Notary Public

Birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate

You can't usually notarise a UK birth certificate directly as it is protected by Crown Copyright.

Crown Copyright is a form of intellectual property right that applies to materials created by UK civil servants, ministers, and government departments/agencies, which in turn restricts documents from being copied.

Instead, use the original certificate (or if lost, then get an official copy of the certificate from the General Register Office, GRO) and get it apostilled by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, Legalisation Office, for use abroad.

In some cases, the foreign recipient may require a notarised certificate in addition to the FCDO-issued apostilled document. In such cases, instruct the notary to handle the entire process: from verifying the individual's ID and apostilling the birth certificate, to obtaining FCDO verification, and finally issuing a notary certificate annexed to the FCDO-issued apostilled document.

Some other documents where the Crown Copyright applies:

Birth, death, marriage, civil partnership certificate and other certificates issued by the GRO
DBS certificates
ACRO Criminal Records Office certificates
Other documents issued by the UK government

Academic Certificates and Transcripts

Notarising academic certificates and transcripts involves several steps, including contacting the awarding body or their agent to verify the document's authenticity.

Usual Steps for Legalising a Certificate or Transcript

1. Contact Us

Answer our preliminary questions about the awarding body, your ID, postage, etc. We will then send you a quote. If you're happy, we can explain the next steps.

2. Onboarding

Send two forms of ID and proof of address. If we cannot access the original documents, you may need to complete third-party ID and AML checks for an additional fee. We'll also need to see a copy of the certificate, along with the original, before notarisation.

3. Notarisation

We'll contact the awarding body to verify the document's authenticity. Processing times and fees vary by awarding body. Once verified, we can issue a notarial certificate. We must see the original document before notarising it.

4. FCDO Legalisation/Apostille (if required)

If requested, we'll arrange for the notarised document to be apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office via our agent.

5. Consular Legalisation/Attestation (if required)

If requested, we can arrange for the notarised and apostilled document to be sent to the consulate for attestation. This is only required for certain countries. See the link for details. Check with the institution.

6. Delivery

The final document can be collected from us or delivered to a UK address or to another country.

Please provide the following so we can advise next steps and costs:

Send two forms of ID and proof of address. (As we can’t physically verify the original documents, we need you to undertake third-party online ID and AML checks. They charge a fee for this.)
Provide a copy of the degree certificate and full transcript.
Confirm you can provide the original certificate (and full transcripts where required) for us to see.
Confirm who wants the notarised certificate (name and their full address).
Check exactly what the recipient needs, as requirements differ by country or organisation. This avoids unnecessary work and cost to you. Please find out:
- a)Do they need the degree certificate, the transcript, or both notarised?
- b)If both, should they be processed and bundled as separate documents or combined into one single document?
- c)Do they require just notarisation, an FCDO legalisation/apostille and/or Consular legalisation/attestation? We can help with both through our agent or you can do it to save costs.
- d)Do they need the notary to notarise the original document itself (signing directly on it), or a certified true copy?

Will and estate management

Wills cannot be notarised or authenticated in most cases.

However, once you have obtained the probate, a notary can then confirm the position at the probate office and provide a copy of the will that is lodged at the probate office. However, not all probate records have a will.

Why are Notaries so expensive

It is not merely a simple stamp or the witnessing of a signature. You are paying for a specialist, high-stakes legal service that is essential for documents to be accepted internationally.

They Are Highly Trained Specialists: A Notary Public is typically a solicitor who has undertaken significant further training. Their total professional formation can involve a minimum of 6 years of academic study plus a further 4 years of practical experience and specialist examinations.

The Fee and Long-Term Obligations: The cost encompasses far more than the appointment itself, covering essential and ongoing responsibilities:

Permanent Record-Keeping: Notaries are required by law to retain detailed official records and copies of notarised documents for extended periods—often indefinitely. This secure, long-term archiving represents a significant and ongoing administrative cost.

Overheads: Substantial professional indemnity insurance and regulatory compliance costs due to their level of responsibility.

The Unseen Work: Considerable time spent on verification, correspondence, and preparation.

They Bear Major Legal Responsibility & Prevent Fraud: A notary assumes liability for authenticating your documents and is legally responsible for fraud prevention. Should a forgery or error be discovered later, they can be held accountable. Some offences can result in prison sentance and being barred from the profession. This high level of professional accountability is a fundamental reason for their fee structure.

The Work Involves Complex Verification for International Use: The role ensures documents are trusted worldwide, not just domestically. This necessitates:

Rigorous Checks: Contacting thirdparties for verification, conducting thorough identity verification and Anti Money Laundering (AML)checks as required by law.

Navigating International Requirements: They possess specific knowledge of what foreign countries, embassies, and legal systems require.

In summary: You are not simply paying for a witness. You are instructing a highly qualified legal specialist to verify, certify, assume liability and maintain permanent records for your document, ensuring its validity. The fee reflects their exceptional training, the risk they undertake and the complete, often protracted process they manage on your behalf.

STRAND NOTARY PUBLIC

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