foreign Office will refuse to legalise a photo-copy of any document protected by Crown Copyright.

We offer a full range of ELECTRONIC NOTARISATION services and please contact us if you have an enquiry regarding any of the following:

Notary Public ADVANCED ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE (AES)

Notary Public QUALIFIED ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE (QES)

ELECTRONIC APOSTILLE also known as an ‘E-APOSTILLE’ – these are issued by the Legalisation Office of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

We are fully equipped to provide an online service for your documents to be electronically certified and electronically signed using either a Notary Public Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) or a Notary Public Qualified Electronic Signature (QES).

Documents we certify electronically satisfy the requirements of the FCDO Legalisation Office and are formatted so they can receive an Electronic E-Apostille.

Please see the following section of the notarypublic.london website for more information:

Electronic Notarisation & E-Apostille Services

Companies House Documents

We issue notary public certificates in relation to all documents held at the Companies House Registry of England and Wales (and also the Companies House registries of Scotland and also Northern Ireland).

This service may be required for example where a limited company is involved in a business matter overseas. The authenticity of the good standing of the company, by a notary public,is required by an overseas body, before the company may conduct itself overseas. Additionally the authority and standing of a Director of the Company, or an authorised signatory of the company, may require verification by a notary public. The notary may also supply and notarise a Certificate of Good Standing of the Company where this can be obtained from Companies House.

Please contact us if you are a limited company requiring the services of a notary public.

Corporate/Company Powers of Attorney

Limited companies often to appoint an attorney overseas to represent the company in the overseas jurisdiction as well as sign legal documentation on behalf of the limited company. Where this situation arises the company may decide to appoint an overseas lawyer or representative to execute documentation on behalf of the company. Where this situation arises the company may need to execute a corporate Power of Attorney before a notary public.

Generally the notary will need to make a full search at Companies House of the Company and obtain evidence that the director is genuinely recorded at Companies House as a Director of the company. The notary will also obtain identification documents from the director or directors signing on behalf of the company. Additionally the notary will obtain evidence that the director is duly authorised by the company to execute the documentation.

Special requirements exist under English law regarding the form of execution for deeds executed by companies. For a full guide to these requirements please see Land Registry Practice Guide 8 available at https://www.landregistry.gov.uk/professional/guides/practice-guide-8#guide-mark-23

Doctors and nurses transferring their employment to Australia

We commonly see doctors and nurses and other medical professionals who are transferring their employment from the UK to Australia. We are familiar with all of the notarial public requirements of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and are able to provide a fast and efficient service for bulk document notarisations.

Indian High Commission – OCI & PIO Card Applications

An ‘OCI Card’ (Overseas Citizen of India Card) is a special life-long multiple-entry visa visa which enables the holder to have unlimited travel and stay in India.

Eligibility for O.C.I. is restricted to persons who satisfy the following criteria:

Being a person eligible to become a citizen of India after 26 January 1950;
Being a person who was a citizen of India, on or any time after 26 January 1950;
Being a person who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15 August 1947;

In respect of the Notary Public requirements, we can assist in your application for an OCI Card to the Indian High Commission in London in the following way:

Preparing and Notarising your sworn Affidavit in which you swear that you have never held an Indian Passport at the same time as holding a British Passport and if applicable confirming the circumstances surrounding the surrender or loss of your Indian Passport;
Certifying copies of your supporting paperwork to be used in your application to the Indian High Commission in London e.g. birth certificate, school leaver certificates, naturalisation certificate, copy of your old Indian passport, etc;

A ‘PIO Card’ (Person Indian Origin Card) is a similar but different form of application to OCI with a different eligibility requirement.

We can also assist you with the Notary Public requirements for PIO application and hold the correct forms of legal precedent Affidavits to be used in your application.

Further information on OCI and PIO is available from the website of the Indian High Commission in London at https://www.hcilondon.gov.in

Life Certificate for private pension providers

Notaries provide this service to pensioners whose overseas private pension provider has asked them to supply a Certificate of life or Declaration of Existence. The purpose of the certificate given by the notary is to enable the pension holder to claim his pension by supplying evidence of the existence of the pension holder to the pension company.

Many pension companies provide their own standard form, although we are able to create and notarise a bespoke Life Certificate for you, in accordance with your specific requirements.

Please feel free to contact us if you require a Life Certificate.

Marriages overseas

If you are getting married overseas then congratulations on your engagement and we are pleased to see you and supply any notary public documentation you require.

