No. We know that some countries (like India) sometimes print their legal documents on special paper, commonly known as stamp paper or bonded paper – which is a form of prepaid duty. Please be aware that this kind of paper is not available in Australia.
If your document must be prepared on this kind of paper, you need to arrange for your lawyer in that country to prepare it for you and send you the hard copy by mail.
Notarising your document without stamped paper
If your lawyer sends you the document as an electronic file to be printed in Australia, you will probably only be able to print it on paper that is readily available in Australia – such as A4, although in our experience this has not been an issue as the document may need to be formally “stamped” or marked once it reaches the intended destination country and the relevant duty has been paid.
In the past, clients have purchased stamps from Australia Post and attached those stamps to their documents! However, we suspect that this will not satisfy the requirements of any foreign country with respect to their local duty liability. We DO NOT recommend this course of action without proper and competent legal advice from a lawyer admitted to practise in the intended destination country.
FAQs for documents requiring notary public services
If you have questions regarding documents for your intended destination country, please review the frequently asked questions here or call our office on 02 9687 8885 to speak to our notary public.
- Do you prepare documents for overseas?
- Do you have stamp paper or bonded paper?
- Do you have any templates for what the document needs to look like or the wording?
- Do my documents need to be in English or in any other language?
- My documents are on email or in a USB stick, can I print them at your office?
- Will you notarise an electronic document?
- Will you bind my documents?
- If I need certified copies of original documents, do I need to bring my own copies?
- Do I need to bring the document myself or I can send someone else?
- My document needs to be witnessed but I have already signed it. Can it still be notarised?
Do you have any questions regarding this article?
Whether you’re notarising a document for the first time or the hundreth time, the requirements, processes, and terms can be confusing and daunting – or just a pain and a hassle (especially if you need an apostille, or to authenticate or legalise as well). Don’t worry! We’re here to simplify it, explain it, and help you with what you need to achieve it.
Contact us or visit our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about our notary public services. We’ve also created a flowchart to help explain notarisation, apostille, authentication and legalisation.
So, what’s next?
Visit our Notary Fees page for a free quote for our notary public services or just call us on +61 2 9687 8885 to speak with our friendly team about your requirements.
Why choose Phang Legal for your notary public services?
We’re a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney known for our experience and expertise in notarising documents for other countries, our low-cost fixed fees and service offering, and our availability to help on short notice. With our offices conveniently located in Parramatta, the geographic centre of the Sydney metropolitan area, we help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely notary public services.
Notary Public
This website is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm in Parramatta and a leading provider of quality notary public services to satisfied clients across Sydney.
Ern Phang is a director of Phang Legal and a notary public (since 2005). Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the issues faced by his clients in sending documents to other countries.