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  2. Notarial services

Notarial services

Last Updated
Wednesday, 10/11/2021

For more information or advice about notarial services, email legalisations.australia@dfat.gov.au or contact us online.

Notarial services are legal acts which allow a written record to be used for official or legal purposes. This includes using a document in a court of law.

The Australian Government can provide some notarial services. The services we provide depends if requested in Australia or overseas. We charge fees for our service.

  • Legalising documents in Australia
  • Legalising documents overseas
  • Certificates of no impediment

This page provides information on:

  • Australian Government notarial services
  • Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI)
  • witnessing signatures and certifying copies
  • verifying an apostille on a document
  • statutory declarations

In Australia, use an Australian Notary Public for most notarial services. See a Justice of the Peace to witness signatures or certify copies of documents.

Australian Government notarial services

Documents in Australia

The Australian Government can legalise some documents in Australia. We deliver this service through Australian Passport Offices in each state and territory.

We can only legalise Australian public documents that are:

  • originals issued by Australian government agencies or officials
  • originals issued by Australian tertiary education institutions
  • copies notarised by an Australian Notary Public

We issue an apostille or authentication certificate to legalise a document.

See how to request our notarial services in Australia.

Documents overseas

Australian consular officials can legalise many Australian documents overseas. They can also witness signatures, similar to what a Justice of the Peace would do in Australia.

We deliver this service through our embassies and consulates overseas.

See how to request our notarial services overseas.

Witnessing signatures and certifying copies of documents

Witnessing or certifying in Australia

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) doesn't witness signatures in Australia. It doesn't certify true copies of documents.

This applies to any document. Even if you plan to use the document overseas.

In Australia, Justices of the Peace provide these services.

Learn more about authorised witnesses (Attorney-General's Department).

Witnessing or certifying overseas

Consular officials can witness signatures on Australian documents overseas. They can also certify true copies of some documents and photographs. There's a fee for this service.

We deliver this service through our embassies and consulates overseas.

See how to request notarial services overseas.

Australian statutory declarations

A statutory declaration is a written statement of fact or belief. The person declaring the statement acknowledges that it is true and correct.

Learn more about statutory declarations (Attorney-General's Department).

Statutory declarations in Australia

DFAT doesn't witness statutory declarations in Australia. You must find a Justice of the Peace.

Statutory declarations overseas

Consular officials can witness Australian statutory declarations overseas. We deliver this service through our embassies and consulates overseas.

Note that Australian statutory declarations are for use only in Australia. Consular officials won't witness an Australian statutory declaration for use in a foreign country.

See how to request our notarial services overseas.

Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI)

If you're going overseas to get married, you may need a certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI).

DFAT can't advise if you'll need a CNI. You must ask the relevant authority in your destination if you need one. You can also ask an official from your destination's embassy or consulate in Australia.

If an official from your destination tells you to get a CNI, you can apply for one from DFAT. In Australia, or from overseas.

See how to apply for a Certificate of no Impediment (CNI) to marriage.

Verifying an apostille

You can verify apostilles issued by the Australian Government after 14 December 2015, online.

See verify an apostille (DFAT).

To verify an apostille issued before this date, contact your nearest Australian embassy or consulate or the Australian Passport Office.

Notary Publics

Australian Notary Publics provide notarial services. They notarise most types of documents for use overseas.

Notaries can also witness and certify copies of documents for use overseas.

You can find a Notary Public using each state or territory listing:

  • ACT Public Notaries Public in the ACT
  • NSW Public Notaries
  • Northern Territory Public Notaries
  • Queensland Public Notaries 
  • South Australian Public Notaries 
  • Tasmanian Public Notaries 
  • Victorian Public Notaries 
  • Western Australian Public Notaries

DFAT maintains a database of signatures for Australian Notary Publics.

Justices of the Peace

In Australia, a Justice of the Peace (JP) can help you with some notarial services.

JPs are independent and objective witnesses. They witness documents used for official or legal purposes.

