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e-Notarisation and e-Apostille in Singapore: Fees, Procedure & Common Questions

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This guide explains e-Notarisation and the e-Apostille Singapore service in plain language: what they are, whether you can complete the whole process online, the step-by-step procedure, the fees (with links so you can calculate your own quote), how long it takes, and the common issues people run into. We wrote it for enquirers who want a clear answer before contacting us. If it does not answer your question, please email us at info@law.com.sg.

Last updated: 14 July 2026. Prescribed notary fees are fixed by law; SAL fees follow the Singapore Academy of Law’s schedule. Non-prescribed fees may change without notice.

What is e-Notarisation? #

e-Notarisation is notarisation in digital form. First, a Notary Public in Singapore certifies your document (for example, a certified true copy or a witnessed signature). Then, instead of a paper certificate, the Notary Public issues an e-Notarial Certificate. Importantly, the e-Notarial Certificate is valid only in its digital form. Therefore, any printout serves as reference only and carries no legal effect, and the certificate itself states this clearly.

What is an e-Apostille? #

An e-Apostille is an apostille in digital form. Like the paper apostille, it authenticates the origin of a public document so you can use it abroad in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. For an e-Apostille Singapore request, the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) issues the certificate and emails it directly to you. You can then verify it online through the SAL portal at legalisation.sal.sg.

Important: SAL issues the e-Apostille and the paper apostille independently. Consequently, you cannot convert one into the other, so if you later need a paper apostille you must apply again. Only choose the e-Apostille Singapore option if your overseas recipient confirms that they accept a digital apostille.

Can you do the whole process online, from start to finish? #

It depends on the type of notarisation you need:

  • Certified true copy (CTC) of a digitally verifiable document (for example, a degree certificate downloaded as a PDF or an ACRA business profile): after verification, this may be processed without attendance. We e-Notarise it, SAL issues the e-Apostille, and we email it to you. This is different from signature witnessing, which always requires in-person signing.
  • Witnessing of a signature: the signatory must sign in the physical presence of the Notary Public with wet ink. Remote / Zoom / video witnessing is not offered for Singapore Notary Public attestation. In-person attendance (or an in-Singapore outcall) is required for the signing step, even when SAL later issues an e-Apostille.

If you cannot travel to Singapore and only need a certified true copy of a digitally verifiable document, we may process the e-Apostille request without attendance after checking the source and verification file (for example, the original PDF and its OpenAttestation .oa file, or Singpass verification). This does not apply to signature witnessing.

Step-by-step procedure for e-Notarisation and e-Apostille #

  1. Send us your document and details. First, email the original document as downloaded from the issuing source (not a scan, photo, or screenshot), together with your identification, to info@law.com.sg. Tell us the destination country, what the receiving authority requires, and confirm that the recipient accepts an e-Apostille.
  2. We confirm the fee and issue an invoice. Next, once you approve and pay, we proceed.
  3. We e-Notarise the document. The Notary Public verifies and certifies the document, then issues the e-Notarial Certificate. You pay the SAL authentication fee upfront at our office so the transaction can proceed.
  4. SAL issues the e-Apostille. After e-Notarisation, we make the e-Apostille request through our office. SAL then emails the e-Apostille link directly to the recipient email address you provided.
  5. You receive and use the e-Apostille. Finally, the recipient opens the SAL link to access and verify the document. Do double-check the email address, because SAL sends the link there.

Note: since October 2025, you make the e-Apostille request for a notarised document at the Notary Public’s office rather than at the SAL office. In other words, you do not visit SAL for the e-Apostille.

How much does e-Notarisation and e-Apostille cost? #

An e-Apostille Singapore request has two cost parts: the Notary Public fees, which follow the prescribed schedule set by law, and the SAL authentication fee, a disbursement that we pay to the Singapore Academy of Law. Here is the breakdown for a single certified true copy document (one page):

ItemFee
e-Notarial Certificate (prescribed fee)S$75.00
Certified true copy, first page (prescribed fee)S$10.00
SAL e-Apostille / authentication fee (disbursement)S$87.20 (S$80 + 9% GST)
Total for one documentS$172.20

So the figure of S$172.20 is correct for a single-document e-Notarisation with an e-Apostille, and you pay nothing further for collection or courier because SAL emails the e-Apostille to you. Moreover, you may bundle more than one document under a single notarial certificate for CTC, so ask your recipient whether they accept bundling. Witnessing, by contrast, costs S$40 per person signing, plus the notarial certificate and the SAL fee.