Examples of the type of paperwork you may require may require between different counties but are likely to involve evidencing that you are lawfully free to marry. For example some countries may require a notarised and legalised Certificate of Non-impediment issued by the General Registry Office (GRO). Alternatively a different country may require you to male an Affidavit confirming your freedom to marry and confirming that you have never been previously married, or if that is not applicable, the details of your previous marriage and evidence of divorce from a previous marriage.

Obtaining the correct notarised documentation in good time for a forthcoming marriage, can be of vital importance, in the context that any failure to do so, can ultimately result in a planned marriage not being allowed to proceed.

Many countries will require legalisation by the Foreign Office and/or a Consulate of your paperwork and please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Name Change / Change of Name deeds

Notaries are able to prepare and complete Change of Name deeds for any person wishing to change their name.

Any person in the UK may is legally entitled to change their name whenever they wish (unless it is for fraudulent or illegal purposes). Common reasons for change of name include after a Divorce where a wife wishes to revert to her maiden name, a dislike of a current name, a desire for a less or more ethnic name.

Please note if a child’s name is to be changed, the change of name deed would normally be required to be signed by all parties holding Parental Responsibility for the child. Alterntively evidence of consent of all parties holding Parental Responsibility for the child should be produced.

We are pleased to see you to complete a Change of Name deed and please call us to discuss your requirements.

Parental Consent authority forms are required by certain countries for example the USA, in a situation where a minor child, is traveling with, either just one of his parents or, alternatively with an adult who is not a parent of the minor..

Examples of countries requiring a Parental Consent Form to be signed before a Notary Public in certain situations, include but are not limited to the following:

Australia
Canada
Chile
China
Dubai
The Dominican Republic
France
Germany
India
Japan
Mexico
Spain
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
United States of America
Vietnam

We are pleased to draft the Parental Consent Form for you to sign and notarise the same for you.

If the required form of the Parental Consent Form is an Affidavit then we will administer and notarise the Oath for you.

Passport & Identity Certification

We provide a full passport certification service and after making any verification checks are able to supply the proper form of certification required by banks, accountancy firms and law firms according to the Money Laundering Regulations.

Commonly this is by way of stating that:

The notary public has seen the original passport from which the notary has made the notarised copy passport personal details page, duly certified to be a true copy of the original.
Additionally if applicable, the notary public will certify that he or she has met in person with the passport holder and that the photo-graph shown in the passport particulars page bears a true and accurate likeness to the passport holder.
We also certify other proof of identity documents in a similar form, including photo-driver’s licenses and proof of address documents such as bank statements and utility bills. Full notary public certificates may be attached to the proof of identity documents in accordance with our client’s particular requirements and needs.

Passport applications for minors

Passport applications made for and on behalf of minors, require in certain countries such as the USA, the application to be submitted by both parents.

However if both parents cannot be present to make the Passport application for their minor child, then a Consent Form may be required from the non-appearing parent, authorising the other parent, to apply for and obtain the Passport for the minor child.

Typically the Parental Consent form must be signed before a Notary Public, who is required to witness and notarise the same by attaching his seal and stamp of office.

We are pleased to assist parents requiring a notary public for this service and are able to respond to urgent requests at short notice.

Powers of Attorney

Notaries are often involved in authenticating powers of attorney for use in foreign jurisdictions. Commonly the power of attorney will be prepared by overseas lawyers and in appropriate cases, by the client.

The power of attorney will be prepared either in a foreign language or in a bilingual form, e.g. in English on one side of a page and the foreign language on the other side of the page. The formal requirements for the execution of a power of attorney will vary between different countries, although part of the notary’s role will be to ensure that the power of attorney is executed in a manner which is acceptable to the jurisdiction, where it i ultimately going to be sent.

We recommend that powers of attorney are executed in duplicate, so that our client may retain an original copy for future reference. We recommend this as a safeguard should the copy held by your attorney ever be lost or altered. Additionally if the client ever needed to revoke the power of attorney at a future time, by retaining an additional copy the revocation process is in practice considerably easier.

Please also feel welcome to contact us if you wish for us to prepare your power of attorney or obtain a translation.

Selling property overseas

We regularly act for private individuals and companies involved in buying and selling houses and real estate overseas.

A notary is required where the person or company buying or selling the property overseas, is based in the UK and it is unrealistic for the client to travel overseas to his foreign conveyancing lawyer to sign paperwork.

Please contact us if you are involved in buying or selling property in a foreign country and need to see a notary public.

Sponsorship Declarations

Declarations of Sponsorship are often required where a client wishes to sponsor a visa application of a family member, blood relative or spouse, who is an overseas national resident abroad and who wishes to visit the sponsor in the UK. An example of a client wishing to make a Sponsorship Declaration might be a current British national and resident, who previously held Indian or Pakistan citizenship and who wishes for his parents to visit him for a short period in the UK.

