Document Legalisation FAQs

It depends on the country where the document will be used and who issued it. Send us a scan and tell us the country and purpose, and we will confirm the correct route before you pay anything. Our document review checks the document against the receiver's rules, so you do not pay for a step you do not need.

Singapore public documents, such as an ICA birth certificate, a police Certificate of Clearance (COC) or an ACRA business profile, can usually go straight to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). Private papers, such as a power of attorney, a declaration or a contract, must first be signed or certified before our partner Notary Public. We tell you which applies after we see your document, and we can arrange the notarisation step for you.

A clear scan or photo of every page, the country where it will be used, and the office that asked for it (for example, a visa office or a bank). If the receiver gave you a checklist, send that too. You can upload everything through our free quote form, and we reply with a written, itemised quote before any payment.

Yes, and we recommend it. Some receivers want a notarised copy, some want the original apostilled, and some also want a translation. We read the checklist against your document and point out anything unclear, so the papers are prepared the way that office expects.

No. SAL accepts documents at its counter only, not by post, but it allows someone else to submit for you. We act as that proxy and handle the notary, SAL and embassy steps for you. You can see each stage in how our process works.

Yes. Many receivers reject documents because of wording or missing details, not because of the apostille. We can help with drafting and formatting the document so it is ready for signing before our partner Notary Public. If the receiver has given you a template, send it and we will work from it.

Yes, in most cases. SAL works with a printed copy of the digital file, so the print must match the original exactly and its QR code must scan and verify. Send us the original PDF or OpenCerts file, not a screenshot, and we print, check and submit it for your apostille. If the QR code does not verify, we tell you before submission.

Often, yes. For some Singapore public documents, SAL can apostille a copy made at its counter from your original. For other documents, our partner Notary Public can make a certified true copy, which is then authenticated by SAL. Check first that the receiving office accepts a copy, and we will confirm the best option for your document.

It can be. SAL may not accept a laminated original, because the stamp and certificate cannot be attached to it properly. In that case, you usually need a fresh copy or extract from the issuing agency, or a certified true copy. Send us a photo first and we will tell you the simplest way forward.

It can, if the receiver cannot link the old name to your current passport. The usual fix is to legalise your deed poll or marriage certificate together with the main document, so the name change is clear. Tell us both names when you enquire and we will suggest which papers to include.

SAL cannot apostille a foreign-issued original, such as a UK degree or a foreign birth certificate, as a Singapore public document. Sometimes our partner Notary Public can certify a copy, and that certificate can then be authenticated in Singapore, but not every receiver accepts this. Others insist on an apostille from the country that issued it. We check what your receiver accepts before you spend anything.

It depends on the receiver. Some want the translation notarised and apostilled with the original, while others accept a translation done in their own country after the apostille. Tell us the country and office, and we will confirm the order. We can arrange a certified translation in the same order, so it all moves together.

The UAE is not part of the Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough. After the notary and SAL steps, the document must be attested by the UAE Embassy in Singapore, and the receiver in the UAE may also ask for a further attestation there. Our UAE attestation service covers the Singapore steps and tells you what to expect in the UAE.

For most documents, no. China joined the Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023, so an SAL apostille is usually accepted in mainland China without embassy legalisation. Some offices in China also ask for a Chinese translation, so check this with them. See our China document guide for the details.

India is part of the Apostille Convention, so an SAL apostille on your Singapore document is normally the right route. Check the latest checklist from the Indian mission or service centre handling your application, as some ask for extra copies. Our India legalisation service explains the common cases, and we can courier the finished document to you.

Not any more for most documents. Vietnam's membership of the Apostille Convention took effect on 11 September 2026, so an SAL apostille is now normally enough. Some offices may still be updating their checklists, so we suggest you confirm with the receiver, and we can help you with the wording of that question.

For now, you need embassy legalisation. Thailand is due to join the Apostille Convention on 28 February 2027, and until then documents go through the notary or SAL step and then the Royal Thai Embassy. If your deadline is close to that date, ask us which route makes sense for your timing.