Calculate your own fee (self-help) #

Before you contact us about an e-Apostille Singapore request, you can estimate your fee using our online calculators and fee guide:

How long does it take? #

Because SAL emails the e-Apostille and you skip the trip to SAL and the courier, an e-Apostille Singapore request usually finishes fastest of all the options. Timing still depends on how quickly you send documents and payment, and on SAL’s processing at the time. Accordingly, we give you an indicative timeframe when we confirm your quote.

Common questions and issues #

Will my overseas recipient accept an e-Apostille? #

Not every authority accepts a digital apostille yet. Therefore, always confirm with the receiving authority before you choose the e-Apostille Singapore option. If they insist on paper, simply ask us for the paper apostille instead.

Can I print the e-Notarial Certificate or e-Apostille and use the printout? #

No. The e-Notarial Certificate stays valid only in digital form. A printed copy works as a reference only and carries no legal effect.

I chose an e-Apostille but now need a paper one. What do I do? #

You simply make a separate request for a paper apostille. Because SAL issues the two formats independently and cannot convert one into the other, and because SAL does not refund fees already paid, please decide carefully upfront.

Can several people in the same organisation verify one e-Apostille? #

SAL sends the e-Apostille link to one intended recipient. However, other people in the same organisation can refer to the PDF version of the e-Apostilled document for their reference.

Do I need to visit the SAL office for the e-Apostille? #

No. Since October 2025, you request the e-Apostille for a notarised document at the Notary Public’s office. SAL then emails the e-Apostille link to the recipient.

Can I send you a document to certify? #

Yes. There are two common notarial acts, and the correct one depends on what you provide:

  • Certified true copy (CTC): we compare a copy against the original document and certify that the copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original. For a digital document, forward us the original electronic file (for example, a degree certificate or an ACRA business profile downloaded as a PDF, without any modification), and we may ask you to show how you downloaded it or to forward the original email with its source intact so we can verify authenticity. For a hardcopy, such as a passport or a paper certificate, please bring the original to our office so we can sight it.
  • Certifying that a document was presented as an original: where you send us an original document, we certify that the document annexed to the notarial certificate was presented to the Notary Public as an original document.

In either case, the Notary Public’s role is limited to the certification described above, in accordance with applicable notarial practice. The certification does not endorse or verify the accuracy, truth, legality, contents, origin or validity of the document, the authority or capacity of any signatory, or the purposes for which the document may be used. If you are unsure which act your overseas recipient needs, please ask them, or check with us.

Worked example (certified true copy): apostilling a degree certificate for use overseas #

This example deals with a certified true copy (CTC). Suppose you hold a degree certificate from a Singapore university and you need an apostille for employment overseas, yet you cannot travel to Singapore. If you can download the certificate as a verifiable digital document, and your overseas recipient accepts a digital apostille, then we can usually handle an e-Apostille Singapore request remotely: we e-Notarise a certified true copy, SAL issues the e-Apostille, and we email it to you. For a single-page document, the total comes to S$172.20 (e-Notarial Certificate S$75 + certified true copy S$10 + SAL e-Apostille S$87.20), and you pay nothing more for collection or courier. First, though, confirm with your overseas employer or authority that they accept an e-Apostille, because SAL issues a digital and a paper apostille separately and cannot convert one into the other.

How to get started #

Email the original document as downloaded from the issuing source (not a scan, photo, or screenshot), along with your identification (identity card or passport), to info@law.com.sg, and tell us:

  • the country where you will use the document, and what the receiving authority requires;
  • whether the recipient accepts an e-Apostille (fully digital) or needs a paper apostille;
  • the correct email address for the e-Apostille link.

Where the document is digital, please send both the original PDF file and its OpenAttestation (.oa) file. Then we confirm the fee, send you an invoice, and proceed once we receive payment and your confirmation. If you or your representative collect from our office, please avoid 1 to 2pm, which is our lunch hour.

e-Notarisation resources #

The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) publishes official step-by-step guides, a video, and an infographic on e-Notarisation and the e-Apostille. We have grouped them by audience below.

For Notaries Public #

For a Notary Public’s client #

For the end / overseas recipient #

Disclaimer: e-Notarisation and the e-Apostille are still evolving. The information above is subject to further updates by the relevant authorities, including the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), and to changes in the law. Please confirm the current requirements with us or with SAL before you proceed.

Related links #