Contact a JP if you need an official to:

  • witness an oath or affidavit
  • take a statutory declaration or affirmation
  • witness a signature
  • attest the execution of a document
  • certify a true copy of an original document

A JP's signature is recognised anywhere in Australia. However, DFAT can't legalise documents certified by a JP.

Each state or territory publishes a list of authorised JPs:

  • ACT Justices of the Peace
  • NSW Justices of the Peace
  • NT Justices of the Peace
  • Qld Justices of the Peace
  • South Australian Justices of the Peace
  • Tasmanian Justices of the Peace
  • Victorian Justices of the Peace
  • Western Australian Justices of the Peace

Learn more about authorised witnesses (Attorney-General's Department).

Read more

  • How to request notarial services in Australia or overseas.
  • Read about getting married overseas. You may need to apply for a certificate of no impediment (CNI) to marriage.
  • Understand how and when we can help. Read the Consular Service Charter.

See also

  • Verify an apostille (DFAT).
  • We deliver notarial services overseas through embassies and consulates (DFAT).
  • See the list of Australian Passport Office locations (Australian Passport Office).
  • Learn more about authorised witnesses (Attorney-General's Department).

 

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Need to verify an Apostille?

Use our online portal

Verify an apostille

Related content

Notarial services (legalising documents) overseas

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides notarial services overseas. We deliver these services through our embassies and consulates.

View details
Notarial services (legalising documents) in Australia

Explore this page for information about how to find out if you need your document legalised and which documents we can legalise in Australia.

View details
Documents we can legalise

Foreign authorities may request a document to be issued with an Apostille or an Authentication certificate before they will accept it. This is called ‘legalisation’.

View details

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  • Document Legalisation Request Form (PDF 1.69 MB)
  • Application for Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (PDF 347.49 KB)
  • DFAT Identity Certificate - Identity certification only (PDF 21.33 KB)
  • DFAT Identity Certificate - Witnessing Signature and Identity Certification (PDF 22.01 KB)
  • De Facto Relationship Letter (PDF 28.03 KB)

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Emergency consular assistance

The Australian Government provides 24-hour consular emergency assistance.

+61 2 6261 3305 from overseas

1300 555 135 from within Australia

For how we can help you overseas see the Consular Services Charter.

Enquiries and feedback

For non-urgent enquiries, or to provide feedback on consular services that you've recently received, contact us online.

For information on notarial services, email legalisations.australia@dfat.gov.au

For information about Australian visas, contact the Department of Home Affairs.

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Smartraveller is provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

For more information go to about us.

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  • HomeHome
  • Before you go
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      • Female genital mutilation
      • Forced marriage
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  • Destinations
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  • While you're away
    • When things go wrong
      • Arrested or jailed
      • Lost property
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      • Robbed or mugged
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    • Crisis or emergency
      • Demonstration
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    • Australia's biosecurity and border controls
  • Urgent helpLinks to help
  • Our servicesLinks to services
    • Consular Services Charter
      • Arabic
      • Chinese Simplified
      • Chinese Traditional
      • Indonesian
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
    • Travel advice explained
    • Subscription
    • Crises
    • Passport services
    • Notarial services
      • Documents
      • Documents in Australia
      • Documents overseas
      • Certificate of No Impediment
      • Notarial forms
    • Voting overseas
    • Communities
      • العربية (Arabic)
      • Bahasa Indonesia
      • 中文 简体 (Chinese Simplified)
      • 中文繁體 (Chinese Traditional)
      • 日本語 (Japanese)
      • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
      • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
      • Filipino community
      • Indian community
    • Resources
      • Consular State of Play
      • CHOICE travel insurance guide
      • Fact sheet: Travel Smart
      • Fact sheet: Missing overseas
      • Fact sheet: Arrested or jailed overseas
      • Fact sheet: Sexual assault overseas
      • Fact sheet: Death overseas
      • Consular Privacy Collection Statement