FAQs
Below are answers to some of the questions I am most frequently asked about what a Notary Public does. If you have any other questions, please contact me.
- What does a notary do?
- Can I use a notary if I am a non-UK citizen?
- Do I need an English passport?
- Do I need to show you a valid passport if I am relying upon that document for proof of identity?
- What do you do to my document to validate it?
- How are documents legalised?
- Does the document need to be in English?
A notary deals with documents which will be used abroad by ‘witnessing’ or ‘authenticating’ documents which are being signed in front of them.
It is the role of the notary to ensure that the person is signing who they say they are; verifying the person is a key part of the job. The Notary’s confirmation is relied on in the country where the document is being used.
Yes, I will need to verify your identity in the usual way, from your passport, Driver’s Licence and proof of address.
No I will look at any of your proof of identity documents – including foreign passport and national identity document.
Yes, the documents you wish to use to prove your identity must be a valid and in date.
I will apply a stamp and sign to say I have verified your identity and depending upon the type of document I may also make other statements about how the document was signed before me.
Notarisation is the first stage in legalising your document – very often you will also need to have the document ‘apostilled’ at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – this is something I can arrange for. In some relatively rare cases it is also necessary for the document to be legalised at the receiving country’s consulate. This is also something I can advise on and arrange.
In almost all cases the document must be either in English or in the foreign language and officially translated by an authorised translator.