Are you looking to save time and avoid travelling and benefit from online notary service? It is often possible to provide remote electronic notarisation of certain documents, depending on the type of notarisation that is required.
Can a Notary Public Notarise a Document Online?
If we are required to notarise documents to confirm they are authentic- remote or online electronic notarisation is possible. At White Horse Notary Public, we have successfully carried out digital notarisations using the internationally recognised eIDAS Regulation standard “Qualified Electronic Signature” for use overseas and will continue to advise clients on the best course of action in this area. The resulting “qualified electronic signature” is recognised as having the same legal effect as a handwritten wet-ink signature. Examples of documents you may want a notary public to authenticate via remote electronic notarisation include:
- Identity Documents including but not limited to Passports, Driving Licence, ID Cards etc
- Degree Certificates
- Declarations
- Criminal Record Checks i.e. DBS
- Police certificates
- TEFL certificates
- Employment letters
- School letters
- A-Level/ GCSE certificates
- GP reports
Please note that the above list is not intended to be exhaustive. There are many other documents that can be notarised online using the remote electronic notarisation method. Please do get in touch with us with any specific enquiries and we can advise accordingly.
What is the process I need to follow to use the remote electronic notarisation service?
There are still some documents that you will need to email us scans of. For example, photographic ID and a signed letter authorising the document issuer to verify it to us, but we can advise on what is required for the remote electronic notary services to be feasible. Please do get in touch with us with your enquiry.
When are online notary services not possible?
For documents that require a signature on the document to be notarised, online notarisation would not be possible. These documents require the person signing to appear before the notary public with photographic ID, and to sign the document in front of the notary.
We are often asked if we can identify the person and witness them sign via video call. The guidelines published by our regulator state that this should not be done, as there are certain checks that have to be made which can only be done in person. There are other circumstances in which remote or electronic signatures are not able to be or should not be used, and English law does not currently allow us to formally take or administer oaths or act as witnesses to deeds or other documents unless we are in the physical presence of our client.
How do you notarise a document on the internet?
A notary public can notarise a document online to confirm that it is authentic. You may need to email us a scanned image of the document and photographic ID, or you may need to video or voice call our office. We will explain everything that is required and the costs.
Can a notary public notarise from another country?
White Horse Notary Public are based in London, but we offer a truly international notary service. Some of our clients are based in other countries, and never need to step into our office.
If you’re based abroad and want to notarise a document, we can do this without a face-to-face appointment in London.
Whether you’re an individual living abroad, or setting up a business overseas, an online remote electronic notarisation service could help save you time and money.
Can apostille or consular legalisation also be done online or remotely?
Once your document has been notarised online or remotely, we can also arrange for it to be apostilled and/or legalised remotely, even if you are based abroad or do not wish to take out the time to visit our office.
There may be additional documents that you will need to send us – this depends on the requirements of the consulate, but usually these can be scanned and emailed to us, or posted to us.
Please contact us for costs, timescales and additional requirements associated with apostille and/or consular legalisation.
Why choose White Horse Notary Public for online notary services?
- We are renowned for providing professional services at an excellent affordable price
- We have a an immaculate 5* rating on Google Reviews, showing that our clients are highly satisfied
- We are based in London, and accommodate appointments for evenings and weekends if required
Interested in using an online notary to notarise your documents?
Call us now on 020 3817 7502 or email info@whitehorsenotarypublic.com
White Horse Solicitors & Notary Public
96 White Horse Lane
London E1 4LR
Parking
Private Car Park Bays for clients at the rear of our Office
Bus
The 25, 309 and 205 buses run closest to our Office
Nearest Tube Station:
Stepney Green Underground tube station – (District Line) – (1 minute walk to our Office)
Mile End and Whitechapel Underground Tube Station – (Central Line) – (7 – 10 minutes walk to our Office)
OUR REVIEWS
FAQ’S
A Notary Public (also referred to as a ‘Public Notary’ or simply as a ‘Notary’ is a public officer & is a specialist lawyer authorised to witness, authenticate or certify documents for use in countries around the world. Solicitors & Barristers in the UK owe a duty of care towards their clients. In contrast a Notary Public owes a duty of care to the document he is notarising.
The short answer is yes. In certain instances it may be necessary to change a lettered translation of the document into English. Our Notary Public can advise you on whether this is required – If this is required the Notary can assist with obtaining a certified translation. If you do require notarisation of a document which is in a foreign language, please do contact our Notary Public & he will be happy to explain any specific requirements.
We provide notarial services to both our individual & business clients. We have years of experience in accommodating the needs of both of our individual & corporate institutions. Please visit our pages for ‘Services for Individuals’ & ‘Services for Businesses’ for more details.
An Apostille is a certificate issued by the foreign or commonwealth office in the UK & is the authentication of a document for use in another country.
The Apostille certificate confirms the signature, seal & stamp of the Notary Public to be genuine so that it is accepted when presented in another country outside the UK. The Apostille assures that any documents fraudulently ‘notarised’, purporting to be a Notary Public is not recognised & therefore reduces the risk of fraudulent documents being circulated around the world.
If the document being notarised is to be received by a country that is a signatory to the Apostille convention of 1961 – it is likely that you will require an Apostille. The purpose of the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961 is that once the country becomes a member/signatory there should no longer be any requirement for separate consular or embassy legalisation as long as the document has been notarised and apostilled. Our Notary Public will be happy to advise you on whether the recipient of the document will require an Apostille. If an Apostille is required, our Notary Public can advise you on the process of obtaining one, the cost & can arrange this for you.
We cater for all your urgent notarial needs & have a robust system in place to cater for your urgent needs. Unfortunately- the UK government have ceased the same day apostille service in London (save some limited types of documents). Our in-house courier will ensure that if required with an additional fee, the Apostille is obtained next day & country specific consular or embassy legalisation is obtained the following day if this is applicable.
If we are required to notarise documents to confirm they are authentic- remote or online electronic notarisation is possible on certain documents. At White Horse Notary Public, we have successfully carried out digital notarisations using the internationally recognised eIDAS Regulation standard “Qualified Electronic Signature” for use overseas and will continue to advise clients on the best course of action in this area. The resulting “qualified electronic signature” is recognised as having the same legal effect as a handwritten wet-ink signature.
Although many countries have become members/signatures to The Hague Apostille convention of 1961 – there still remains many countries around the world that are not signatures/members of the convention. This means that if your document is being received in a country who is not a signature/member is it likely that further legalisation of the document will be required by the consular or embassy of the receiving country.
Our Notary Public has comprehensive knowledge of the legalisation requirements for all the countries around the world & will be happy to advise you accordingly in relation to your specific requirements.
To comply with money laundering regulations, a Notary Public must confirm your identity. Our Notary Public would expect you to bring with you your current unexpired passport or your full photo card driver’s license as a proof of identification. You will also be expected to produce proof of residency which is no more than 3 months old – this can be by way of bank statement or utility bill issued to you.
For more information on specific identification requirements please check our ‘Identification’ page
The cost will depend on the number of documents you require notarising. Our charge for one document starts at £60. We do not charge VAT & there are no hidden charges. If you require an Apostille, consular or Embassy legalisation, the cost will depend on the number of documents & how quickly you require the documents to be apostilled &/or legalised.
Our Notary Public offers home or office visits & out of hours service (including weekends) by prior appointment. This service will incur on additional charge. Please do let us know if you require our out of hours/office service.