If you are required to present documentation originating from South Africa or you need to sign documentation for use in another country, it is likely that such documentation must first go through a process of being legalised, or otherwise commonly referred to as “authenticated”. The type of authentication or seal/endorsement required depends on the document type.
Sometimes, foreign authorities require only certified copies of documents (eg. Passports) without High Court Apostilles.
In this case, a Notary Public will examine the original document and the copy thereto and provide his or her seal, signature and enclose the same undercover of a Notarial Certificate to confirm that the copy is a true copy of the original document.
This process is similar to having copies of documents certified at your local Police Station, except copies commissioned by Commissioners of Oaths (ie. Police Officers) can only be used within the Republic of South Africa, whereas Notarised copies can be recognised abroad.
Moreoever, the process of Notarising documents requires the drafting of a Notarial Certificate and the application of a seal. it is more onerous for the Notary Public and therefore, a nominal fee is attached to this service.
We charge a nominal fee of R 750.00 inclusive of VAT, which includes the following:-
- A telephonic or email consultation with one of our attorneys to discuss the document or documents needing legalisation and discussing the way forward;
- The drafting of a Notarial Certificate; and
- A consultation with our Notary Public in order to Notarise the document.
Once the document has been notarised, the notary will provide it to you directly or you can collect it from our reception.