Notary Public FAQs

A notary public is a lawyer that can authenticate or legalise documents for use abroad. A signature or seal will indicate that the documents have been certified.

You will need to provide proof of identity (eg a passport or driving licence) and confirmation of your address (eg a council tax bill or utility bill).

You will also need to bring any relevant documentation. Documents can be sent in advance of your appointment – you can send a copy in the post or by email/fax.

You will be given an indication of our fees in advance of your appointment. Please call 0113 232 1030 to speak to our notary public.

Your appointment will likely take between 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the notarial services required. Our notary public will advise you in advance if your appointment is likely to be longer.

Except for notarial certificates verifying the authenticity of original documents such as passports, degree certificates or other formal documents, we do not prepare documents as part of our notarial services.

The document you require should be available online or will be prepared by a lawyer in the jurisdiction in which it is intended to be used. If you are uncertain about which document you require, you should ask the individual who has requested a notarised copy and they should be able to provide it. Alternatively, our notary can enquire on your behalf if you provide their contact details.

Our notary Will Armstrong will talk you through the document to ensure you understand the statement you have been asked to sign. He will also ensure you are signing at your own freewill.

Our notary will then add his signature and seal to certify the document. If it needs to be legalised by an embassy or Foreign & Commonwealth Office, we can arrange this for you with secure delivery to the intended recipient abroad.