These places do not accept an apostille, so your document needs full embassy legalisation after the notary and SAL steps. For Taiwan, this is done through the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore. Each mission has its own forms, fees and timings, so we confirm these with you in writing before we start.

Our SAL authentication or apostille fee is S$200 per document, with the SAL fee included. If a notary step is needed first, it is added separately, for example S$110 for a notarial certificate or S$90 for a certified true copy. Courier, translation and embassy fees depend on your case, and all of them appear in your written quote. See our full price list.

Online tools often show only the government fee, or figures that are out of date. Our price covers the SAL fee plus the work around it: checking your document, preparing it, submitting it in person at the SAL counter, checking the result and returning it to you. Your written quote is the price you pay, and we explain each line if you ask.

No. Embassy fees are charged at cost, exactly as the embassy charges them, and they vary by country and document type. We confirm the current fee with you before submission, so you know the full amount before your documents go in.

Company papers are priced per document, depending on whether they go straight to SAL or need a notary step first. Signing company documents before our partner Notary Public is S$170 per document. Send us the full set and the country, and we will quote the whole corporate legalisation job in one written quote.

You pay only after you have read and accepted our written quote, and we check your document first, so problems are usually found before you pay. Once our partner Notary Public has started work on your document, the order cannot be cancelled. If you change your plan before that, for example you decide you only need the translation and not the notary step, we refund the part you no longer need. SAL and embassy fees cannot be refunded once your document has been submitted.

You can pay by bank transfer, PayNow, credit card or debit card. Our fees and any embassy fee are paid to us together, on separate lines of the same invoice, and you get a receipt for every payment.

Not without your approval. Everything we know about, including courier and any embassy fees, is listed in the quote. If a receiver changes its requirements partway through, we explain the change and any extra cost before we act.

For a typical apostille, allow about 1 to 2 working days for the notary step, if needed, and 1 to 2 working days at SAL. Courier time is extra if we are sending the document abroad. Embassy legalisation takes longer and varies by mission, so we give you a realistic estimate with your quote.

Often, yes. Tell us your deadline when you enquire, and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic before you pay. Our urgent legalisation option puts your file first at each step we control. The urgent fee is quoted for your case.

Each embassy sets its own processing times, and these can change with public holidays, staff levels or extra checks. We give you the usual timing for that embassy and update you if it changes. We would rather be honest about this than promise a date we do not control.

The working days start once we have your payment and every document we need, in the form the receiver requires. For digital certificates, that can be the same day you send the file. For originals sent by courier, it starts when they reach our office.

Yes. We let you know when your documents are submitted, when they come back, and if anything needs your input. Before we send anything back, we share scans of the finished pages, so you can check them first.

Yes. Many of our clients are overseas. We act as your proxy at SAL and the embassies and send the finished documents to you. Our legalisation service for overseas clients explains how to send your documents and what we need from you.

For many digital Singapore documents, such as a COC, an OpenCerts degree or an ICA digital birth certificate, the original PDF is enough, because we print and verify it here. For paper-only originals, or documents you must sign before a notary, we explain the options, which may include signing at a Singapore embassy near you. We confirm this before you post anything.

We send them by tracked international courier, and the courier cost is listed in your quote. You get the tracking number as soon as the parcel leaves us, and we keep scans of every page in case anything goes wrong in transit.

Yes. Give us the full delivery address and a contact phone number, and we will courier it there directly. We send you the scans and tracking details as well, so you always know where your document is.

Your documents are handled only by our team, our partner Notary Public, SAL and the embassy involved. We record when they arrive, scan them before they leave our office, and return them by tracked courier. You are also welcome to visit us at #12-07 Suntec Tower One, 7 Temasek Boulevard, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, or on Saturday by appointment.

In most cases, no. SAL's electronic apostille currently covers only a limited range of documents, such as certain ACRA business records, and most receivers abroad still want the paper apostille. We email you scans for your records, but the paper document is the one to submit. If your receiver says it accepts an e-apostille, send us their instructions on WhatsApp at +65 3129 4104 and we will check whether your document qualifies.