Typically the sponsor will confirm his UK income and assets in the declaration and confirm and undertake that he will give full financial support to the individual he is sponsoring, throughout their stay in the UK. By making the Sponsorship Declaration, the sponsor is intending to increase the prospects of the party he is sponsoring, to obtain a visa to visit the United Kingdom.

In additional to the Sponsorship Declaration usual drafted by the notary, the sponsor will normally produce to the notary the supporting evidence, to be used in the Sponsorship application, for notarisation. This might include some or all of the following documentation:

Bank statements
Wage slips
Tenancy Agreement (or if applicable Land Registry title to evidence ownership of real estate)
Employment contract
Accountants Report
Copy of HMRC tax return
HMRC P60 form

We have a full range of precedent Sponsor Declarations which can be tailored according to your requirements. We are pleased to see you to discuss your requirements and needs.

United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)

Any document required to be submitted in any Emirate of the U.A.E. (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain) may have special requirements and please contact us to discuss these.

Generally legalisation by the Foreign Office in addition to legalisation by the UAE Consulate in London may be required. The legalisation fee charged by the UAE Consulate in London is £30 per document for a document relating to a private individual and £410 per document for a document relating to a limited company or which has a corporate element.

The UAE Consulate in London will not legalise notarised copies of education certificates that have been obtained outside of the UK.

Witnessing Wills

NOTARY PUBLIC SERVICES PAGE. also TRANSLATION PAGE Overseas Wills relating to overseas assets that are to be signed and executed in the United Kingdom are often required to be signed before a notary public.

The testamentary requirements and rules of different countries will vary, according to what form of execution will ensure that the Will is validly executed. In some cases the notary is required to notarise the Will in addition to two witnesses, the testator and the witnesses having been identified to the notary. In other cases the notary may be permitted to act as one of the two witnesses.

We are expert in Wills and hold full membership of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), an international organisation of Wills and Probate experts

Typical timescales for notarial instructions

For notary public instructions a typical matter may be completed at the meeting itself without need for further meetings.

For notary public instructions a matter involving fast/express legalisation may be completed in 1-4 hours after which your papers are ready for collection or delivery to you. For notary public instructions a matter involving standard speed legalisation, your matter may be completed by either the following working day or after two working days, after which your papers are ready for collection or delivery to you.

For example on the standard speed, for a meeting completed before 11am deadline on a working day, your documents will be ready by 4:30pm on the following working day. For a meeting completed after a 11am deadline on a working day, your documents will be ready by 4:30pm in two working days time.

For notary public instructions a matter involving legalisation and consular legalisation, the time scale will vary according to the consulate. We will automatically timescale confirmation in any quotation given to you.

Key stages for notarial work

Generally a notarial instruction will involve a meeting with you during which you present your proof of identify documents and supply information about yourself including contact details.

If apostille/legalisation and/or consular legalisation or translation services are additionally required then those stages will usually take a matters of days although time scales are always supplied in writing to you.

Reserved legal activities and other legal activities

Aside from pure notary public work we also undertake the following activities:

Probate
Wills
Trusts
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Property and conveyancing work
Advice for Guarantee Agreements required for mortgage loans

Typical timescales for reserved legal activities

The following are reserved legal activities:

- Probate
- Wills
- Trusts
- Lasting Powers of Attorney
- Property and conveyancing workThe time scales for these activities will vary from case to case but are typically as follows:

- Probate
  the terms the “executor’s year” is commonly used to indicate an expectation that a deceased estate should reasonably be expected to be administered within a calendar year from the date of death

- Wills
  we aim where ever possible for a simple Will to draft your Will at your Will instruction meeting where you will also execute your Will. More complex Wills will usually require at least two meetings. If mental capacity test are required then reasonable time must be allowed for an assessment to be undertaken and for a report to be prepared.

- Trusts
  we aim where ever possible for a relatively straight forward Trust Deed to draft your Trust deed at your instruction meeting where you will also execute your deed. More complex Trusts will usually require at least two meetings.

- Lasting Powers of Attorney
  potentially these can be drafted and executed at the same meeting although more usually two meetings are required.If mental capacity test are required then reasonable time must be allowed for an assessment to be undertaken and for a report to be prepared.Lasting Powers of Attorney must be registered at the Office of the Public Guardian. A process which takes approximately 2-3 months

Property and conveyancing work
We no longer undertake the more lenghty complex commercial property or re- mortgage transactions or residential sale and purchase transactions at full market value between unconnected parties. The transfer of equity type of conveyancing work we undertake typically takes 1-2 weeks to complete including the registration application at the Land Registry.