At this stage, we do not ‘digitally’ notarise electronic documents.
All documents for notarisation must be in physical form (ie, printed on paper), and you must bring those documents with you (see related FAQ).
We acknowledge that as technology continues to advance, traditional areas of law such as notary public services will eventually need to evolve and embrace the concept of notarising an electronic document. Although Australia has yet to recognise the role of an ‘e-notary’ or accept ‘electronic notarisation’, other countries such as the US appear to be more advanced in this regard.
For the time being, we have raised this issue with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but have been advised that they have not considered the issue as yet. In our view, it is only a matter of time.
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?